[Books] The Hound of the Baskervilles (Modern Library Classics)

sherlock, conan, library, murder, mystery

Book Details

ISBN-10: 0812966066
Paperback: 208
ISBN-13: 978-0812966060
Publisher: ModernLibrary;ModernLibraryedition(October8,2002)
Language: English
Book Dimensions: 8.1x5.2x0.5inches
Shipping Weight: 4ounces

Book Editorial Reviews:

The Hound of the Baskervilles (Modern Library Classics)--- Amazon.com Review
We owe 1902's The Hound of the Baskervilles
to Arthur Conan Doyle's good friend Fletcher "Bobbles" Robinson, who took him to visit some scary English moors and prehistoric ruins, and told him marvelous local legends about escaped prisoners and a 17th-century aristocrat who fell afoul of the family dog. Doyle transmogrified the legend: generations ago, a hound of hell tore out the throat of devilish Hugo Baskerville on the moonlit moor. Poor, accursed Baskerville Hall now has another mysterious death: that of Sir Charles Baskerville. Could the culprit somehow be mixed up with secretive servant Barrymore, history-obsessed Dr. Frankland, butterfly-chasing Stapleton, or Selden, the Notting Hill murderer at large? Someone's been signaling with candles from the mansion's windows. Nor can supernatural forces be ruled out. Can Dr. Watson--left alone by Sherlock Holmes to sleuth in fear for much of the novel--save the next Baskerville, Sir Henry, from the hound's fangs? Many Holmes fans prefer Doyle's complete short stories
, but their clockwork logic doesn't match the author's boast about this novel: it's "a real Creeper!" What distinguishes this particular Hound
is its fulfillment of Doyle's great debt to Edgar Allan Poe
--it's full of ancient woe, low moans, a Grimpen Mire that sucks ponies to Dostoyevskian deaths, and locals digging up Neolithic skulls without next-of-kins' consent. "The longer one stays here the more does the spirit of the moor sink into one's soul," Watson realizes. "Rank reeds and lush, slimy water-plants sent an odour of decay ... while a false step plunged us more than once thigh-deep into the dark, quivering mire, which shook for yards in soft undulations around our feet ... it was as if some malignant hand was tugging us down into those obscene depths." Read on--but, reader, watch your step! --Tim Appelo
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback
edition.

From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up-In what is arguably both the best Sherlock Holmes story in the canon and one of the classic all-time mystery novels, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle parlays his interest in the occult with keen scientific detection in a story that prominently showcases Dr. Watson. Upon hearing Dr. James Mortimer's saga of the haunted Baskerville family and the recent death of family head Sir Charles Baskerville, apparently from the hound of the legend, Holmes and Watson begin their investigation. When the estate's heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, arrives in London from Canada strange things immediately occur and Holmes dispatches Watson to accompany Sir Henry to Baskerville Hall. Situated in Dartmoor in Devonshire, the estate borders a tremendous moor that includes Grimpen Mire, the deadly quicksand-like bog, and provides the Gothic atmosphere that so beautifully saturates the storyAthe oppressive manor and nightly sounds of a wailing woman, Neolithic ruins and monoliths throughout the moor, a mysterious butler and his agitated wife, an escaped killer at-large on the moor, and the spectral and murderous hound. This expurgated version is wonderfully conceived and executed in every aspect, but particularly in the dexterous delivery of veteran British actor, Tony Britton. His diverse and distinctive portrayal of over a dozen characters is singularly commanding. This literary masterwork that has found its simpatico audio incarnation should be an obligatory purchase for all audio collections.
Barry X. Miller, Austin Public Library, TX

Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette
edition.

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The Hound of the Baskervilles (Modern Library Classics) About [Books] The Hound of the Baskervilles (Modern Library Classics) by Anonymous's review
The Best "Hound" Ever
This audiobook is by far the best audio version of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" available today.Reader David Timson does a masterful job.Unlike certain other audio versions where the reader rushes headlong through the book, seemingly without ever pausing for breath, Mr. Timson reads with expression, timing, and style. If you want to hear this novel read the way it should be read, buy the Timson version.It is superb.

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[Books] The Hound of the Baskervilles (Modern Library Classics) Rating:8 Points
Best:10 Points
Votes:100 People
Count:7 Reviews

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2^#

FergusD_LenehanPost at 2010-12-31 09:37 | Only View Author

An Awesome book!
A Kid's Review
The Baskerville family had a myth that haunted them for ages. When it finally comes true, Mr. Sherlock Holmes must come to the rescue. The Baskerville myth of a dog that kills all descendants of the Baskervilles at night on the moor has haunted the family for ages. So, when Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead on the moor, everyone assumes it was the hound. Sir Henry, who is Sir Charles' nephew, comes and inherits the estate with Holmes closely watching. Sir Henry meets the Stapletons, a young couple that are his closest neighbors, and begins to fall in love with Ms. Stapleton. Holmes puts Sir Henry's life at stake at the end of the book, and they catch the culprit in the act. This book is an excellent read that would be the perfect story to read when you can't decide between a mystery and an adventure.

This book is an example of how much Sherlock Holmes cares about other people's feelings. When Holmes sent Watson with Sir Henry to inherit the estate , he didn't tell Watson that he would follow to make sure everything was OK, which made Watson feel betrayed and not trusted. Holmes also told Watson that Cartwright had supplied all of his needs for him, which made Watson even more upset. At the end of this story, Holmes puts Sir Henry's life on the line when he lets the hound jump on Sir Henry before he kills it, petrifying Sir Henry with fear.

The antagonist is really good at disguising himself in this book. He outsmarts Sherlock Holmes in London with a full black beard, and calling himself Sherlock Homes. The Antagonist also befriends the Baskervilles so that they would never suspect him as the culprit. His plans are very smart, from bribing Sir Charles out of his house to attempting to kill Sir Henry the way back from a friendly dinner.

This book has many adventures. Sir Henry and Dr. Mortiemier get dogged in London, Watson and Sir Henry chase an escaped convict, and Sir Henry almost gets eatenby a huge hound.

This is the perfect book for any day. It is suspensful, exiting, and it puts you on the edge of your seat. This book deserves a five star rating!

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MaryWhipplePost at 2011-1-1 05:10 | Only View Author

"A hound it was...but not such a hound as mortal eyes have ever seen."

With echoes of Edgar Allan Poe, this 1902 novel continues to delight mystery-lovers.Elegantly written in formal prose, the story focuses on the moor surrounding the ancestral home of Sir Henry Baskerville, an American who has inherited it upon the mysterious death of his uncle Charles.The moor is so treacherous that no one dares venture upon it at night-one step off the path, and the mire will swallow the unfortunate victim.

Family legend says that a sadistic Baskerville from the eighteenth century once loosed a huge and ferocious dog in pursuit of a woman who had escaped his clutches, and that she had died of fright when she heard the dog panting behind her on the moor.The lecherous Baskerville, in pursuit, had had his throat torn out by this "dog from hell."The ghostly dog can still be heard howling on the moors, and many believe it was the dog which caused the elderly Sir Charles Baskerville to have his fatal heart attack.

In classically Gothic style, the novel features mysterious cries from the moor, foggy nights, an escaped prisoner, signals by candlelight, a butler who knows more than he says, a beautiful woman with a mysterious past, a small boy who carries messages, and someone who spies on the dark and isolated Baskerville Hall.Sherlock Holmes plays a lesser role in this story than he does in most others, remaining in London while Dr. Watson accompanies Sir Henry to his estate as an observer and protector.

Holmes, of course, is operating behind the scenes, learning about the activities at Baskerville Hall through the daily accounts which Watson sends him (and which reveal much of the action to the reader).By no means the bumbling character which films have portrayed, Watson offers sensible advice to Sir Henry and shows a keen eye for details ofinterest to Holmes.

Though the prose is often "purple" with melodrama and overwrought description, this contributes to the fun of the novel, providing a dramatic counterweight to the extreme logic of Sherlock Holmes, whose late appearance in the novel comes as a carefully timed surprise.The story is intriguing, the mysteries are well developed, the atmosphere is suitably spooky, and the resolution, though not really surprising, is appropriate.Even if the story had not been made into a memorable film with Basil Rathbone, The Hound of the Baskervilles would still be justly famous as Conan Doyle's best developed mystery, a genuine classic of the genre.Mary Whipple

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4^#

MatthewFrenchPost at 2011-1-2 00:42 | Only View Author

A nonstop page turner!

When I began the book, I thought it would be slow going because it was written about 100 years ago. I was SO wrong! I finished the book in a period of less than 24 hours!!! This is an absolutely fabulous book! Doyle's use of language is masterful, and you are swept away to the moor with its swamps, jagged cliffs, and massive hills. I can honestly say I was quite spooked as I was reading some of it at night!

Since this is the first novel I have ever read by Doyle, I didn't know what to expect. But the twists in the plot and the constant itching to know what was going to happen next had me hooked!

I watched the 1959 movie after reading this, and I have to say it was a disgrace. I don't know if I would be happy seeing any of the versions, only because I don't know if any of them could even compare to the rich world and language used by Doyle to transport you to Devonshire!! But of course, the book is always better than the movie. :)

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5^#

PaulWeissPost at 2011-1-2 20:15 | Only View Author

"A devilish affair"

When Henry Baskerville, the last remaining scion of the family, travels from Canada to England to take up residence in Baskerville Hall after the puzzling violent death of his uncle, Sir Charles, he is immediately greeted with a string of baffling mysteries not the least of which is the legend of an enormous hound residing on the moors in Devon. Dr James Mortimer, family friend to the Baskervilles, engages Holmes and Watson to advise and protect Henry and to resolve the issue of the hound's existence once and for all. Not one to believe in supernatural phantoms such as this spectral hound from hell endowed with "blazing eyes and dripping jaws", Holmes dispatches Watson to scout out the terrain and place the neighbouring residents under the proverbial magnifying glass - Stapleton, the accomplished entomologist and his beautiful sister, Beryl, who attempts to warn off Henry from taking up residence in the hall; Frankland, a crotchety busybody with a telescope and his troubled daughter, Laura Lyons, recovering from an ill-advised marriage; and the Barrymores, long time butler and housekeeper to the Baskerville family, who are clearly carrying a disturbing secret of their own.

True to the well-established paradigm of the Holmes canon, Doyle allows Watson to tell the tale with a deliciously full serving of speculation, theorizing based on "incomplete data", emotion, gentlemanly bravado, flowery Victorian atmosphere, elegant dialogue, and extensive detail on the routine of daily living at the turn of the century such as communicating by telegram and traveling by coach. His development of the bleak, dark, gloomy atmosphere of the moor is masterful:

"Over the green squares of the fields and the low curve of a wood there rose in the distance a grey, melancholy hill, with a strange jagged summit, dim and vague in the distance, like some fantastic landscape in a dream."

An easy one evening read over the comfortable space of a couple of hours, The Hound of the Baskervilles moves swiftly from the traditional cozy opening of Holmes' Baker Street digs to a resounding climax that is packed with more excitement and action than almost any other story in the entire Holmes litany. Two thumbs up and a five star recommendation to readers of all ages!

Paul Weiss

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6^#

E_ASolinasPost at 2011-1-3 15:47 | Only View Author

Hound of hell

"Hound of the Baskervilles" is a unique story in the Sherlock Holmes canon -- author Arthur Conan Doyle wrote it in the years between Holmes' death and his resurrection several years later.

But due to public pressure, Doyle brought Holmes and Watson back temporarily for a sort of "memoir" tale, a tale of supernatural curses, escaped convicts and ghastly glowing hounds. It suffers a little from a lack of Holmes, but is otherwise a tightly-written, solid little mystery.

Sir Charles Baskerville was found dead of a heart attack -- apparently killed by a family curse in the shape of a giant dog. So his pal Dr. Mortimer asks Sherlock Holmes to protect Charles' heir, Henry Baskerville, who has just arrived in England to claim his estate and inheritance.

But even without Holmes, Watson can tell that something is up -- secretive servants, peculiar neighbors, an escaped criminal, a giant quicksand marsh, and the sounds of a dog howling in the night. But Holmes knows that the curse is no supernatural hound -- and that Sir Henry is in danger from a more real kind of ancient enemy.

"Hound of the Baskervilles" stumbles in one area -- the relative lack of Holmes. He's out of the picture for most of the book, and Watson does plenty of solid detecting on his own. Everybody loves the faithful narrator, but Watson isn't the Great Detective, and the book feels vaguely incomplete without Holmes inspecting clues and giving little hints to Watson.

The mystery unfolds at a languid pace, dropping a few red herrings along the way. Doyle pays loving attention to the dangerous, almost surreal Grimpen Mire and the surrounding countryside. But when Holmes comes back onto the scene, the book tightens itself up. All the plot threads rapidly slip into place as the real "hound" is uncovered.

Holmes' steel-trap mind is untarnished here, especially when he reveals what he figured out at the end. He's especially likable in an endearing scene at the beginning, where he educates Watson on deduction. But this is Watson's turn to shine, since he spends a long time gathering clues and even solving a sub-mystery without any assistance.

"Hound of the Baskervilles" is a short, satisfying Holmesian mystery, which is only hampered by Holmes' absence for about half the book. Solid work, and a good introduction to the Holmes series.

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7^#

MiamiBobPost at 2011-1-4 11:20 | Only View Author

Coyle Energetically Ignites His Story[132]
Some proclaim Doyle's greatest work to be "The Hound of the Baskervilles." And, it may be just that.

Set on a British estate, mixing science fictional accounts with old wive's tales and mythology, it is not a standard tale of urban sleuthing.This involves Holmes outside of London, and working with the "plebians" or "ordinary people" in his mission to save "Sir Henry" from encountering the same fate as his uncle Sir Charles Baskerville.

There are tales of adultery, slanting lies and rendevous at late hours of thenight in the moor which flanks the estate of Sir Henry.The evenings overlooking the moor are often disturbed by the noisy backdrop of a hound howling, but not the sound ofa hound ever heard by anyone before.

The moor is dangerously dotted with mires in which a step could mean one's end.Muddy and deep, the step into such places becomes a trap for the unwary. Hence, the moor includes dangers beyond its sounds, it is a place where young and old should avoid unless they know which places are safe and which are not.

An entomologist named Stapleton knows the moor inside and out.He befriends Sir Henry and Watson. He cannot meet Sherlock Holmes who must stay in London for other cases. This story follows the day-to-day discoveries of Watson, more than others.

In the end, the intertwining of evil that haunts the people in the tiny hamlet becomes staggering and one must wonder - could a village of such small size really have so many people within it keeping such deadly secrets without one of the others (if not all of the others) knowing? Probably not.But, who cares.

And, I lastly note that Doyle certainly was more than a mystery writer. His prose rivals Forster or Waugh. For instance, he wrote:"We looked back on it now;the slanting rays of a low sun turning the streams into threads of gold and glowing on the red earth new turned by the plough and the broad tangle of the woodlands.. . Now and then we passed a moorland cottage, walled and roofed with stone, with no creeper to break its harsh outline. Suddenly we looked down into a cuplike depression, patched with stunted oaks and firs which had been twisted and bent by the fury of years of storm."

With prose like that, you only conclude: This is more than a mystery novel.

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