|
The Hound of the Baskervilles: 150th Anniversary Edition (Signet Classics) | 
 enlarge | Author: Arthur Conan Doyle
Creator: Anne Perry
Publisher: Signet Classics
Category: Book
List Price: $4.95
Buy New: $1.14
You Save: $3.81 (77%)
New (35) Used (46) Collectible (6) from $1.14
Avg. Customer Rating:  32 reviews
Sales Rank: 6483
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.8
ISBN: 0451528018
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.8
EAN: 9780451528018
ASIN: 0451528018
Publication Date: July 1, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: 100% Brand New! - Ships Today! Identical to Amazon's book in every way. Flawless! Not a cheap Remainder or Book Club Copy! *We recommend Expedited Shipping option for much faster mail delivery
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Book Description
What's the truth behind the legend of the hound of the Baskervilles? Is it really a devil-beast that's haunting the lonely moors? Enter Sherlock Holmes to find the answer, in this, the only full-length novel ever written by the creator of one of the most popular and enduring detective series ever written.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 27 more reviews...
 Classic Holmes June 17, 2008
Sherlock Holmes is my favorite fictional detective, and certainly one of my favorite fictional characters. The distant, cocaine-addicted, but brilliant genius of a man is one character who stands out among many others in literature.
Prolific author Arthur Conan Doyle created numerous tales of suspense and excitement starring his best-known characters, Sherlock Holmes and his faithful companion, Dr. Watson, names known by every true reader of fiction. However, out of all the Holmes tales, I would have to say that the story which kept my interest the best is Holmes' most famous tale, "The Hound of the Baskervilles."
With this story, Holmes tackles a villain nearly as cunning as himself. The case is one of his most difficult, and one of the strangest and most original in the Doyles' oeuvre.
A curse haunts the Baskerville family. It is told in a family legend that a savage, demonic dog haunts the Baskerville family, a curse brought upon the family by a foul-mouthed, drunken ancestor. Although many disregard the story, the Baskerville family has reason to believe that the story may not be entirely fiction. As Holmes investigates, guarding the latest heir to the Baskerville estate, he becomes involved in a case perhaps more fascinating than any other.
If you're looking for a great read and a solid mystery yarn, look no further than from fiction's greatest detective. My favorite Holmes tale, and without a doubt, one of his best. "The Hound" is mystery-writing at its best, a necessity for any library.
 Paranormal forces in my mystery? May 6, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I expected to find it a little dry, but overall likeable. Instead, I found the story a little too far to the supernatural, and Sherlock Holmes turned out to be one of the most unlikable characters I've read in a long time! I really felt for Watson, who did not come across as the dumb, stumbling sidekick. I had a hard time slogging through the book, and it didn't make me want to pick up any more Holmes anytime soon. I guess I expected a little more "Basil of Baker Street" from The Great Mouse Detective.
Unexpected good book November 1, 2007
I was expecting this book to be a bit boring - it's for a literature class. But it turned out to be easy to read and exciting!
A Classic That Is Timeless November 16, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I had never read a Sherlock Holmes mystery before, nor had I seen a Sherlock Holmes movie. I picked up this book because I like to inject classic pieces into my reading and this had been recommended to me.
This did not disappoint! Although very short - just over 200 pages - this novel has a huge impact. I would say this novel is closer to a thriller/mystery, and it includes a cast of potential villains or heroes, a creepy moor, a spooky house, a mysterious curse, and an overall gothic feel. Even though the language is formal, it is easy to feel engaged and the action sweeps the reader into it.
There is an absence of Holmes, which I was not expecting, but it makes his appearances in the book all the more intriguing. I had always thought the character of Dr. Watson was more of a foil or a prop, but he plays a very central figure here and that was interesting.
What I truly appreciated in this work is that it is a thinking person's mystery. I usually avoid mysteries, especially modern mysteries, because they aren't challenging and I usually solve them partway through the book. This novel allowed for clues to be given, almost like a puzzle, to be thought over and contemplated. I very much enjoyed that.
I can now say that I look forward to enjoying more Sherlock Holmes mysteries! I'm eager to find out how the short stories compare to the novel.
 The curse continues October 16, 2006
"Hound of the Baskervilles" is a unique story in the Sherlock Holmes canon -- author Arthur Conan Doyle wrote it in the years between Holmes' death and his resurrection several years later.
But due to public pressure, Doyle brought Holmes and Watson back temporarily for a sort of "memoir" tale, a tale of supernatural curses, escaped convicts and ghastly glowing hounds. It suffers a little from a lack of Holmes, but is otherwise a tightly-written, solid little mystery.
Sir Charles Baskerville was found dead of a heart attack -- apparently killed by a family curse in the shape of a giant dog. So his pal Dr. Mortimer asks Sherlock Holmes to protect Charles' heir, Henry Baskerville, who has just arrived in England to claim his estate and inheritance.
But even without Holmes, Watson can tell that something is up -- secretive servants, peculiar neighbors, an escaped criminal, a giant quicksand marsh, and the sounds of a dog howling in the night. But Holmes knows that the curse is no supernatural hound -- and that Sir Henry is in danger from a more real kind of ancient enemy.
"Hound of the Baskervilles" stumbles in one area -- the relative lack of Holmes. He's out of the picture for most of the book, and Watson does plenty of solid detecting on his own. Everybody loves the faithful narrator, but Watson isn't the Great Detective, and the book feels vaguely incomplete without Holmes inspecting clues and giving little hints to Watson.
The mystery unfolds at a languid pace, dropping a few red herrings along the way. Doyle pays loving attention to the dangerous, almost surreal Grimpen Mire and the surrounding countryside. But when Holmes comes back onto the scene, the book tightens itself up. All the plot threads rapidly slip into place as the real "hound" is uncovered.
Holmes' steel-trap mind is untarnished here, especially when he reveals what he figured out at the end. He's especially likable in an endearing scene at the beginning, where he educates Watson on deduction. But this is Watson's turn to shine, since he spends a long time gathering clues and even solving a sub-mystery without any assistance.
"Hound of the Baskervilles" is a short, satisfying Holmesian mystery, which is only hampered by Holmes' absence for about half the book. Solid work, and a good introduction to the Holmes series.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
