Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ISBN: 0-689-83571-X Publisher: Aladdin Library Pub. Date: 01 June, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $3.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.44 (88 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: An intriguing and suspenseful detective story.
Comment: First I must make a note of the fact that this is the first and only Sherlock Holmes story I've read thus far. Therefore I cannot offer any kind of comparison between "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and Doyle's other works. I will simply give you my thoughts about it as a story in and of itself.
The book is simply written and easy to understand, but the plot remains engaging throughout. It is not overly complicated, but neither is it too simplistic or predictable. The Baskerville family has passed down the legend of a giant black hound that plagues the residents of Baskerville Hall, bringing a swift end to any that dare venture alone onto the nearby moor at night. When Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead upon the moor with the pawprints of a large dog in the earth nearby, the case is presented to Sherlock Holmes in hopes of unraveling the mystery and ensuring the safety of Sir Charles's nephew and Baskerville Hall's new occupant, Sir Henry Baskerville.
Too busy to investigate the matter himself, Holmes sends his friend and assistant, Dr. Watson, out to Baskerville Hall in his stead. Watson is the narrator of the story, and we see threads of the mystery slowly unravel as he makes his reports back to Holmes. Other reviewers have complained about the fact that Holmes is not the central figure in this particular novel, but I actually liked the way the story was done. And as we find out toward the end of the book, Holmes actually plays a larger part than he initially appears to. I must admit, though, that it was a bit depressing to see Watson toil away at investigating and drawing conclusions only to have Holmes repeatedly inform him that his conclusions are wrong. Watson does most of the drudge-work but gets very little in return.
The style of the writing was very appealing to me. The story has a very dark, gothic feel, and is full of suspense. Doyle's descriptions make the eerie moor feel very real. For a book written a century ago, it is still very reader-friendly. The only part where I thought the book dropped off a little was in the last few chapters. For all the build-up and suspense, the climax of the story is much too short and quickly resolved, leaving a feeling of unreality. Also, Doyle concludes by having Holmes simply recite to Watson all the details of his sleuthing that were left out of the action of the book. I think the rule "Show, don't tell," is a good one when it comes to literature, and I would rather have actually seen Holmes come to his conclusions as the story progressed.
Overall, though, I did enjoy the book, and look forward to reading more of Doyle's work. My one last word of advice regards this particular edition of the book (the 1993 Signet Classics printing with Afterword by Frederick Busch). There are numerous typos that really should have been caught and corrected before publishing (most, curiously, are instances where the letter "t" is inexplicably replaced with the letter "b"). I would recommend looking for a different version that is more competently edited.
Rating: 4
Summary: Men of science investigate the supernatural
Comment: "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is among the most famous of the Sherlock Holmes stories overall, and certainly the most famous of the four Holmes novels. Perhaps this is because of its ingenious plot premise. In this story, the famous deductive detective and his friend Dr. Watson are called upon to investigate at Baskerville Hall, a remote country mansion where the new heir to the property fears for his life. Apparently an old family legend has come true, and a horrible hound who haunts the moors is thought responsible for the deaths of the previous landowners. I know of no more chillingly atmospheric and mysterious setups for a mystery than this one. Unfortunately, large portions of the book feature yawning gaps in which Holmes himself does not appear, and we are forced to subsist on less interesting characters. Still, it *is* a Holmes story (fans of Holmes were delighted when this novel first appeared, since it was the first new Holmes story in some years, the author having previously killed off his famous hero in "The Final Problem") and the mystery is a good one, featuring red herrings, suspicious goings-on, and clever sleuthing by the great detective. The climax of the tale, when it finally comes, is as exciting as any Conan Doyle ever wrote. A must for mystery fans.
Rating: 3
Summary: The Hound of the Baskervilles
Comment: _The Hound of the Baskervilles,_ by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is a classic Sherlock Holmes mystery that will keep the reader guessing from cover to cover. Set in Nineteenth Century England, the tale of murder and a family curse will hold the reader's attention until the end. When Sir Charles Baskerville mysteriously dies and the heir to his estate is threatened, the real mystery begins. Doyle's masterful writing style is easy to follow and flows so well the book will be over before the reader realizes it.
I enjoyed this Sherlock Holmes mystery because it is easy to read and it flows well. For me, a person that does not usually like classics- or mysteries for that matter, I really enjoyed this book. The story kept my interest and it kept me guessing throughout the entire book. This story is not a thriller, but it is still a good mystery. For someone who prefers John Grisham suspense or a CSI type story line, this book is probably not for them. However, for someone who enjoys simple mysteries and likes to play the role of detective as they read, I would recommend this book.
 |
Title: Six Great Sherlock Holmes Stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ISBN: 0486270556 Publisher: Dover Pubns Pub. Date: 05 February, 1992 List Price(USD): $1.50 |
 |
Title: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson ISBN: 0486266885 Publisher: Dover Pubns Pub. Date: 01 January, 1991 List Price(USD): $1.00 |
 |
Title: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, John Seelye ISBN: 0140390839 Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: October, 1987 List Price(USD): $7.00 |
 |
Title: The Sign of Four (Penguin Classics) by Arthur Conan Doyle, Peter Ackroyd, Ed Glinert ISBN: 0140439072 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 02 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $7.00 |
 |
Title: The Adventure of the Dancing Men and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ISBN: 0486295583 Publisher: Dover Pubns Pub. Date: 14 April, 1997 List Price(USD): $1.50 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
