The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (Epub)

Description

The curse of the Baskervilles dates to the seventeenth century, when the wicked Hugo Baskerville chased a farmer’s daughter across the pitch-dark moor of Grimpen with vile intentions. The poor girl died of fright, but Baskerville’s fate was worse—a giant black hound, eyes afire and jaws dripping with blood, tore out his throat and devoured it on the spot. Since then, the specter of that terrible beast has haunted Baskerville Hall, many of whose inhabitants have met violent, mysterious, and tragic ends.

News of the latest death is brought to 221B Baker Street by a local doctor who hopes that Sherlock Holmes can solve the riddle of the curse before it claims yet another victim or leaves the hall forever empty. Sir Charles Baskerville perished alone on the edge of the moor, his face twisted in fright, the footprints of a gigantic hound marking the ground twenty yards from where his body was discovered. Has the mythical monster returned? Or does some other villain now inhabit the desolate moorlands? Holmes and Watson will be pushed to the very edge of reason as they seek to discover just who—or what—wants to see the Baskervilles destroyed.

This ebook features a new introduction by Otto Penzler and has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.

User’s Reviews

Review “Simon Prebble gives an expert reading of both of these works…. Listeners will be spellbound by Conan Doyle’s masterful plots and Prebble’s captivating narration.” —AudioFile –This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition 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 an alternate kindle_edition edition. From Library Journal Reader Freddie Jones gives a riveting performance of Conan Doyle’s most spellbinding novel. The story of the “hound from Hell” has haunted the Baskervilles through many generations. Now, Sir Henry Baskerville has more than the legendary hound to take on as Seldon, the infamous Notting Hill murderer, has escaped from prison and is known to be lurking around the moor. What a time for Sherlock Holmes to be detained in London! Thus, Watson is left to take on the case. This mystery is much more than elementary, however. The abridgment captures the dark, brooding nature of Dartmoor and the Grimpen Mire, providing the perfect backdrop for the story. Recommended for most libraries.?Theresa Connors, Arkansas Tech Univ., RussellvilleCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. –This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. From Publishers Weekly This better than average comics version of the quintessential 1901 Sherlock Holmes novel shows the first private detective’s cool rationality confronting gibbering horror in order to thwart an ancient curse, a hound from hell that kills the male heads of a wealthy family. Patriarch Sir Charles Baskerville just having been frightened to death, Holmes and Dr. Watson set out to protect the family heir, Sir Henry. Few trappings of gothic mystery are missing from the action, but they are countered by Holmes’s instructions that Watson should observe closely and analyze skeptically everything he sees. Edginton’s script is much closer to Conan Doyle’s original than most adaptations, although that does mean that the characters get to talk a lot. Culbard’s energetic layouts and darkly sinister backgrounds are effective; when he turns to the story’s people, unfortunately, the Seth-like brushwork stretches their heads until they look like animated kidney beans. Overall, though, Hound gives modern readers a taste of what makes Sherlock Holmes an immortal character. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. –This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ This review applies to the Kindle version of the book available from MysteriousPress.com/Otto Penzler editions.There are a number of one-star reviews that some Kindle versions are missing any part of the text that was originally printed in a newspaper or letter format – or in the case of this novel, the manuscript that details the legend concerning Sir Hugo and the Hound of the Baskervilles.I’ve doublechecked, and the MysteriousPress e-book does NOT appear to be missing any of these sections. The manuscript is definitely there, as are the few newspaper articles in chapter 4.The story, of course, is classic Holmes at his best – disguises, uncovering clues, setting Watson on a task without giving him all the details, requiring the client to take some risks, and finding the villain. Well worth the read, and well-formatted.

⭐ …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.

⭐ 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.

⭐ When it comes to Sherlock’s adventures, I consider this to be the most complete one. It has absolutely everything a good story needs: a mystery, family curse, tragic love, action, a runaway convict, and a dog. Big, black hound that hunts souls in the marsh. Except that Sherlock doesn’t believe in ghosts, and there is something really awkward in the entire situation.I know this isn’t the first story in the Sherlock series, but it’s not a mistake reading it first. Everything you need to know about the most famous detective is right here, his methods, secrecy, and flowless thinking. Plus, the story is very beautifully placed.

⭐ I read this as a kid and the creepiness of the legendary hellhound made quite an impression. I decided to re-read it when I found out it was set in Devon, which has special associations for me. Fortunately, there is a lot of description of the Devon moors by Dr. Watson (a tad bit unrealistically, it must be admitted, in his letters to Holmes and in his diary) and it contributes to the brooding mood of the story.The book is, of course, well-written, but what I noticed was that it’s when Sherlock Holmes is present that the pages turn the fastest. Doyle does a terrific job of creating an unforgettable, quirky character through mostly dialogue. Holmes is often a bit of a buffoon, really, who can’t let an opportunity go by to show his genius. At the end of the book, when he could have gracefully allowed Dr. Watson to take all the credit for having found out, entirely on his own, a vital piece of information, Holmes says: “This also you cleared up in a very effective way, though I had already come to the same conclusions from my own observations.”He has to drive it home that nothing escapes his brilliant investigative skills. As if Watson didn’t already know that. What would it have hurt to have allowed Watson to think he had contributed something necessary? Somehow, despite this selfish boorishness, you still find Holmes endearing. Maybe that’s because it hints at a chink in his armor, an underlying need to be seen as perfect in this area of his life. A hint of insecurity in such a “masterful” man, as Watson calls him, is appealing.One part of the book made me laugh, and not in a good way. The escaped convict, a vicious and diabolical murderer–who Dr. Watson is at pains to point out is unrepentant and unredeemable and likely to commit more murders if he isn’t apprehended–is allowed to go free for the sake of one weeping woman’s feelings about what he’d been like as a child. But here’s the truly awful part. He’s only allowed to go free if he leaves England and takes his murderous ways to South America. Obviously, S.American lives cannot compare in value to English lives, so it makes perfect sense to send a murderer off to that distant land. What a happy outcome for all involved! They congratulate themselves on this intelligent solution.Another thing that struck me as I read was how many of Agatha Christie’s mysteries (particularly her Poirot stories) had elements taken from this one Doyle mystery. I began to understand why she was so modest about the success of her books and didn’t like to be praised for them. I imagine she felt the credit often went to Doyle. Though, in fact, her own writing has stood the test of time so whatever she owed to him for plot points , she certainly deserved the credit for her own creations.I would have given this classic five stars except for the two last paragraphs in the book, which undermined the whole mystery. When it comes right down to it, the murderer’s basic design is hugely flawed. Dr. Watson points it out and Holmes admits he has no answer for it. He gives some possible, speculative solutions but none of them hold up very well. We’re supposed to believe the murderer is one of the cleverest Holmes has ever come up against, but the very last paragraph reveals that he was incredibly shortsighted and frankly stupid.All the same, it holds up well and is much more accessible to a modern audience than many classics. That’s probably partly due to everyone’s familiarity with Holmes, but it’s also due to Doyle’s clean and crisp writing. You won’t regret giving it a read.

⭐ This is my favorite Story about Sherlock Holmes. The thing I like the most in Conan Doyle’s stories is the atmosphere he so skillfully builds around his characters and in this book, in my opinion, he did his best.The story is set far away from London, in an old Baskerville castle by the moor and it starts with a murder of the previous owner and mysterious events surrounding the new one. Soon we found out about the legend od Hound of Baskerville, a dog from Hell, who killed one of the Baskervilles because of his sadistic and devious behavior. Since then, the legend says, it is not good that any of Baskerville set foon on the moor during the night.Yet, the previous owner did. And he died from a heart attack. Close to him, on the ground, there were prints of giant dog’s paws.

⭐ Amazon lumps everything together, so you see reviews about the book rather than the Stephen Fry CD reading.Fry does a very good job, and seldom mixes his accents when speaking in the American accent of Henry Baskerville and then switching back to Dr. Watson.One thing about all these Fry cds is that whether MP3 or regular cds the track listings is a bit weak.Here are the listings for HOUNDChapter 1: Mr Sherlock Holmes (CD 1: tracks 1-8)Chapter 2: The Curse of the Baskervilles (CD 1: tracks 9-12)Chapter 3: The Problem (CD 1: tracks 13-22)Chapter 4: Sir Henry Baskerville (CD 2: tracks 1-10)Chapter 5: Three Broken Threads (CD 2: tracks 11-18)Chapter 6: Baskerville Hall (CD 2: tracks 19-27)Chapter 7: The Stapletons of Merripit House (CD 3: tracks 1-10)Chapter 8: First Report of Dr. Watson (CD 3: tracks 11-16)Chapter 9: The Light Upon the Moor [2nd Report of Dr. Watson] (CD 3: tracks 17-24) (CD 4: tracks 1-7)Chapter 10: Extract from Diary of Dr. Watson (CD 4: tracks 8-14)Chapter 11: The Man on the Tor (CD 4: tracks 15-23)Chapter 12: Death on the Moor (CD 5: tracks 1-9)Chapter 13: Fixing the Nets (CD 5: tracks 10-19)Chapter 14: The Hound of the Baskervilles (CD 6: tracks 1-10)Chapter 15: A Retrospection (CD 6: tracks 11-19)

⭐ Turn on your fantasy counter and I am sure this story would break it. It covers a wide range of fantasy genres: if you like detectives, horror, science fiction or mythology you will love ‘The hound of the Baskervilles.’ Fantasy fills every letter and contrasts so much with the rationalism of Holmes, as a black dot immerse into a iridescent fountain. He never gives up to accept any answer (natural or supernatural) without sound evidence. There is an otherworldly moor with an ancient curse, strange remains from the stone age (cavemen with tools and unknown goals), a landscape that could exist in another planet, a hound from hell, weird persons that hide many secrets. Even what should be normal, London, is fantastic. Both Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are popular men of action, Londoners and British public have already read the same books we have read so is fantastic (and at times comical) how even the criminals make beforehand plots to defeat the famous detective. I have not read many books of Sherlock Holmes but so far ‘The hound of the Baskervilles’ is quite a memorable story.I highly recommend the AmazonClassics edition. It has X-Ray, which is essential in detective genre; the format is perfect and comfortable, there are no errors that I could detect (when you read detective stories you also try to make detections xP) and, something I adore, not introductions to spoil you the adventure, only a brief biography at the end. The book is as fresh as it was the first day of its publication in another century, for another readers.

⭐ Definitely my favorite Sherlock Holmes adventure. The atmosphere is great, descriptions of the Dartmoor and it’s foggy and gloomy weather and strange sounds and dangerous and yet beautiful in some dark beauty way landscape makes a perfect place for the scary legend to be reborn. In the center of all this are a castle and mysterious death of its owner.Heir is here, and the problems were begun. First the small one, but nothing is small for Sherlock Holmes! Watson is going in Dartmoor, Holmes stays in London, events are beginning to be weirder and weirder. And there is not even a trace of Holmes to shed some light in the dark moor of Dartmoor…

⭐ I love Sherlock Holmes – the originals (like this), the spin-offs, the movies, the TV… He’s such a fantastic character, it’s hard to imagine a time when the concept of deductive reasoning was not de rigeur, both in life and in art, but once upon a time it was not – and it is stories like this one that helped popularize the concept. This is Conan Doyle at his finest – and, oddly enough I discovered, more about Watson than The Great Man Himself.It’s a creepy tale, oft-told and re-imagined, but the original version is a classic and not to be missed. I started working my way through the Holmes canon a while ago, but stumbled on the first two novels a bit (I’m obsessed with reading books in order) – then started reading a book that referenced this one and didn’t want to ruin its mystery so decided to read it first. Am I ever glad I did – and if you’re looking for a jumping-off point for Holmes, definitely recommend starting here rather than at the technical beginning… You won’t miss anything by doing so; Holmes and Watson are so much a part of the popular imagination that everyone already knows the gist of their relationship, so you might as well start with what I (and many) consider the best novel and work you way in that way! You won’t be sorry… This is, pure and simple, a great story!

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