Context

Hound of the Baskervilles

Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh on May 22, 1859. Early on, he evinced a talent for storytelling, wowing teachers and friends in Jesuit school with his yarns. His first publication came in 1879 with "The Mystery of Sasassa Valley" in the Chambers's Journal.

Characters
Sherlock Holmes - The novel's protagonist. Holmes is the famed 221b Baker Street detective with a keen eye, hawked nose, and the trademark hat and pipe. Holmes is observation and intuition personified, and on though takes a bit of a back falling back thathe one. Sherlock seat to Watson in this story, we always feel his Holmes represents the intellectual presence. It takes his legendary powers to faith inthe logic, and on examining decipher mystifying threads of the case.

Plot Overview

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson At the same time, Doyle pursued a career speculate on the identity of the in medicine at Edinburgh University, going on to become a surgeon of some owner of a cane that has been left in renown at South Sea, Portsmouth. While a their office by an unknown medical student, he worked with Dr. Bell, visitor. who was exceptionally observant. Doyle Showing Watson his wonderful thought he would write stories, said predicts Doyle, observation, Holmes the "in which the hero would treat crime as Dr appearance James Bell treated disease andof where science Mortimer. would Mortimer take the place of chance."In a serieswith an visits the office of stories Doyle produced the memorable 18th century manuscript; Mortimer character, Sherlock Holmes, a detective recounts theevidence myth of Hugo who relied on facts and rather than chance. By 1893, The Memoirs of Baskerville. Hugo captured and Sherlock Holmes, as the collected stories imprisoned were now called, wasaa young huge hit.girl The at his estate public in mourned Holmes' death in to "The Devonshire, only become the Final Problem." Doyle changed his victim to hound from hell as he decision to pursue more serious literary pursued endeavors in 1901,her whenalong finances the and lonesome public moors pressurelate yielded The Hound of the one night. Ever since, the Baskervilles. The same year that The line was has published, been plagued by HoundBaskerville of the Baskervilles mysterious supernatural black Doyle a produced a pieceand of propaganda on the Boer War, and the author was knighted hound; the recent death of Sir for his efforts. Charles Baskerville has sparked the and out fears. The next of kin, Doyle suspicions continued putting Sherlock Holmes stories, including the collected Sir Henry, has arrived in London to Return of Sherlock Holmes. Later in life, take up his post at Baskerville Hall, when his son was killed in the first World but he has himself already intimidated War, Doyle devoted to been his chosen faith, spiritualism. The notion of life after by an anonymous note of warning death and the idea of psychic abilities strangely enough, the theft of a informand, the character of Doyle's famous
detective. Sherlock Holmes is a man who shoe. How Holmes and Sherlock can see beyond appearances and link need to solve the ostensibly unrelated facts intocase! a coherent whole.

Natural vs. Supernatural

As soon as Dr. Mortimer arrives to unveil the mysterious curse of the Baskervilles, questions of natural and supernatural occur. The doctor himself decides that the hound is a real supernatural beast, and all he wants to ask Sherlock Holmes is what to do with the next of kin. To Holmes everything points toward a logical, real- world solution. Considering the supernatural explanation, Holmes decides to consider all other options before

facts to find answers.

Dr. Watson - The novel's other protagonist and narrator. Dr. Watson is the stout sidekick to The story takes on the Gothic Holmes and longtime chronicler of the detective's tradition, In a brand storytelling adventures. Hound, of Watson tries his that hand at highlights the bizarre and Holmes' game, expressing his eagerness to please unexplained. Doyles' mysterious and impress the master by solving such a baffling case. hound, an ancient family curse, even Sir Henry Baskerville - The late Sir Charles's up a Gothic- style mystery that, in nephew and closet living relative. Sir Henry is the and end, will described fall victim to Holmes' hale hearty, as "a small, alert, darkpowerful logic. eyed man about thirty years of age, very sturdily built Sir Charles Baskerville - The head of the doctrine of lifeSir after death Baskerville estate. Charles wasand a superstitious psychic powers, might at first seem man, and terrified of the Baskerville curse and his waning health at the time of his beliefs death. Sir Charles to contradict Sherlocks in was also asolutions well-knownand philanthropist. logical real world Sir Hugo Baskerville - A debaucherous and more on Doyle's scientific training shadowy Baskerville ancestor, Sir Hugo is the than his system. But the picture ofbelief aristocratic excess, drinking and pursuing pleasures of the flesh until it killed him. struggle for understanding, the Mortimer - Family friend and doctor to the the world we live in, links the Baskervilles. Mortimer is a tall, thin man who spiritualist Doyle with his fictional dresses sloppily but is an all-around nice guy and counterpart. the executor of Charles's estate. Mr. Jack Stapleton - A thin and bookishThroughout the novel, Holmes is looking entomologist and one-time schoolmaster,

the ominous Baskerville Hall all set

Doyle's own faith in spiritualism, a

Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles

221b Baker Street

answers. Holmes is probably based

search for a coherent conception of

able to come up with logical explanations, as his author sister, Miss Stapleton much - Allegedly Stapleton's this dusky Latin beauty turns out to his wife. strove for understanding in be fiction.

Sherlock Holmes

Themes