The Hound of the Baskervilles

Review to come and other reviews on my blog (bio)
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This was my first Sherlock Holmes I've read. I highly enjoyed it. These detective stories give me a real Autumn feeling and gets me all cozy.

The story was great. I've read that some people already knew who the killer was, but I didn't. I was still surprised at the end when the case was solves and reviewed. It was a lot of fun to read in the kind of language style of that time, and to still feel like it fits in the modern world.

The only problem I had was that I sometimes didn't know who was who again, because I felt like I didn't get a big enough introduction about the characters. That made the story sometimes a little hard to understand for me.

:)

Who's a good boy?

During the last two centuries, the prestigious Baskerville family has been subject of a mysterious curse, many of them dying prey of a ghostly demonic hound. Latest fatality of this curse Sir Charles Baskerville. After his unfortunate demise, his successor, Sir Henry Baskerville, next and last in line, is to take possession of the state, regardless of the ancient curse, and even uncaring about an anonymous note received warning him to stay off the property. Alerted by Dr. Mortimer, an old friend of the family, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson take the case for investigation, in an epic battle against time, before the curse takes the life of the last surviving member of the family.

This was a superb installment in the series. Gripping, entertaining, moderately paced, unpredictable, twisty and fairly easy to read. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson at their finest. Widely regarded the best of the four full length novels, and by many the best of the entire series. I haven’t read all the books yet, but so far I can only agree. As all volumes before, it can be read as a standalone. So if you are not interested in reading the whole series, but you were always meaning to sample at least one book of the greatest detective ever, then this is it.

It’s public domain, you can find it HERE.

*** The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) is a very good adaptation. The plot decently faithful to the original work, with some minor changes, but all refreshing and welcomed ones. A great performance of Peter Cushing as Sherlock, and Saruman Christopher Lee as Sir Henry. Not the best movie in the world mind you, (7/10), and very far from being as enjoyable as the book; yet overall a great complement to the reading.

Still missing, the BBC series.



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n  PERSONAL NOTEn:
[1901] [256p] [Classics] [Recommendable]
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★★★★☆ 1. A Study in Scarlet [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 2. The Sign of Four [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
★★★★☆ 4. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [3.5]
★★★★☆ 5. The Hound of the Baskervilles
★★★★☆ 6. The Return of Sherlock Holmes
★★★☆☆ 7. The Valley of Fear
★★★★☆ 8. His Last Bow [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 9. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 10. The Complete Sherlock Holmes

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¿Quién es un buen perrito?

Durante los últimos dos siglos, la prestigiosa familia Baskerville ha sido sujeta de una misteriosa maldición, muchos de ellos muriendo presa de un fantasmal y demoníaco sabueso. La última fatalidad de esta maldición siendo Sir Charles Baskerville. Luego de su infortunada muerte, su sucesor, Sir Henry Baskerville, siguiente y último de la línea, debe tomar posesión del estado, a pesar de la antigua maldición, e incluso sin importarle una anónima nota recibida advirtiéndole mantenerse alejado de la propiedad. Alertados por el Dr. Mortimer, un viejo amigo de la familia, Sherlock Holmes y Dr. Watson aceptan la investigación del caso, en una épica batalla contra el tiempo, antes de que la maldición se cobre la vida del último sobreviviente de la familia.

Esta fue una sobresaliente entrega en la serie. Atrapante, entretenida, de ritmo moderado, impredecible, con giros de trama y bastante fácil de leer. Sherlock Holmes y Dr. Watson en su máxima expresión. Largamente considerada la mejor de las cuatro novelas largas, y por muchos la mejor de toda la serie. Todavía no terminé de leer todos los libros de la serie, pero hasta ahora no puedo más que coincidir. Como todos los volúmenes antes, puede leerse como un libro solitario. Así que si no estás interesado en leer toda la serie, pero siempre estuviste deseoso de probar al menos uno de los libros del mejor detective jamás, entonces éste es.

Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.

*** El Mastín de los Baskerville (1959) es una muy buena adaptación. La trama decentemente fiel a la obra original, con algunos cambios menores, pero refrescantes y bienvenidos. Una memorable actuación de Peter Cushing como Sherlock, y Saruman Christopher Lee como Sir Henry. No la mejor película del mundo ni por asomo, (7/10), y altamente lejos de ser tan disfrutable como el libro; pero dentro de todo un gran complemento para la lectura.

Queda pendiente, la serie de BBC.



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n  NOTA PERSONALn:
[1901] [256p] [Clásicos] [Recomendable]
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4.0 Stars
It was so enjoyable to read one of the most iconic Sherlock Holmes stories. I liked that, as a novel, this was a more fleshed out story with a compelling mystery at the centre. I highly recommend reading this classic story if you love mysteries.

Ha sido la primera vez que leo a Arthur Conan Doyle, y ¡me ha encantando!
Con lo que adoro la serie de Sherlock, no sabía cómo no había leído aún las historias de este personaje tan enigmático, pero por fin me he decidido y no podría haber empezado mejor.
El sabueso de los Baskerville es una historia que te mantiene pegada a sus páginas, con un gran enigma y por supuesto, un toque sobrenatural en este caso bastante curioso.
He quedado encantando con esta gran historia, sabía que me iba a gustar, pero no tanto como lo ha hecho. Y ahora estoy deseando leer el resto de historias de Sherlock y Watson.
Si aún no os habéis adentrado en sus aventuras, os lo recomiendo muchísimo.

Part of Sherlock Holmes Group Read Dec 2021 - 5 ⭐️
So this was the last book in the 18month group read of all the Sir ACD Holmes stories and novels run by me in the Group English Mysteries. Chronologically not the last written but it seemed appropriate to save Dartmoor and Grimpen Mire until the bleakest time of the year (here in the UK).

So interestingly I have actually upped my 2017 rating to 5 stars as I thoroughly enjoyed the book despite it only being 4 years ago I read it. Maybe age is dimming my memory quicker, agh !!

I love the descriptive passages of Cornwall and Dartmorr in particular and as ever the banter and relationship between our two heroes. You can "see" the genuine fondness ( I have shied away from the word love , should it offend anyone) and bonds of strong friendship between the two men in their surprise meeting on the moor .

Whilst I haven't yet got out my Sherlock DVD boxset (Jeremy Brett of course) to follow up my enjoyment, this is only because my library is still in boxes and will be for some time as it is the last room on our list to renovate !!.

(As a complete aside and probably of no interest to anyone but me, my youngest son and his wife are currently with the twins in Switzerland with her parents, so what I hear you say, but wait a second. My son sent me a picture from the window of the chalet that his wife's parents own and there is, yes really The Reichenbach Falls )

Challenge (2017) read Feb 2017
Oh I do so love Sherlock. I have read this book a few times over the years (god, I sound ancient ha ha), but I never tire of it. I have also seen (and own) any number of movie/TV versions of this story and they all bring something to the story in their different ways.
It is a wonderful story featuring a "fictional" character that surely half the world knows. As G K Chesterton put it, (most) other detective stories are judged on the intricacies of the story line and the characters are secondary, Conan Doyle excelled at his characterisations, creating a truly amazing central character that is not secondary to the stories but intrinsically linked with them.
As with a Miss Marple last month, it makes me want to read more Sherlocks, how on earth am I going to fit it all in this year ??

All the stars! Sherlock Holmes is at his inscrutable and logical best, Dr. Watson is his devoted self and manages to actually be helpful, and the mystery is a solid one, with a gothic feel to it. And the Baskerville Hound is truly creepy.

Holmes and Watson are visited one morning by a Dr. Mortimer, who explains the legend of the supernatural hound who haunts the Baskerville family. Many years ago, Hugo Baskerville kidnapped a local maiden, who escaped from his manor and ran off into the moors. When Hugo tried to chase her down, a great black beast "tore the throat out of Hugo" and "turned its blazing eyes and dripping jaws" upon his friends, who rode off screaming. According to the old manuscript that Dr. Mortimer reads to Holmes and Watson:

"One, it is said, died that very night of what he had seen, and the other twain were but broken men for the rest of their days."

Now it seems the Hound has arisen again: Sir Charles Baskerville, a kindly older gentleman, recently died of a heart attack while running away from something that apparently terrorized him, and Dr. Mortimer reports that near him were the footprints of a gigantic hound.

Sir Charles' heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, returns from Canada to take possession of the Baskerville estate. But a mysterious warning is left for Sir Henry:


Also, some of Sir Henry's possessions disappear, and a sinister man is seen following him. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson decide to get involved to try to protect Sir Henry from the fate that overtook his relative. Holmes, making excuses, sends Watson off to be Sir Henry's bodyguard. Off they go to the Baskerville estate on the lonely moor, where not only the Hound and, perhaps, a murderer, but also perils like a dangerous and crazed escaped convict and a quicksand-like bog await them. All in a day's fun!



I think the mystery in this book is a better one than those in the prior Sherlock Holmes novels, A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four. The women characters are a bit helpless (Victorian times and all), but Hound of the Baskervilles avoids the major racial and religious slurs and the lengthy (and tedious) flashbacks that diminish those books.

If you want a good example of a Sherlock Holmes novel, I recommend you skip the first two and go straight for this one, unless you're a Sherlock completist.

4.5 Silver Stars
with Golden Sparks

Wow!
WOA!

WAM!:

What
A
Mystery!

I couldn't put it down! I wanted to solve the case asap!
& I was proud that I was right at some points :D
my favourite in the series so far. (struggling to give it 4 stars or 5)
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plot: ★★★★★/5

the crime, how it was planned, who did that, how Sherlock solved it & every details just made me curious & curious!
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Characters: ★★★★★/5
Written style: ★★★★/5
General idea: ★★★★/5