Author: Arthur Conan DoylePublisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 393
Book Description
Although it is not the most traditional, The Hound of the Baskervilles is by many accounts the greatest entry in the tales of Sherlock Holmes. The novel is set on the desolate moors of West Country, England, with the lonely manor homes, old legends about ghostly creatures, dark family lore, and of course a mystery that only Holmes can unravel. The Hound of the Baskervilles may be Doyle's most perfect blend of mystery, the supernatural, and adventure, making it one of the best detective stories ever written. Dr. James Mortimer comes to consult Holmes after his friend, Sir Charles Baskerville, was found dead. Although there was no direct evidence of foul play, the expression of intense horror on Baskerville's face and the enormous hound prints surrounding the body make Mortimer suspicious of evil doings. Mortimer relates to Holmes the story of a gigantic hound that has plagued the Baskerville family ever since one of their ancestors had abducted a farm girl only to be killed by such a hound in supernatural retribution. Although Holmes dismisses the ghostly hound as nonsense, Watson and Holmes take the case, venturing out to the Baskerville manor to uncover the real story of the Baskerville's death and the eponymous hound.Doyle was already quite famous when he wrote The Hound of the Baskervilles, the third of his four novels featuring Sherlock Holmes, along with over 50 short stories. The story is set out of order from the normal Holmes canon, written after the first "death" of the great detective, but set beforehand. Arthur Conan Doyle had taken an eight-year vacation from writing about Holmes, but clearly from this fantastic story, he had lost none of his famously dynamic storytelling. Doyle had always been somewhat ambivalent towards his most famous creation, ultimately killing him off not once, but twice in his literary career. He preferred to use his time writing historical novels, considered much higher style at the time. Despite the author's hesitation, Holmes's readership was enamored at once and has stayed so to the present day. We can thank Doyle's contemporary fans for Holmes's return in this masterful tale of mystery and suspense.
