The Hound of the Baskervilles: Book Review 

Today, we will be reviewing the classic Sherlock Holmes novel, The Hounds of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. Keep reading to find out what we thought of the novel and if you should give to a read! 

The Hound of the Baskervilles Summary

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are visited by Dr. James Mortimer who tells them about the death of Sir Charles Baskerville. He died to a heart attack but near his body, there was a footprint of a giant hound. A letter shown by Mortimer tells of a legend of the first Baskerville who was killed by a hound.  

This leads Holmes to sending Watson to accompany Henry Baskerville, the next in line, to Baskerville Hall. Holmes wants Watson to keep Henry safe as well as tell him about everything that goes on around the area and the residents.  

As Watson gets a lay of the land, he comes across a few suspicious characters. And who was the person following Henry when he arrived to London? The answer to these questions will determine Henry Baskerville’s fate. Will Holmes and Watson solve the case before the hound of the Baskervilles strikes again? 

History of Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes first made his appearance in 1987 but rose to populariy when he was featured in short stories in The Strand magazine. The popularity of Sherlock Holmes made Doyle hate the character and even kill him off in 1983 in The Final Problem.

Holmes death shocked the public and they were outraged with Doyle and The Strand. That led to over 20,000 people canceling their subsciption to the Strand and Doyle receiving hate mail. In 1901, Doyle gave into the pressure and revived Sherlock Holmes, much to his disdain.

But that wouldn’t stop Doyle from trying to terminate Sherlock Holmes in other ways. He would charge a ridiculous amount to write another Sherlock Holmes story hoping The Strand wouldn’t agree. But they always agreed, making him the highest paid author alive at one point.

Doyle thought of the Sherlock Holmes stories as work and wanted to be remebered for his historical fiction novels. The public had other ideas and wanted only Sherlock Holmes stories from Doyle. And unfortunately for Doyle, he is best remembered for his Sherlock Holmes.

Shoould You Read The Hound of the Baskerville?

With that out of the way, now we can talk about the book itself. You may be wondering should you even read a book that the author wasn’t a fan of himself? The novel is well written and Doyle did not take the lazy route. He does make Holmes disappear quite a bit throughout the novel though. If you didn’t know his relationship with Holmes, you wouldn’t think much of it.

The mystery at hand is intrigiung and makes for a great detective novel. Holmes is in his element and Dr. Watson plays a great part in this novel and feels like the protagonist for most of the novel. Doyle creates a mystery that is fresh and one that also makes for a great title! If you had to read one Sherlock Holmes novel, then this is it.

 Conclusion 

As a fan of detective novels, The Hound of the Baskervilles is a must read. I am glad that I did because Doyle is a great writer and the novel holds up even over a century later . It is a must read in my opinion and I do see why the novel is considered to be the best one in the Sherlock Holmes series.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook