Hound of Baskervilles

Rating:
Summary: Excellent characters, engrossing mystery.
Review: Familiar with his stories for years, I finally decided to buckle down and read one of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories of Sherlock Holmes, and "The Hound of the Baskervilles," the most famous of the novels, was the one I decided to pick up. To my surprise, I tore through it. It was a simple read, yet a complicated and satisfying mystery.

As with all the Holmes stories, his assistant Dr. Watson is charged with telling the tale of the bloody Baskerville curse. Sir Charles Baskerville, who was the charge of the family estate, has recently been gored to death by some sort of animal, and Sir Henry, the new heir to the household and the family fortune, fears that the mythic curse of a hellhound stalking the family grounds is true.

A strange twist occurs in this investigation, though, for it's not Holmes who goes to investigate the house. It's Watson, who studies the suspicious neighbors and staff, keeps close watch over Sir Henry and begins to notice that some very odd things are lurking about the moor.

Is the curse behind this killing, or is it a villain of flesh and blood?

The lead characters are defined well, and, though this is my first Holmes story, I understood the basics and the rhythm almost immediately. The narrative structure that Doyle is famous for is, as expected, charming, and the characters are well-defined. The mystery is properly twisted, and I didn't really guess the middle or the ending.

The best twist, to me, wasn't the reveal of any villain or method. It was the twist involving the shadowy figure on the moor. I didn't see it coming at all, and, when I read it, I realized that this old novel still had the narrative tools to surprise me.

It's a classic for a reason.

Rating:
Summary: Hound of the Baskervilles is a great book!
Review: Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle is a great and easy read for anyone who likes mystery books. This book is another case of death or murder investigated and solved by Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr. Watson. The book begins and ends in London in Sherlock Holmes' office, but the rest of the book mostly takes place in Devonshire at Baskerville Hall. It is a race to solve the mystery of the death of Sir Charles Baskerville before it's too late and before the same thing happens to Sir Henry Baskerville, Sir Charles' nephew who is the next to take over Baskerville Hall.
In the first few chapters, the author catches your attention by explaining 'The Curse of the Baskervilles' and why it is believed that every member of the Baskerville family has died the same way and by the same curse. The curse is well explained and it makes you wonder if it could be true or false. As the book goes on and Holmes and Watson are getting closer and closer to solving the mystery, there are a few unexpected encounters and events that are also unexplained. These events make it a bit more difficult to figure out the mystery, but they keep your attention and make you want to read on and find out what might happen next.
Not all the characters are what they seem to be, which allows for a few surprises along the way of solving the mystery. New events and people come up in every chapter making you want to learn more and solve the mystery. Holmes and Watson are a great team and although people try to get in their way, they always stay right on track until the end.
Hound of the Baskervilles is an awesome mystery book in my opinion. I liked everything about it, especially that it always kept my attention with the new and unexpected twists. It's easy to understand and not too long of a book either. The characters are well explained in their roles throughout the book so you're never confused about who's who. The author puts some twists in the novel to try to shy you away from the real murderer, but they don't stop Holmes and Watson from figuring it out. As the book goes on, it gets better and better as you get closer to solving the mystery. You'll have to read the book to find out what 'The Curse of the Baskervilles' is and what really happened to Sir Charles Baskerville. I strongly recommend reading this book, even if you're not into mystery books I think you'll enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: Mystery on the Moor
Review: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has created perhaps the best detective in Sherlock Holmes. "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is narrated by the faithful Watson, a man of genius not quite on par with that of Holmes, the master mystery solver. Holmes is forever quizzing Watson to see things the way he does, to figure out the mysteries of small things, like a walking stick left behind by a visitor.

"The Hound of the Baskervilles" tells the story of Henry Baskerville, a man who has inherited his family's home and fortune (as the supposed final heir), but also their apparent curse. His uncle was recently found dead on the grounds of Baskerville Hall, with little explanation for his death. The locals are sure as to the cause; it is the mysterious hell-hound that haunts the moors that was the cause of his death. The local doctor brings the matter to Holmes and Watson and they are charged to protect the young Henry Baskerville from a similar fate, as well as to solve the mystery of the hound.

While trying to gather facts for his intrepid employer, the faithful Watson narrates the strange happenings among Sir Henry's neighbors, wanting to add his own theories, but leaving the mystery solving to his much-admired mentor. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle writes a well-paced narrative that builds to a climax that is still exciting even when we know the real mystery behind the hound. At the end, it is Holmes and not his faithful sidekick Watson, who reveals the tricks of his trade and how he solved the mystery that no one ever suspected. Doyle has created a wonderful pair of complementary characters in Holmes and Watson and it is a joy to read their adventures.