The Hound Of The Baskervilles - Arthur Conan Doyle

I really loved the book of baskervilles and truly a fan of sherlock holmes and its totally amazing book which I have ever seen in my life and its totally outstanding and I think the series should continue it will be a great thought if it is continue to be a gud series book and I will love to buy it.

Sometimes I thought that this thing should turn into a movie in bollywood which could be a lesson to everyone out there..........

The novel, in the beginning, shows the home of Sherlock Holmes where Dr. Edward Mortimer, who is worried of the safety of Sir Charles’s nephew Sir Henry coming to London, appeals for help to Sherlock Holmes. Sir Charles was found dead in the yew valley due to heart attack. Mortimer reads to Holmes and Watson a description of the curse. The curse centres around an evil man with a sadistic streak named Sir Hugo Baskerville who was devoured by a giant spectral hound.

Dr. Mortimer then deduced that Sir Charles' face was contorted into a ghastly expression. His footprints suggested that he was desperately running from something. Mortimer also reveals that he observed the footprints "of a gigantic hound" near Sir Charles' body. Meanwhile Sir Henry is delivered to his hotel room an anonymous note warning him to avoid the moor. When Holmes and Watson join Sir Henry at his hotel, they learn one of his new boots has gone missing for which no good explanation could be found for the loss.

Despite the note's warning, Sir Henry insists on visiting Baskerville Hall. As Sir Henry leaves Holmes and Dr Watson follow him and spy a man with a fake-looking black beard in a cab also following him. He escapes when chased but Holmes notes the cab number. By the time they return to the hotel, Sir Henry has another old boot of his, stolen. At the end of the meeting, it is decided that Watson will accompany Sir Henry to the Hall and report back by telegram in detail. A visit from John Clayton, who was driving the cab with the black-bearded man, is of little help.

Soon Mortimer, Watson, and Sir Henry set off for Baskerville Hall but are intervened by the news of an escaped convict Selden. The next day Watson meets Jack Stapleton, a naturalist. Watson is not alone for long before Beryl Stapleton, Jack's sister, approaches him. Mistaking him for Sir Henry, she urgently warns him to leave the area, but drops the subject when her brother returns. Watson notices that the brother and sister don't look very much alike.

Sir Henry soon meets Miss Stapleton and becomes romantically interested. Barrymore draws increasing suspicion, as Watson sees him late at night walk with a candle into an empty room, hold it up to the window, and then leave. Realising that the room has a view out on the moor, Watson and Sir Henry determine to figure out what is going on. When Sir Henry and Watson walk in on Barrymore, catching him at night in the room with the candle, Mrs. Barrymore answers their questions and tells them that the runaway convict Selden is her brother.

Sir Henry and Watson go off to find and chase the convict but he escapes. When an agreement is reached to allow Selden to flee the country, Barrymore, who was upset with Selden being chased, tells them about a mostly burnt letter asking Sir Charles to be at the gate at the time of his death. It was signed with the initials L.L. Mortimer tells Watson the next day those initials could stand for Laura Lyons, Frankland’s daughter. When Watson goes to talk to her, she admits to writing the letter in hopes that Sir Charles would be willing to help her divorce her finance, but says she never kept the appointment.

Later Watson comes to know that another man lived out on the moor besides Selden, and Watson goes off to find the unknown person. The unknown man proves to be Holmes. He has kept his location a secret so that he would be able to appear on the scene of action at the critical moment. Holmes tells Watson that Stapleton is actually married to Miss Stapleton, and was also promising marriage to Laura Lyons to get her cooperation. As they bring their conversation to an end, they hear a ghastly scream.

They run towards the sound and find the dead man to be the escaped convict Selden, dressed in the baronet’s old clothes (which had been given to Barrymore). Then Stapleton appears and he makes excuses for his presence. Holmes and Watson return to Baskerville Hall and after dinner Holmes calls out to Watson and tells him to observe the portrait of Sir Hugo Baskerville and they find a close resemblance of Stapleton in the portrait. This provides the motive in the crime – with Sir Henry gone, Stapleton could lay claim to the Baskerville fortune, being clearly a Baskerville himself. When they return to Mrs. Lyons’s apartment, Holmes' questioning forces her to admit Stapleton’s role in the letter that lured Sir Charles to his death.

Under the threat of advancing fog, Watson, Holmes, and Inspector Lestrade lie in wait outside Merripit House, where Sir Henry has been dining. When the baronet leaves and sets off across the moor, Stapleton looses the hound. It really is a terrible beast, but Holmes and Watson manage to shoot it before it can hurt Sir Henry seriously, as well as discovering that its hellish appearance was acquired by means of phosphorus. They discover the beaten Mrs. Stapleton bound and gagged in an upstairs room of Merripit House. When she is freed, she tells them of Stapleton’s hideout deep in the Great Grimpen Mire. They look for him next day, unsuccessfully, as he is dead, having lost his footing and being sucked down into the foul and bottomless depths of the mire. Holmes and Watson are only able to find and recover Sir Henry's boot used by Stapleton to give the hound Sir Henry's scent.

Climax

Though the novel is full of twists and turns, the climax of the novel could only probably start when Sherlock Holmes and Watson comes to know who Stapleton really is and the motive in the crime - with Sir Henry gone, Stapleton could lay claim to the Baskerville fortune, being clearly a Baskerville himself. Throughout the novel, the author is able to keep up the suspense. When I read the scene where Sherlock Holmes and Watson shoot the hound I doubted if it was really dead. There comes the power of the writer. The author takes us to an imaginary world.

My Views

The Hound of the Baskervilles is quite unique and different from the other stories and Holmes’ novels.Here Holmes takes a big risk of fighting a criminal about whose existence everyone has a doubt, who is believed to be a supernatural element.For once, we see Watson taking over the case(or so he thinks), as Holmes says he is too busy to come down to the place of action, and we see Watson showing his deduction skills.The Hound Of the Baskervilles is bound to send a chilling sensation down your spine.At one point in the book, you even find the invincible Holmes enthralled by the sight which had caused two deaths upon the moor.The way the moor has been described by the author at night, the sounds that come from the moor which correspond a hound’s baying, the sobbing of a woman at night, or even the description of Watson’s looking through his window towards the moor freezes the very blood of your veins.If it doesn’t–well then you must be a scary spirit yourself.

A brief introducton about Sherlock Holmes

221B BAKER STREET LONDON- One of the most famous address in the world!

Till this date many letters reach this address!

Many still believe that Sherlock Holmes was not a fictional character!

When the character became famous than the author - might be out of jealousy - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed Holmes in an encounter with Professor Moriarty.

The public had gone mad! Millions of requests appealling to bring back Holmes forced Doyle to give life to Holmes!

A history that never repeated -The character started ruling the author!

Holmes -Believed that human brain shall not be misused - (Study in Scarlet) He dont know whether sun revolves around earth as if has got nothing to do with his profession. His brain was focussed on those things which will help him to pursue his profession - Apart from this - he loved playing violin.

His relation with Doctor Watson was quite interesting - He trusted him fully and ensured his presence during critical moments. Watson is the one who keep record of all cases! Sometimes they used to fight like cat and dog - Still there was something special about their relation.

The Hound of Baskervilles -is one among the four novels featuring Holmes. Rest of them are short stories.

This novel is about the investigation of the death of Sir Charles Baskerville - and his friend Dr. Mortimer believe that he was killed by a super natural creature. It was informed to them that the Baskerville family is cursed by destiny that the male members of the family will be killed by a mostrous hound. Holmes is given the assignment to investigate into this and protect the life of Sir Henry who is going to be the next heir of Baskervilles.

The novel take us through the the description of moor from where the a strange voice came - some of the mysterious inhabitants near the moore, a stranger who opted to stay near the moor -----. Altogether it creates an atmosphere of terror and suspense which will ensure 100% attention of the readers.

I still remember reading this novel at night alone in my bedroom and I feel like being left out near the moor and I was expecting a hound in front of me!

Many who read the novel had similar experience! Here lies the craftsmanship of the author - he will separate us from the real world and take us along with him.

By the time the mystery is resolved - I am sure, you will go back to the first page to read the novel again!

Believe me - I would have read this novel atleast 50 times! Before 20 years, the serialised version of "Adventures of Sherlockholmes" was featured in Door Darshan. I am not sure how many of us would have seen that - Under my Papa's influence, I was fortunate enough to catch some episodes and it was really thrilling.

All the Sherlock Holmes case diaries are still reference guides in Scotland Yard.

After Holmes - I hardly found any detective novel / short stories worth reading!

If you have not tried it yet - do try - its worth for this life!

PS - Can't consider it as a review but just a tribute.

Fear is our friendly emotion which helps us to run away from dangers which we are not confident to face. The only place fear can survive is our mind. In fact it is a positive emotion or a protective emotion, which only can be cured by knowledge and courage as fear itself is the product of lack of knowledge and courage to go beyond. Still there are some forces which will take a toll on our soul…right? Here we go to a story which keeps you in the thorn of enthusiasm, at the same time in occasions bring the fear factor too. "…sudden, bloody & mysterious. Yet may we shelter ourselves in the infinite goodness of Providence, which would not forever punish the innocent beyond that third or fourth generation which is threatened in Holy Writ." I can see the author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle making use of the deep rooted believes to make the book a success with the hound element in it. Here is my take on my first reading of Sherlock Holmes, the most famous detective character ever created.

Sir Charles Bhaskerville who possesses huge ancestral wealth died in mysterious conditions. It has been told that it is the curse on the Bhaskerville family that those who own the house will be killed by a hound (which has fire in its eyes and mouth). Indeed the hound is taking its revenge on the brutal killing of a lady by one of the ancestors. Sir Henry, the next owner of the huge wealth is arrived from Canada and eager to solve the mystery of the death like the family doctor since it throws the life of Sir Henry too at risk. Sherlock Holms along with Watson, his close associate take up the challenge to bring down the mystery behind the death and the hound.

I always admired the talent of good investigators and their ability to connect the links together. I am a person who tries to link things in as many ways as possible if I really intend to and my curiosity to know the typical style of the famous detective is a foregone conclusion. While reading, I noticed the way Sir Arthur have narrated the ability of Sherlock Holmes. The author used Watson as an average investigator and allow Sherlock holmes to close the net. In the beginning chapter itself Sir Arthur gave the importance of detailed analysis. Let me share few of the views I found interesting from the book, about the qualities of a good detective, the way the logic goes…

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes….My body has remained in this armchair and has, I regret to observe, consumed in my absence two large pots of coffee and an incredible amount of tobacco."

"My eyes have been trained to examine faces and not their trimmings. It is the first quality of a criminal investigator that he should see through a disguise."

"The more outré and grotesque an incident is the more carefully it deserves to be examined, and the very point which appears to complicate a case is, when duly considered and scientifically handled, the one which is most likely to elucidate it."

"Keep your revolver near you night and day, and never relax your precautions."

I am really amazed by the ability of the writer to picturise situations with emotions filled in it, but at the same time he explain it with limited words, a quality I would love to receive on any given day!

Look at the way Sir Arthur tell how an unmitigated scoundrel for whom there was neither pity nor excuse is born in a society in minimum of words!!! "We humbled him too much when he was a lad and gave him his own way in everything until he came to think that the world was made for his pleasure, and that he could do what he liked in it. Then as he grew older he met wicked companions, and the devil entered into him until he broke my mother's heart and dragged our name in the dirt." When the criminal is been killed, let us see how the author describe about it through two simple sentences which also throw answer for a query. "To all the world he was the man of violence, half animal and half demon; but to her he always remained the little willful boy of her own girlhood, the child who had clung to her hand. Evil indeed is the man who has not one woman to mourn him"

A lady's emotion where she has been betrayed by her husband…"It is my mind and soul that he has tortured and defiled. I could endure it all, ill-usage, solitude, a life of deception, everything, as long as I could still cling to the hope that I had his love, but now I know that in this also I have been his dupe and his tool." She broke into passionate sobbing as she spoke portrayed in fewer words too.

"…I will take my own steps to attain my own end", "I am certainly developing the wisdom of the serpant". "Incredulity and indifference were evidently my strongest cards" The writer peep into the mind of Watson to give the writing the required soul.

The author is one who have vision of his own is not to mention. Let me quote few from the book to make you believe it.

"We must see what further cards we have in our hands and play them with decision."

"There is a light in a woman's eyes that speaks louder than words."

"It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light. Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it."

I have small doubts on the reliability on few points mentioned by Sir Arthur, 1. The 1742 manuscript and its use in 1884, fooling generations and killing many. The culprit at end don't had any such earlier intentions. If that is a new creation, even Sir Charles would have thrown it away since he knows the history. 2. Mrs Stapletons, if she really wished to convey the warning, she had many ways, including handing over or even posting letters without any name on it even. Otherwise the suspense was fool proof and the writer closed the nets too brilliantly. The final chapters are written in extremely brilliant way so much so that he draws a picture with each paragraph which is intended to create some scary weather and situation to keep the chill in your loneliness. The mire, the fog, the hound, the death, blood, quest to survive, urge to escape…the book is a very good read. The book which only has 156 pages but unfold a good story with sufficient details. The book is referred to all, without doubt. Let me end the review with another quote from the book. "I fear that you ask too much when you expect me to solve it. The past and the present are within the field of my inquiry, but what a man may do in the future is a hard question to answer".

Presence of the supernatural–admit it or not, most of us believe that supernatural elements do exist, but then how many of us can vouch having experienced something that is supernatural, having seen something uncanny?Can we even prove it?

I have heard stories of supernatural things which are supposed to have happened to our own family centuries ago, but how do I know that these stories are not just mere rumours flowing down the family through many generations?Yet most of the family members have full faith in these stories.The point is–sometimes we all, so called ‘practical people’, fail to show our practicality.

Yet there is one practical man who has no faith in anything but facts and evidence, with “so dolichocephalic a skull or such well-marked supra-orbital development”(can anyone help me with the meaning of what I just quoted?)and whose indifference to whether the earth moves round the Sun or the Sun moves round the earth makes you wonder at his sanity, who thinks that there can be nothing supernatural in this world.Yes, it’s Mr.Sherlock Holmes of 221 Baker Street.You seriously don’t think Holmes needs an introduction–he is the world’s greatest fiction detective, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.Holmes is no less than a super-hero.Sherlock Holmes is the master of criminology;he can solve any complicated case on earth with his super-brain and to top it all, he has a crude sense of humour as well.Sherlock Holmes works not for money but for his passion for the job.With his ever faithful room-mate, Dr.Watson, who assists him in most of his important cases and is generally the narrator of the events as well, Holmes can work wonders.

In the Hound of the Baskervilles, Holmes and Watson are challenged with an unnatural case unlike any they have ever solved in their lifetime.Dr.Mortimer comes to Baker Street to inform Holmes about the Curse of the Baskervilles according to which any Baskerville would be killed by a phantom hound, if he stirs out at night over the moorland of Devonshire, as a punishment for the wicked conduct of one of their ancestors, Hugo Baskerville, some centuries ago.Dr.Mortimer, neighbour and friend of the late Sir Charles Baskerville, a man of science is even inclined to believe that the death of Sir Charles might have been caused by some supernatural element and was an outcome of the curse of the Baskervilles.Sir Charles had died due to a severe heart-attack caused by some terrible sight which he had seen just before his death(so horrified was he with the fearful sight that instead of running towards the Baskerville hall, he ran from it)and beside his body, Dr.Mortimer has discovered the footprints of a gigantic hound.So Mortimer consults Holmes as to the suitability of taking Sir Henry, the sole heir of the huge Baskerville estate, to Devonshire.Both Sir Henry and Holmes agree that if some supernatural element is at work then if it can do harm to Sir Henry in Devonshire then why not in London.So they decide to take Sir Henry to the moor and that Dr.Watson would accompany him and report all the things that happen there.To summarize the main points:

--Sir Henry has been closely followed by an intelligent man in London and he had been warned to keep away from the moor by someone.

--When Watson and Sir Henry reach the moors they learn that a notorious convict has escaped and was hiding somewhere in the moor.

--Some villagers vouch to have heard the baying of a hound from somewhere around the Great Grimpen Mire.

--The Stapletons(brother and sister), the neighbours and the Barrymores, care takers of the Baskerville hall, all seem to be hiding something or the other.

--The wailing of a female at the dead of the night in the Baskerville Hall;Barrymore stealthily walking about the house at nights.

--The remains of a letter to Sir Charles which he received on the very day of his death which asked him to meet the writer with initials L.L.at the gate of the Baskerville hall where Sir Charles met his death.

--The mysterious man on the tor whom Watson had seen one night. And another death upon the moor.

Now its upto Holmes and his faithful Watson find a solution to all these problems and save Sir Henry from his impending danger.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is quite unique and different from the other stories and Holmes’ novels.Here Holmes takes a big risk of fighting a criminal about whose existence everyone has a doubt, who is believed to be a supernatural element.For once, we see Watson taking over the case(or so he thinks), as Holmes says he is too busy to come down to the place of action, and we see Watson showing his deduction skills.The Hound Of the Baskervilles is bound to send a chilling sensation down your spine.At one point in the book, you even find the invincible Holmes enthralled by the sight which had caused two deaths upon the moor.The way the moor has been described by the author at night, the sounds that come from the moor which correspond a hound’s baying, the sobbing of a woman at night, or even the description of Watson’s looking through his window towards the moor freezes the very blood of your veins.If it doesn’t–well then you must be a scary spirit yourself.

The Hound Of the Baskervilles is certainly the most popular Holmes’ novel(but according to me, not necessarily the best).At some points you might feel that the plot has been unnecessarily complicated and extended, or that it’s a little too-far fetched to believe in.Last week when I finished reading it for the third time, even then I was equally eager, like the first time, to know how it ended. No matter how many times you read it, you are bound to get scared out of your wits(I was awake till six in the morning after reading the climax for the third time-it scared me so much!).A fool I had been to think that “Oh I have read it twice already and I know how the end’s gonna be like, there’s nothing to be scared of!”So even though it’s a must-read for everyone(and if you have not already read it, then drop whatever you are doing and go get the book), don’t ever read it alone, no matter how brave and bold you think you are.It’s better not to take chances!

It was a warm, wet night in Devonshire. Sir Charles Baskerville locked the door of Baskerville Hall behind him as he set out on his usual nightly walk, cigar in hand. He walked crisply down the Yew alley until he came to the wicker gate which opened out to the moor, about half-way down the alley. There he waited for the person he was supposed to meet. He took another puff from his cigar. Suddenly he saw it coming. His face contorted into a most bizarre expression of horror before he started running for his dear life. But so crazed was he with the monstrous sight that he ran further down the Yew alley, away from Baskerville Hall instead of towards it, crying out for help where help was least likely. He ran and he ran and he ran until he collapsed to the ground, never to get up again.

What was it that Sir Charles saw that night that drove him out of his senses? Who was he waiting for at the moor-gate, especially the night before he was to leave for London? With these questions and more, Dr Mortimer, a friend of Charles, consults Mr Sherlock Holmes of 221B Baker street. During his first visit, he tells Holmes and Watson about the curse of the Baskervilles according to which the members of the Baskerville family will be hunted down and killed by a phantom hound. He also asks them for advice on what to do with young Henry, the last of the Baskervilles, who was coming from Canada on that very day. Holmes advises the young baronet to go to the ancestral home to continue the good work Charles had begun. Since he is working on another more important case, he stays back in London and sends Watson along to keep him company.

The scene now shifts to Baskerville Hall and we start to read the story through Watson's letters to Holmes. We meet Barrymore the butler and his wife, Jack Stapleton the naturalist and his sister Beryl, and Frankland of Lafter Hall. How are all these characters inextricably linked to the dead old man? Who is the lady that sobs uncontrollably in the dead of the night and why does she do it? Why is Barrymore moving about stealthily in the middle of the night and holding a lamp to the moor? Who is the mysterious stranger Watson spots on one of the nights over the tor? Who is the person 'L.L' whom Charles had an appointment with out at the moor-gate? Which ones among these are friends and which ones foes? And if the curse of the Baskervilles is only a superstition, what in the name of God is that slow, sickening sound that envelopes the moor every now and then, freezing the blood in your veins?

Conan Doyle spins yet another intricate web of crime, deceit, love and horror which is all, for a change, up to Watson to unravel and report back to Holmes. All the ingredients of a vintage Holmes novel are all there; an introduction to Holmes' gifts in the first chapter, his inclination to tobacco and his love for solitude when hot on trail of something, his habit of keeping Watson, and hence the reader, guessing as to what is going to happen in the next moment, and of course, the retrospection which forms the last chapter. Doyle manages to keep the the reader thoroughly interested in the goings-on and by the time you put the novel down, you will have fallen in love with all its characters.

I remember reading this novel for the first time in a room full of people and getting scared out of my wits. When I told this to my dad, he told me that he was trembling with fear when he read it for the first time. So if it happens to you, don't worry. it is perfectly normal. Hound does that to people. You should not be worried if you go through the entire novel without any jitters either, because it simply means you are a superman. But it doesn't hurt to take precautions, some of which would be not to read it alone, not to read it during night, to keep a glass of water nearby where you can reach it...well you get the idea.

I know what you are thinking. You are thinking 'This reviewer is really a pussy. I am too tough to get scared while reading a novel so I won't take any of the precautions he suggests'. Oh well, suit yourself and read Hound all alone on an arm-chair on a rainy night. And then come back and report to me. Oh wait, dead people cannot do any reporting can they?

Run ..run as fast as you can .... especially if you are a Baskerville man...!

I have been a Sherlock Holmes fan since the time I was about a foot and a half high.

When my father bought me my first Sherlock Holmes.... It was study in scarlet.... and it got me glued to the Holmes style.... his way of talking ... elementary my dear watson.. .... his was of dressing up .. . and most importantly his way of solving crimes....

I used to wonder.. how can a person be so observant as to be able to tell about another person just by looking at him.

In my opinion Hound of the Baskervilles was one of Sir Doyles's best creations. Any man .. be him young or old ...beliver in ghosts or non believer ... would shudder and feel a chill run down his spine ... just at the way doyle describes the moor , the grimpen mire , the huge Baskerville manor and last but in no chance the least the hound..... or maybe just the possiblility of the hound's presence.

He writes as Watson was being taken to the Baskerville manor .. he was actually scared when he looked out of the window and caught a glimpse of the moor.He said that even the clouds seem to be rushing ahead to avoid staying over the moor for long. Watson even reached out for his gun ... felt its presence and then he felt comfortable....... such was the fear of the moor ...just its presence has been described in such a way that it could get a sane man to feel scared if he would be reading the book at night all alone.

Sherlock Holmes has been shown as a person who never liked or believed in fairy tales .. and as the plot goes he actually has the courage to live for some time on the moor without letting anyone know ...just to keep an eye on all the characters.

Every story of Holmes has an element of suspence mishmashed with curiosity in it which just does not let you put down the book once you have started reading it. But in addition to that Hound of the Baskervilles has an element of fear... the plain mortal fear .... which has been described so much in detail that you would hate to put the book down without verifying first that there is indeed no ghostly hound or if there is at all one... it is gotten rid of at the end.

I personally think that the storyline is just amaising .... and deserves a read by everyone on this planet.

The Hound Of Baskervilles, the story involving horror, mystery, thrill and adventures, is as per me the best one coined by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The story starts by the evil description of Sir Hugo Baskervilles whose evil has caused the Baskerville race to face a curse for the life. A death in the moore adds to the twist as the conditions suggest the murder as a part of the curse.

The book which starts in such a style is surely a marvel to read. With the presence of characters like a ''fly catcher'' and his sister, the story moves at a really fast speed with tonnes and tonnes of mystery in the air.

The situations are also worth mentioning. The presence of a vast moore (which is the basis of the curse), a quicksand in the moore about which only a few knew, the houses of the Neanderthel man in the moore, all make the mystery worth reading.

It looks like Watson has done a lot of work in solving the mystery and it is a pleasure to see him solving some cases like the case of the prisoner on the moore.

Sherlock Holmes is as intelligent as ever and his descriptions are to such an extent that a reader can visualize his looks. As per me, he wears a cotswool overcoat with a maroon tie and a cap.

This book is a real treat for all the Who Dunnit? fans. If you are into this particular kind of genre and you have not read this particular book, you have missed a lot.

Good or Bad - Comments welcome....

I guess all of us go through this phase in life where you dont want what you get.. dont get what you want and dont even know what you want.. my engineering exams were done.. witing in the wings to join an sw compny.. usual stuff.. but I wasnt happy.. wasnt relly'' inspired.''. thats when I came across this book.. lying at home.. I picked it up[ and take my word for it.. finished it in a day and a half.. damn good book.. im no great litreary big hound.. but I believe I know it when I read a good book..:))... the book is a must read .. mechanical engineers who love it.. lotsa cars models discussed here.. the book for all of you who dont have a clue is about this guy called 'lee iacocca'... or rather THE lee iacocca... this guy is an italian immigrant.. who comes to the US...and after the reglar formal education.. joins FORD..his dream company...he works for 30 long years.. slogs hard.. holds important positions in the company... comes up with new models.. which sell big.. fortunes made because of him.. and then finaly heads the company.. henry ford he says was an egomaniacal looser.. who couldnt take his success..and so fires him...!.. after 30 years.. his wife dies... the guy is sad and down in the dumps.. but no .. he doesnt give up... he joins chrysalis.. which is a near bankrupt company... he takes it upon himself to make a diffrence and get back at ford.. so he goes to the govt and takes cash ... and basically.. hisa turning around of chrysalis.. is neat stuff.. now this guys story is awsum for the simple reasons that one thing that fascinates all of us is when he whole hitting back part.. atleast for me.. damn inspiring.. really made me think... reccomend this book.. apologies for the sad attempt at an review..will improve.. cheers

What makes ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ a successful detective novel? The detective genre is very popular. One well known detective novel is ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ which when published in 1902 became a big hit with the Victorian public. Sherlock Holmes features in a famous series of detective novels written by Conan Doyle. ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ is one of the most famous and earliest books in this genre. No detective novel can be successful without a good setting. ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ was set in four major places; Dartmoor, Merripit House, Baskerville Hall and the Grimpen Mire. Dartmoor always seemed to be very dreary looking and cold. The Grimpen Mire was ‘windy through the silence of the night’ and during ‘the hour of darkness’ it keeps the reader reading on to find out about the moans and ‘rising howls’. ‘Dim and sombre’ describes Baskerville Hall and it’s great sense of ‘gothic’ vibes. The ‘bleak moor land house’ surrounded by trees, is very gloomy and uninviting, Merripit House as it is known as is very dull. Being set in autumn gave the story that added incentive to make it seem a lot more ’gloomy’, ‘melancholy’ and very sinister’ along with the storyline. A way in which a novel can appeal to an audience, is to have a good set of characters. The main character; Holmes, is presented as an exceptionally intelligent man who works with Watson. As they work, they manage to investigate crimes and use their logic to find out ‘whodunit’. Although he works closely with Watson, he keeps a lot of things to himself. He shows little emotion as he is used to living alone. He is very cold man who likes an intellectual challenger to keep himself busy. Dr. Watson ‘the helper’ is a close friend of Holmes’ and tried to copy Holmes in everything he does. As Watson is not as clever as Holmes, he must have certain things explained to him in order for him to know what’s going on. He is very eager to please and also a very reliable man. Watson is like a narrator, he thoughts and guesses with the reader, yet keeps the audience wondering what might happen next, he is the sort of character that the reader will find easy to identify with. In a good detective novel you are sure to find a fair few strong suspects. Barrymore was the favourite of all suspects because he matched the description from witnesses that he had a black beard. Also, the fact that he might have been in London at that time gave away that he was in the right place when the murder happened.

Without doubt, the Hound of Baskervilles is the magnum opus of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and is the most appropriate book for readers who are waiting to be introduced to the world of Sherlock Holmes. The novel features the immortal detective, Sherlock Holmes and his loyal assistant Dr Watson who form the most lethal partnership against crime in Victorian London. This novel describes an adventure where the duo faces a mystery involving the supernatural.

Readers should note that it was Edgar Allen Poe who first introduced the literary device in detective fiction of featuring an intelligent detective and a comparatively dense sidekick in his Auguste Dupin stories. However, this novelty was adopted by Sir Conan Doyle with great effect in his Sherlock Holmes stories and it has served as a clone for countless other detective stories, a prominent example being Agatha Christie?s Hercule Poirot and Capt Hastings.

The adventure is set in mid 1890?s in England. Like all Holmes adventures, the tale takes off in the drawing room of Sherlock Holmes at the famous 221B Baker street with Holmes making deductions from a walking stick. The owner of the stick, Dr Mortimer makes his appearance and confirms the deductions made by Holmes to be correct. The reader dazzled by the deductions made by Holmes and the confirmation that follows is hooked thereon to the book. Dr Mortimer unravels a Gothic story of an ancient curse on the House of Baskerville.

The story is that all heirs to the Baskerville estate are cursed to a fate from which there is no escape i.e., death in the hands of a gigantic hound. Two of the previous heirs have already met that fate and the next in line of succession is Sir Henry Baskerville, who inherits the estate due to the death of his uncle, Sir Charles Baskerville, at the hands of the Hound. Sir Henry receives the news of his inheritance in Canada and returns to England to claim his family seat. Dr Mortimer seeks the help of Sherlock Holmes in warding of the gruesome fate that is likely to visit Sir Henry.

How Holmes uses his ingenuity and his deductive powers to prevent such a happening forms the rest of the novel. Does Holmes save the life of the unfortunate heir? Read to find out for yourself.

The novel moves at a very fast pace and I think readers will find in this book an extraordinary exhibition of the literary craft of Sir Conan Doyle. To give an example, this novel despite being a thriller moves the story largely through a narrative, incidents that happen are few but despite this fact, the story races on like a formula one car. Another interesting point is though Sherlock Holmes is the central figure in the story; he remains largely away from the scene of action and bases his deductions on Dr Watson?s reports. The author has been able to trying out the eerie atmosphere tellingly and the descriptions of the moor are vivid. The denouement at the end of the story and the way by which light is cast upon the mystery by Sherlock Holmes is amazing. Like all good detective novels, there are plenty of red herrings strewn around to mislead the reader. In my opinion, the Hound of Baskervilles is the best work of detective fiction that has flowed from the pen of Sir Conan Doyle. The novel is written over 100 years ago but still manages to fascinate the reader with its mystery and will continue to do so in the years to come.

I am distracting you from your duty-to get a copy of the book-fast. Conan Doyle is waiting for you to spin his web of mystery. Readers, wake up, the game is afoot.

'' When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, is the truth.''

Continuing on these lines, eliminating all the other 'fictional' detectives, the only 'real' detective who remains is Mr.Sherlock Holmes(and this certainly is not an improbable proposition, is it!?)

Well, writing a review on ''The Hound'' certainly presents a certain amount of difficulties, for it has been written with a golden hand that can attract no criticism whatsoever. People who ''never read mysteries'' have read ''The Hound''. A word about background - it was published in 1901 running in monthly installments in ''The Strand'' in London.

And now coming to the novel itself...it starts off with the usual skills of deduction which made Holmes so special. A stick forgotten by Dr.Mortimer comes under the deductive scrutiny of Holmes and then of his comrade-the ever faithful Watson. It is quite humorous on Watson's part to poke some good-natured fun on himself when he says to have mastered the special skill of Holmes. Moving on further, the man-who-drops-his-stick-instead-of-his-card actually does reappear, with a problem which is now synonymous with the highest pedestal of crime investigation. He is there in connection with the murder(?) of Sir Charles Baskerville on the sinister Grimpen Mire at Dartmoor. The baffling part is that the circumstances leading to the death of Sir Charles correspond exactly with a long traditional ''Curse of the Baskervilles'' - a manuscript dating almost 200 years earlier when Hugo Baskerville(the only dark horse in the traditionally cultured Baskerville family) was killed by a ''a foul thing, a great black beast, shaped like a hound, yet larger than any hound that ever mortal eye has rested upon.'' Taking into account the bare facts that Sir Charles was always wary of the manuscript, and that the footsteps of a gigantic hound were found beside the corpse of Sir Charles. So now it is upto Holmes to seperate the mortal from the supernatural, to advise the heir to Sir Charles' mansion - Sir Henry whether to go to Dartmoor or not, and to fish out a mortal hand, if any, in the matter.

Everything in this story is picture perfect - the plot, the language, the characters et al. Nobody escapes suspicion, from the butler couple of Mr and Mrs.Barrymore, the naturalist Stapleton, the lawyer Frankland, even the innocent Dr.Mortimer. What follows is..well , quite simply ''The Hound Of the Baskervilles'' - a must-read for all you mystery-freaks , or quite simply for all you readers out there.

Doyle's incomparable novel brings to life a Victorian England of horse-drawn cabs, fogs, and the famous lodgings of 221b Baker Street, where for more than 40 years, Sherlock Holmes earned his reputation as the greatest fictional detective of all time.

Do not miss it for the world!

'' Hound of Baskervilles '' is a one true masterpiece created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle , and will never fade away from the memories of any one who has read it .

The entire storyline reappears , anytime I hear the title .

It is absolutely unbelievable and thats the reason I call it a true magnum opus , that any one could actually imagine about such an amazing plot , in those times .

The lay of the plot is so incredible that , the book is just unputdownable . The writing style of Sir Arthur conan doyle is no match to any of the contemporary mystery writers .

The ability to portray the most intricate encounters in his authentic style is a true class in itself .The story does not feature any sophistication in terms of the essentials of language , but the treasure lies in the plot .

In addition ; The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes include the titles ''A Scandal in Bohemia'',''The Boscombe Valley Mystery'',''The Five Orange Pips'',''The Adventure of the Speckled Band'' which are a true class in their own .

But , please do not look , for any features of the current day writing in any of the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle .

BUt , things that are truely worth watching out for in any of the works of Sherlock Homes are the various comments delivered by Dr. Watson, the magnificent quotes about Sherlock Homes and the ones he delivered at various instances in his works .

And also not to miss , the real life person , who actually inspired the character of Sherlock Homes and shared a lot of characters in common to him .

All in all , A Fantastic piece of writing ,

Never can anything come even cloooooooosssssseeeeeeee to this .

Like all other Sherlock Holmes novels, this book will

remain a master piece for ever. Amid the ten thousands

of novelists that crowd the columns of literature, the name of Doyle and his character Holmes will shine alone forever loke a star. I guess that sums it up all nicely.

To read sherlock Holmes you really don't need to be a

book aficionado. Just start one and you'll never repent it.

Given the back drop against which these books were written, one has to marvel at the scientific angle which still

is regarded as a bible in the espionage world. You've got

to give credit for that!

The hound of baskervilles will go down as perhaps the most popular one ever attributed to the legendary author, conan doyle! it is then perhaps ironic that this very tale has disputed his reputation as an original! According to some sources, the story had originally been the brain-child of fletcher robinson, himself an author of immense repute! And for once, sherlock holmes was supposed to play no role! But as it turned out, this one is perhaps Holmes' most remembered adventure! And much as will be said, it will perhaps always remain disputed as to who deserves credit for this master-piece!

Speaking of the story itself, there seems to be a curse on the heirs of the house of baskerville, thanks to a supposedly supernatural hound! But Holmes ,as always is on the prowl for better answers to justify the death of charles baskerville! And you can trust holmes to unravel the mysteries, through a series of engrossing developments!

And the truth is finally out adding another feather to Holmes' cap!

It is then perhaps, a cruel joke, that the biggest mystery regarding holmes' success in this story might forever be in shrouds!

I must have read the complete works on Sherlock Holmes a number of times and seen a number of his movies including the long playing and extremely popular serial on TV in which I think Jeremy Brett as Sherlock is the definitive Sherlock Holmes of all times.

However, I will be putting it mildly to say that The Hound of the Baskervilles is certainly not his best offering. As others have pointed out the story revolves more on the hound than on Holmes where he takes a pretty back seat. The story is well written and the creation of atmosphere and the description of the terror that strikes all and sundry in the narrative is blood-curdling. The author creates a vivid image of the savagery of the beast and one can easily imagine all the horrors that may face one if one comes across the beast on the moors, alone on a dark and stormy night. But Sherlock Holmes is on the fringes.

The beast comes out as more alive than Sherlock certainly. The mystery is well concealed and unfolds in the usual Conan Doyle style - but frankly it all does not create the effect of Sherlock's deductive power at work.

I have the entire collection of Holmes's adventures penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. My favourites are all short stories on obscure cases where Holmes puts his science of deduction, ('...what remains, however improbable, has to be the truth’) to the best use. The novels (4 in all) however fail to impress. The Hound of... is a similar experience as the Sign of Four - intrigue, gruesome, dark, the same reference to a past incident and again, a demented animal. Conan Doyle, here attempts to give some credit to the abilities of Dr. Watson by putting him on the line, well, the trail of crime and shunting Holmes into the background. This is in a way to explain that Holmes is Holmes and Watson will always be Watson. The case goofs up and Holmes makes his trademark unexpected entry to wrap the case. This is not your average mental exercise of investigative abilities, but much an exercise to your reading abilities. The case is dark, mysterious, haunting, Gothic, eerie...your turn. The characters are as mysterious as the Hound in the moor. More like a late 60's and early 70's Bollywood mystery movie... a ghost, a mystery, the usual suspects, romance, drama, treason and a predictable grand finale and the re-justification of rationality over the occult. Like Bees Saal Baad and Gumnaam. You want an opinion? Stick to short stories. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle never succeeded with novels.

The hound of the Baskervilles is probably the most famous and widely read of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Among the 4 novels, this is the only one completely set in England and also the only one without the long narratives by other characters.

The story revolves around the death of Sir Charles Baskerville by a ( supposedly) demon hound from hell that is a curse on the Baskrerville family for the misdeeds of one of their ancestors. So far so good. But he left behind a rather large inheritance for the only living relative, Henry Baskerville. Sir Charle's friend, Dr. James Mortimer fears for his ( Henry's) safety and asks Holmes to help him solve the murder and to capture the hound before anything happens to Henry. Add to this a a missing relative and an Escaped criminal and it all becomes very exciting.

For once, Watson does some significant does some significant detective work himself, although Holmes does manage to stay one step ahead as usual.However, all crime and no play make jack a dull boy. There are many different elements of humour and romance throughout the novel. Consider Dr. Watson's description of a certain Mr. Frankland.:

''He is an elderly man, red-faced, white-haired, and choleric. His passion is for the British law, and he has spent a large fortune in litigation. He fights for the mere pleasure of fighting and is equally ready to take up either side of a question, so that it is no wonder that he has found it a costly amusement. Some-

times he will shut up a right of way and defy the parish to make him open it. At others he will with his own hands tear down some other man's gate and declare that a path has existed there

from time immemorial, defying the owner to prosecute him for trespass. He is learned in old manorial and communal rights, and he applies his knowledge sometimes in favour of the villagers of

Fernworthy and sometimes against them, so that he is periodically either carried in triumph down the village street or else burned in effigy, according to his latest exploit. He is said to

have about seven lawsuits upon his hands at present, which will probably swallow up the remainder of his fortune and so draw his sting and leave him harmless for the future. Apart from the

law he seems a kindly, good-natured person, and I only mention him because you were particular that I should send some description of the people who surround us. He is curiously employed at present, for, being an amateur astronomer, he has an excellent telescope, with which he lies upon the roof of his own house and sweeps the moor all day in the hope of catching a glimpse of the escaped convict. If he would confine his energies to this all would be well, but there are rumours that he intends to prosecute

Dr. Mortimer for opening a grave without the consent of the next of kin because he dug up the neolithic skull in the barrow on Long Down.''

The thing about Sherlock Holmes mysteries is the presence of several minor 'sub-mysteries ' in the plot. Although they may appear insignificant ( as does Watson), in the end you find out how well they fit into the entire scheme of things. The 'shoe' problem, which appears early on in the story is a good example. You'll kick yourself ( as does Watson) when you find out how it fits into the solution and say to yourself '' why didn't I think of that ?''.

The pace of the story never lets down till the end. Doyle's writing instantly conjures up images of Victorian London and the English countryside.

Quotable Quotes :

To Holmes: ''...A cast of your skull, sir, until the original is available, would be an ornament to any anthropological museum. It is not my intention to be fulsome, but I confess that I covet your

skull.''

''The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes.''

The master of logic has done it. There is great research behind this. As usual the atmosphere is portrayed well enough for a detective novel. The suspense behind Holmes' appearance at Baskerville would surprise anybody. Though I would not call it the greatest work of Doyle,it is good reading. It would not appeal to a student of logic as the best. The Hound is sensational enough and the suspense is at its best.

The Hound of the Baskervilles was an excellent book, and one of the best mysteries I have ever read. Holmes, the superhuman detective, is asked to investigate the death of Charles Baskerville, which many believe to be the work of the ferocious hound, a curse brought about by the misdeeds of Hugo Baskerville. When Sir Henry inherits the estate, Holmes must solve the mystery before another Baskerville meets his end!

This novel has one of the most complex plots of any mystery, with many unexpected twists, and is one that will keep you reading until its suspenseful, engrossing climax. The setting is also well put together, and the danger of the foggy moor only adds to the drama.

This story had huge appeal for me, largely because of the believability of the characters. Holmes, Watson, and Henry are very realistic - and people that I would want to know. Holmes was so real to many readers, that they actually wrote to 221 Baker Street, his fictional address!

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was not only a great mystery writer, but a wonderful novelist as well. This novel is proof that he really deserved the title of knight