I first read the most famous of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s four Sherlock Holmes novels during my elementary school years. Admittedly, It’s been quite a while since then, but I can tell you that the wretched beast scared me so much that I could hardly sleep. I vividly imagined its fire-breathing snout and its eyes blazing in the flames as it roamed the moors, hunting for prey and howling at the moon, so fiercely that it sent shivers down my spine. However, it’s been 120 years since the writing of The Hound of the Baskervilles, so it wouldn’t be too surprising if the notorious hound’s fur had thinned out a bit by now. And most of its teeth might have fallen out as well…
The Hound of the Baskervilles is a Terrifying Monster
It’s easy to understand why the tale of the bloodhound, which has been haunting the Baskerville family for centuries, is the Scottish writer’s most popular work. It’s self-evident, due to its supernatural aspects. The otherworldly creature that haunts the family as a vengeful spirit has become a local legend. The crime scene is an abandoned, dangerous moor populated by eccentric characters. All these elements serve to heighten the reader’s sense of dread.
Moreover, considering the impact of the story at the time of its release, it’s not hard to imagine the reaction it must have provoked. Doyle, who revitalized and pioneered the crime fiction genre, had an influence on his field comparable to, that of The Beatles on the music of the 1960s.
The unsuspecting Victorian-era readers, accustomed to a more leisurely pace of life, probably reacted the same way I did as a child: they were so excited that they ended up filling their pants.
Holmes and Watson: Gentlemen Detectives
The Hound of the Baskervilles reads as a slow-moving crime novel by today’s standards. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are gentlemen who do not rush things. They converse, analyze, take long walks, and Dr. Watson reports his rural adventures to his friend in lengthy, detail-packed letters. It’s also worth noting the occasional meticulously detailed descriptions of the surroundings; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle dedicates some beautifully crafted passages to the bleak Dartmoor landscape in Devon, which is quite exceptional for a crime novel.
But the reason The Hound of the Baskervilles exudes such a good-natured, English calmness (despite the constant ominous atmosphere) is thanks to Dr. Watson’s character.
The decent, amiable, and sometimes quite naïve former military surgeon performs the investigative legwork while a cloud of mundanity constantly hovers over him.
Indeed, with Dr. Watson by his side, it’s no wonder Holmes can afford to be eccentric.
Sherlock Holmes’ Method
We’ve all heard about the famous private detective’s investigative techniques: observation, analysis, deduction, knowledge of human nature, bold and ahead-of-their-time use of scientific methods, and so forth. Well, in The Hound of the Baskervilles, Holmes hardly needs to rely on these skills. His old companion essentially solves the case on his own.
Given a little more time, Dr. Watson might have even realized that he had actually cracked the case himself. But since that doesn’t happen, Holmes is needed to explain it to him.
After Dr. Watson completes all the witness interrogations and eliminates most of the suspects, there’s really only one suspect left. Hello, since no one else lives in that wretched moorland. And, to top it off, this person looks suspicious as hell. It’s as simple as one plus one.
Is The Hound of the Baskervilles Still Scary?
The Hound of the Baskervilles, the forefather of mystical crime novels, contains all the elements of a detective investigation: puzzle-solving, interrogations, a car (hansom cab) chase, background checks, and setting traps. Still, it’s not particularly exciting anymore.
Today, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work is more likely to be appreciated for its atmosphere—the strong foundation laid at the beginning of the book, which establishes a grim, ominous mood and a constant sense of danger. When Holmes summarizes the case with additional details at the end, it’s actually quite tedious.
Summary
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles is a groundbreaking work, a cornerstone of crime literature, but time has taken its toll. Despite its foreboding and threatening atmosphere, it only achieves a limited impact today. It might still be worth a try for young readers new to detective fiction (if such readers still exist). Maybe.
Rating: 7/10
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published in 2001 by Signet
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Gods of War by James Lovegrove
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Sherlock Holmes’ late successors:
One Shot by Lee Child
The Crucifix Killer by Chris Carter