The Hound of the Baskervilles (Penguin Clothbound Classics)

I so enjoyed reading this book. For some reason I never read it while in high Once I started I could not lay this book down. I knew who the murderer was half way through But I enjoyed the way Watson would speak directly to the reader. I highly recommend this book.

Sherlock Holmes has so thoroughly permeated the literary and pop-culture worlds that it's possible to be very familiar with the fictional man, the stories dedicated to him, and the tropes ascribed to him without ever having read one of his actual stories. And for a long time I was one of those people -- I knew plenty about Sherlock and even knew the basics of the plot to "Hound of the Baskervilles" (thanks, Wishbone), but had never actually read a Holmes story. "Hound of the Baskervilles" is my first Sherlock Holmes story, and while I already knew the basics of the plot, it was nice to read the original, and it was nicely suspenseful and full of twists.When Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead on the moors near his estate, it's assumed he died of a heart attack. But the esteemed detective Sherlock Holmes suspects foul play, and so when Baskerville's nephew goes to claim the estate as the last surviving heir, Holmes sends his assistant Watson to accompany him and gather clues. Watson dutifully records the goings-on and the intrigues surrounding the estate and the surrounding farms and moors... but it will fall on Holmes to finally piece together the mystery. And when a dark legend surrounding the Baskervilles -- a legend concerning a demonic hound -- rears its ugly head once again, it remains to be seen if the famed detective can stop the legend from claiming another life...Surprisingly, Sherlock Holmes is absent for a good chunk of this book. But Watson is a surprisingly likable protagonist, an everyman who may lack Holmes' brilliant mind but is still analytical enough to pick up clues, and who has a sense of empathy and kindness that Holmes can occasionally lack. And there's a surprisingly eclectic and fun cast of characters to be had in this story, from the hapless American transplant trying to get settled in a dreary English estate to the servants with their own dark secrets to the doctor with an eccentric obsession with skulls.While I was familiar with this story going in (not surprising, as it's one of the most famous Holmes stories), it still managed to be a nicely chilling and suspenseful read. The writing style can feel a little antiquated compared to a lot of modern writing, especially thrillers, but it still manages to hold a lot of suspense and creeping horror, as well as some genuinely witty and humorous moments to lighten the mood as necessary.The Sherlock Holmes stories have managed to stand the test of time, and for good reason. Hound of the Baskervilles is still a creepy and enjoyable read decades after it was first written, and is a great mystery story with a dash of possibly-supernatural elements to liven it up.

It's called a classic for a reason. I think it was very good, not extremely suspenseful, but a solid mystery.

I liked the idea of being a twist from the classical haunted house, but with a extraordinary part, which is grounded to a very normal thing, that may be thought as greater when surrounded by fear.The humble investigation techniques, make reading a breeze, entertaining and addictive.

Has been my favorite Sherlock Holmes story for the longest time. It is a spooky whodunit, and those remain my favorite to day.That being said I will mention for those new to this story. That it was first published in 1902 and does have 2 instances of describing two peoples racial demographic in ways that are no longer socially acceptable in 2023. However, wrong today and wholeheartedly I agree they are wrong. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had passed away long before these social standards changed. Sherlock Holmes is one of the best mystery genres series in spite of this blemish our more intelligent era must put on it.As for the story of a supernatural curse that befall generations of the Baskerville family and the superstitious beliefs of a isolated community. It is especially spine tingling and could inspire one to sleep with the lights on. For those reasons alone. I would highly recommend it to others.

...setting aside its place in the history of detective fiction, my opinion of this short novel is that it's only good, not great. The Hound of the Baskervilles rips along and is generally well put together, holding the attention of contemporary readers, but is no longer capable of conveying the fear and sense of dread by which Victorian readers, and many Conan Doyle worshippers since, were gripped. Moreover, I'll surmise that, apart from the most resolute Sherlockeans, readers nowadays will find the exertions and plots of the principal malefactors to be implausible, if not absurd, and the conclusion weak. Although Conan Doyle does not build the villain up to the dimensions of a criminal genius akin to his Moriarty, we are supposed to believe the criminal mind at work in this novel stimulates Holmes' investigative juices to a peak, with the sleuth twice remarking that "this time we have got a foeman who is worthy of our steel," and 100 pages later repeating the comment with an "I tell you now again." These manly, playing-fields-of-Eton enthusiasms in the end did not, however, seem to me validated.Even so, I enjoyed the book and, at the behest of many dedicated friends and in light of a recent interest in Conan Doyle instilled in me by Julian Barnes in his 2005 historical novel, Arthur & George, I will continue to fill a gap in my literary education by reading the Sherlock Holmes stories...until I tire of the detective's arrogance and condescension. I recognize those two adjectives come with the Victorian package, and we're supposed to chuckle at Sherlock's casual dismissiveness and hauteur. But to many contemporary minds, a little bit of that will go a very long way.

Good story. The time period its set in as well as the place makes it even more interesting to read. Ill recheck my highlighs but I don't remember the famous Sherlock quote in this book.