Summary
The Hound of the Baskervilles, published in 1902, is one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's best known and most popular Sherlock Holmes’s novels. Set primarily on the moors of Devonshire, it follows Holmes and Dr. Watson as they investigate the legend of a demonic hound allegedly plaguing the Baskerville family. The novel marks Holmes's return after his apparent death in “The Final Problem,” a story published eight years earlier. Skillfully blending elements of Gothic horror with the science of deduction, The Hound of the Baskervilles is widely considered a mystery masterpiece.
Plot
In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigate a supernatural legend surrounding the Baskerville family. The story begins when Dr. Mortimer seeks out the expertise of Holmes regarding the death of Sir Charles Baskerville and a curse involving a demonic hound. With Sir Henry Baskerville, the new heir, arriving in London, Holmes sends Watson to Devonshire to protect him and investigate the strange occurrences at Baskerville Hall.
Upon arriving in Dartmoor, Watson learns of an escaped convict on the moor and meets the locals, including the Stapletons and Barrymores. Strange events unfold, including mysterious lights on the moor and sightings of a large hound. Watson discovers that Holmes has been conducting his own secret investigation on the moor. Together, they uncover that Jack Stapleton, a neighbor, is actually Rodger Baskerville II, a hidden heir seeking to claim the Baskerville fortune.
Holmes sets a trap using Sir Henry as bait. When Stapleton unleashes a large, savage hound painted with phosphorus to appear supernatural, Holmes and Watson manage to shoot and kill the beast. Stapleton flees into the treacherous Grimpen Mire, presumably perishing there. His wife, who had been posing as his sister, is found bound in their house.
The mystery solved, Holmes explains to Watson that Stapleton was the son of Rodger Baskerville, Sir Charles's ne'er-do-well younger brother. Stapleton had been using the legend of the hound to frighten off or kill the other heirs, hoping to claim the Baskerville fortune for himself. With the case concluded, Sir Henry departs on a restorative trip, his inheritance secure and the Baskerville curse lifted.
Themes
The lure and power of superstition
The conflict between science and the supernatural
The dangers of inherited wealth and aristocracy
The contrast between urban and rural environments
The power of deductive reasoning and observation
The duality of human nature
The relationship between Holmes and Watson
Setting
Set in the late Victorian era of the 1880s, The Hound of the Baskervilles takes place primarily in the rugged countryside of Devonshire in southwest England. The story moves between the bustling metropolis of London, where Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson reside at 221B Baker Street, and the isolated moors of Dartmoor in Devon.
The foreboding landscape of Dartmoor plays a crucial role in establishing the novel’s eerie atmosphere. Arthur Conan Doyle vividly describes the desolate moors with their fog-shrouded hills, treacherous bogs, and ancient stone ruins. At the center of this wild terrain stands Baskerville Hall, the ancestral home of the Baskerville family, which exudes a sense of decay and lingering evil.
Other key locations in the Dartmoor setting include the village of Grimpen, where Dr. Mortimer resides; Merripit House, home of the mysterious Stapleton siblings; and the dangerous Grimpen Mire, a nearly impassable bog. The bleak, lonely nature of the moor creates an ideal backdrop for the story's blend of detective fiction and Gothic horror elements as Holmes and Watson attempt to unravel the mystery of the spectral hound.
Characters
Sherlock Holmes: The brilliant detective who investigates the case. Holmes uses his powers of deduction and disguise to unravel the mystery surrounding the Baskerville family. Though initially skeptical of supernatural explanations, he approaches the case with an open mind. His keen intellect and observational skills ultimately allow him to solve the crime and catch the culprit.
Dr. John Watson: Holmes's trusted friend and assistant who narrates much of the story. Watson is sent to Baskerville Hall to protect Sir Henry and investigate the case, regularly reporting back to Holmes. He is brave and loyal but lacks Holmes' deductive abilities. Watson provides the reader with key information and observations throughout the mystery.
Sir Henry Baskerville: The young heir to the Baskerville estate who has come from Canada to claim his inheritance. Brave but impulsive, Sir Henry finds himself the target of mysterious threats upon arriving in England. He falls in love with Beryl Stapleton, unaware of the danger surrounding him. Sir Henry's life is ultimately saved by Holmes's intervention.
Jack Stapleton: The primary villain, cunning and ruthless, who is secretly a Baskerville heir plotting to inherit the family fortune. Posing as a naturalist living on the moor, Stapleton is actually training a vicious dog to carry out his murderous scheme.
Dr. James Mortimer: The country doctor who brings the case to Holmes's attention. He was a friend of Sir Charles Baskerville and is concerned for Sir Henry's safety. Mortimer provides important background information about the history and legend of the Baskerville family.
Beryl Stapleton: Jack Stapleton's wife, who is forced to pose as his sister. She secretly tries to warn Sir Henry of the danger he is in. Beryl is conflicted between her loyalty to her husband and her desire to prevent further murders.
Mr. and Mrs. Barrymore: The butler and housekeeper at Baskerville Hall. They act suspiciously at times, but are ultimately revealed to be helping Mrs. Barrymore's brother, who is an escaped convict hiding on the moor.
Selden: The escaped convict hiding on the moor who is Mrs. Barrymore's brother. His presence on the moor adds to the atmosphere of danger and mystery.
Laura Lyons: The estranged daughter of Mr. Frankland, who had corresponded with Sir Charles Baskerville before his death. She provides a key piece of information that helps Holmes solve the case.
Inspector Lestrade: The Scotland Yard detective who assists with the final confrontation. He represents official law enforcement, contrasting with Holmes's methods.
Quick facts
The Hound of the Baskervilles was the first story featuring Sherlock Holmes to be published after Arthur Conan Doyle “killed off” the character in 1893.
The novel was originally serialized in The Strand Magazine from August 1901 to April 1902.
Conan Doyle was inspired by the legend of Richard Cabell, a 17th-century squire rumored to have been hunted by a ghostly pack of hounds after his death.
The Hound of the Baskervilles was written shortly after Conan Doyle returned from working as a volunteer physician during the Second Boer War.
Conan Doyle's friend Bertram Fletcher Robinson assisted with details about Dartmoor and local legends for the novel.
The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of only four full-length Sherlock Holmes novels.
In 1902, Conan Doyle's original manuscript was broken up and individual pages were displayed by booksellers as a promotional campaign.
The Hound of the Baskervilles has been adapted for film and television more than 20 times since 1914.
One of the most acclaimed screen versions is the 1959 Hammer Film production starring Peter Cushing as Holmes and Christopher Lee as Sir Henry Baskerville.
In a 1999 poll of Sherlock Holmes fans, The Hound of the Baskervilles was voted the best of the four Holmes novels.
The BBC's 2003 “The Big Read” survey ranked it #128 on a list of Britain's best-loved novels.
About the Author
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was a British writer and physician best known for launching the detective fiction genre with his iconic character, Sherlock Holmes. His first Sherlock Holmes’s novel, A Study in Scarlet, was published in 1887. Over the next 40 years, Doyle would go on to write three more novels and 56 short stories featuring the brilliant detective and his friend Dr. Watson.
While his detective fiction brought Doyle fame and fortune, he grew tired of his most famous creation and attempted to kill off Holmes in 1893. After public outcry, Doyle was forced to resurrect the character. In addition to the Holmes’s canon, Doyle wrote historical novels like The White Company, science fiction stories featuring Professor Challenger, and nonfiction works on spiritualism and the paranormal. Doyle had a deep interest in spiritualism, especially after the deaths of his son and brother in World War I, and became a prominent proponent of the spiritualist movement.
Born in Edinburgh, Doyle studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh. Beyond his writing career, Doyle led an adventurous life. He worked as a ship's surgeon, volunteered as a doctor in the Boer War, and twice ran unsuccessfully for Parliament. He was knighted in 1902 for his work on a pamphlet defending Britain's conduct during the Boer War. Doyle died at his home in Crowborough, England, at the age of 71, leaving behind one of the most enduring characters in literary history.
