The Hound of the Baskervilles

Format read: paperbackReading time: 4-5 hoursTags:detective fiction, murder mystery, classic, Victorian, high-pacedOwn a copy: yesReread likelihood: 8/10SummaryIn this Sherlock Holmes novel, our heroes work on a mysterious case about an ancient murder, a family curse, and a supernatural hound. Despite Holmes' steadfast opinion that there is no such thing as the supernatural, all things in this case point towards the opposite. Sir Charles Baskervilles, the owner of a large estate, is found dead one morning under suspicious circumstances. His friend, Dr Mortimer, seeks out Holmes to discuss Sir Charles' death. Here, Dr Mortimer produces an old document about the Baskervilles family that talks about a generational curse brought on by Sir Hugo Baskervilles, Sir Charles' ancestor, and the first victim of the Hound. Since Sir Charles' death, Sir Henry, his only living relative and heir, inherits the family fortune and moves back to England to claim his birthright. As one can expect, Sir Henry's life is in danger as someone–or something–is haunting the Baskervilles.ReviewIn true Holmes fashion, he decides to take on the case, but he doesn't work on it directly, sending Watson instead to Devonshire to investigate the murder. During the better part of the book, Watson is our eyes and hears in this case, and he is the ‘lead detective' because Holmes is completely absent. This is rather unusual for Sherlock Holmes stories in which Holmes is always at the forefront of the narrative. I like the fact that Watson takes charge and investigates several leads about the case. He befriends people in the region, talks to several key witnesses (and suspects), travels to other nearby towns, and keeps Holmes informed at all times via wires, letters, and his personal diary.The use of the epistolary in this novel is also interesting. It reminded me of Bram Stoker's [b:Dracula 17245 Dracula Bram Stoker https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387151694l/17245.SY75.jpg 3165724] and how the bulk of the story is told through letters. Readers of Sherlock Holmes are used to ‘hearing' Watson's voice as he is the narrator for all of Holmes' adventures. However, having his thoughts in the written form, especially in his diary, offers a more intimate view into his mind.This novel plays with a few different genres, chief of which is the gothic. The Hound, the mansion, and even the location are all described in a very gothic fashion. However, there is also an element of the romantic here, especially with Watson's personal musings about the place, its people, and its history. Watson shows us in this novel how clever he is and how sensitive and entuned he is with his environment and the people around him. As always, he serves as a great juxtaposition to Holmes' much more practical and clinical character.Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It is high-paced and engrossing, which makes it a pleasure to read. It's also always nice to dive back into Holmes and Watson's world. All of their adventures are true comfort reads.