The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I don’t recall who gifted this book to me, but I am truly more grateful now than I was the day I received it.  Presented as it was in The Strand along with illustrations gave me an image of readers past who, no doubt, would anxiously await each installment as viewers of today await the latest episode of a TV series (or binge it!).

A feeling of deja vu was with me through the entire read.  Could I have read this in the past or viewed one of its film adaptions?  I really did not recall doing either, yet I felt I knew Holmes and Watson quite intimately.

Sherlock Holmes is visited by Dr. Mortimer after his friend, Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead, of either a heart attack or fright.  The legend of the Hound of the Baskervilles is well known in the moors of Devon where the Baskerville family is said to be cursed by a hound from hell.

Holmes eventually agrees to investigate what he believes must have a reasonable explanation.

The ever humble Watson does Holmes’ bidding with few questions asked.  It is clear he is in awe of Holmes as he tries to impress him with his own attempts at logic, yet always seems to fall just a tad short.  Just when he seems exasperated by his mentor, Holmes acknowledges his assistance and Watson feels redeemed.

Henry Baskerville arrives from America as the remaining Baskerville heir.  He is certainly out of his element and seems indecisive about believing the legend of the hound or relying on common sense.

The man with the butterfly net, Mr. Stapleton is encountered along the moor and seems quite comfortable in the outdoors, even with the howling and precarious ground.  He is not the man he pretends to be and his plan is revealed in the nick of time.

Somehow I believe I would not be, as expected, intimidated by Sir Doyle.  Rather, I would relish sitting in his company and observing him whilst he observed me.  In reality, I’m sure I’d stumble on my questions relative to his writing habits.

My rating for The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 10 out of 10.

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