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The Hound of the Baskervilles: A Sherlock Holmes Novel
The Hound of the Baskervilles: A Sherlock Holmes Novel
The Hound of the Baskervilles: A Sherlock Holmes Novel
Audiobook6 hours

The Hound of the Baskervilles: A Sherlock Holmes Novel

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

The country doctor had come to 221B Baker Street, the famous lodgings of Sherlock Holmes, with an eerie tale-the legend of the Hound of the Baskervilles, the devil-beast that haunted the lonely moors around the Baskervilles' ancestral home. The tale warned the descendants of that ancient family never to venture out on the moor "in those dark hours when the powers of evil are exalted." But one of the most recent Baskervilles, Sir Charles, was now dead, and the footprints of a giant hound had been found near his body. Would the new heir of the Baskervilles meet the same dreadful fate? Sherlock Holmes and his faithful friend Dr. Watson are faced with their most terrifying case in this wonderful classic of masterful detection and bone-chilling suspense.

This audiobook includes the bonus Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of the Dancing Men."
LanguageEnglish
Release dateNov 23, 2009
ISBN9781400185153
Author

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle was a British writer and physician. He is the creator of the Sherlock Holmes character, writing his debut appearance in A Study in Scarlet. Doyle wrote notable books in the fantasy and science fiction genres, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels.

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Reviews for The Hound of the Baskervilles

Rating: 4.0394736842105265 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The only Sherlock Holmes book I have ever read. This was a fairly straightforward read, with enough characters to treat as 'suspects' so it isn't obvious 'whodunnit'. In fact, given that the source of the deaths appears to be a supernatural being, it's always at the back of your mind that there may be some spooky solution, which adds an interesting dimension.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is the first Sherlock Holmes novel I've read, though I've long been a great fan of the short stories. I think the most interesting character in this story, by far, was the moor itself. Having finished the tale, I feel somewhat ambivalent about the mystery itself, but I am very much intrigued by the moor, and would love very much to see it for myself and find out if it deserves all the superlatives that were heaped upon it by Conan Doyle. I found the mystery itself so-so mainly because there was no answer to the question provided by Watson at the end: what was Stapleton thinking he'd do once Sir Henry was out of the way? No clear logic was present and Holmes' theories all somewhat unsatisfying. It felt as if Conan Doyle couldn't think of a solution himself, so he just wrote it off as an unfathomable bit of the mystery. Not what I expect out of our good friend Mr. Holmes.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I wanted to join in some of the challenge reads for October, but the horror genre is not for me. However, this old classic was just spooky enough – the atmospheric moor, with its swamp, and chill, and fog; the hound and its legend; the sinister designs on the house of Baskerville – all combined to make a great murder mystery.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Perhaps the most popular of all Sherlock Holmes stories, The Hound of the Baskervilles combines the traditional detective tale with elements of horror. When Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead on the wild Devon moorland with the footprints of a giant hound nearby, the blame is placed on a family curse-and it is up to Holmes and Watson to solve the mystery of the legend. Rationalism is pitted against the supernatural and good against evil, as Sherlock Holmes tries to defeat a foe almost his equal.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An excellant Sherlock Holmes quest.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Perhaps the most interesting part of this book was the absence of Holmes himself. It's been a long time since I've read a Holmes story--and so I had forgotten that, in actuality, the story is told by Watson, Holmes' trusty sidekick.

    I think that I have read this book before (but so long ago in high school it is hard to remember...), so when I guessed correctly who the killer was, I wasn't too shocked.

    All in all, this was a good book to read bit by bit (emailed daily to me by DailyLit.com--check it out), but I don't think it would be one that I would want to take and read on my own. Good stuff.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    When Charles Baskerville is found dead at his home, his next of kin, Henry, returns home. Watson accompanies Henry in hopes of figuring out what happened to Charles. The rumours include the mysterious ghostly hound that haunts the grounds. The book was ok. Unfortunately, I just can't say I enjoyed it any more than the Sherlock Holmes short stories I've read. I'd hoped I'd enjoy a Holmes novel more. I just couldn't really seem to focus much on the story, so I was never completely pulled in or all that interested, though parts were interesting. However, writing this review only a day after finishing, I've forgotten even the parts I was finding interesting at the time.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As a lover of mysteries and thrillers I felt this was required reading. The powers of deduction are simply amazing! Great full length story for Holmes with an added bonus of the short story, "The Adventure of the Dancing Men" at the end.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "THE HOUND! COME, WATSON, COME!"

    A fun way to introduce kids to the exciting world of Sherlock Holmes. The illustrations are very well done, and make the whole book a lot of fun to read. The characters are portrayed in the classical fashion--Watson in a tweed coat, and Holmes with pipe in hand in almost every scene. The dialogue must necessarily be shortened to fit this smaller volume, but the key conversations are preserved nicely.

    The illustrations are in monochrome for a reason--so that young readers can have fun penciling, or using some markers to add color.

    The Watson resembles David Burke of the PBS "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series" (Burke was the "first" Watson in that series.)

    THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES will be a fun, enjoyable read for young readers (and artists, too).


  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I first read this book sometime in elementary school, and I'm not going to say exactly how long it's been since then, but suffice to say that I don't really remember the story all that well. It's been on my "need to read again" list for quite awhile, and then my sister got me hooked on the show Sherlock (you guys, SO GOOD!), and after watching their modern rendition of the story, I felt the need to go back to the original.The Hound of the Baskervilles is probably one of the best known Sherlock Holmes novels. It's about a man who has just become the heir to the Baskerville estate; the only thing is, the Baskerville family is cursed to die from a hellhound that comes out at night. And Sir Charles, the man's predecessor, seems to have died from that very hound.There's a reason why the Sherlock Holmes stories have been adapted -- and is currently being adapted -- into movies, TV shows, and other novels: it's just good fun. The Hound of the Baskervilles is a standard Holmes mystery and doesn't contain any real surprises or material that can't be found in his other stories. However, as one of the longer stories, there is much more time to fully develop the characters and intrigues, which is nice. I always love seeing the relationship between Watson and Holmes. Also, I think that this story has some of the more interesting side characters that I've found in Doyle's works.The characters are familiar and loveable, especially Watson. God, do I love Watson. In this particular novel, there are so many surprises, I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. It's also nice to read from one of the authors who has inspired today's detective genre. I will say, however, that the novel has a fairly direct solution to the mystery (not nearly as complicated, or unfortunately, as intriguing, as Sherlock's rendition). But overall, I enjoyed reading this story and think that any Sherlock Holmes or detective mystery fan will like it just as much.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of those books which gets better every time you re-read it and let the atmosphere work on you. A good critical edition is a must and brings out some of the more interesting ideas, such as Conan Doyle's use of the Hound as a metaphor for hereditary disease.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I have really enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes stories and was excited for this one as it is often promoted as the best. While I did like this story, I did not think it was one of the best. The mystery was not all that challenging, and I felt that the story dragged a bit in places. I enjoyed the characters and the setting, but not my favorite.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Het oer-detectiveverhaal, maar minstens evenzeer neogothic verhaal. Breder thema: de zekerheden van wetenschap en rede tegenover bijgeloof; zelfs Holmes als aardsrationalist gaat aan het twijfelen, ook hij gebruikt intuïtie, speculatie en verbeelding! Het verhaal zelf wordt grotendeels gedragen door Watson.Eerste lectuur toen ik 16 was en de finesses nog niet helemaal kon waarderen.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A demonic hound is terrorizing the Baskerville family.I have to admit that the first thing I thought upon finishing this book was: "I would have gotten away with it first if it hadn't been for that meddling detective!" To be fair, Conan Doyle long preceded Scooby-Doo, and the writing is much better. But in terms of plot, they certainly could be kissing cousins.I remember reading a lot of Sherlock Holmes as a kid, although I don't remember which stories I read, or if this famous novel was among them. I have the Puffin Classics edition, and I think this novel, and Sherlock Holmes in general, holds up well for young readers. Conan Doyle's writing is clean, straightforward, and evocative. I particularly enjoyed his descriptions of the moors in this book--they came across as both beautiful and menacing. I was glad to revisit Sherlock Holmes. After seeing so many televised and film adaptations, we can lose sight of the original work and forget that it's also worth reading in its own right.This story was inspired by the legend of ghostly black dogs in Dartmoor. Its appearance was regarded as a portent of death.Revisiting children's classics (2014). I also read this as part of the MysteryCAT challenge for March 2014: children's mysteries.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A classic. "The Hound" does not have the most intricate plot, but it's tight and mostly believable. The imagery is striking and for me really takes the book up to a higher rating: I enjoyed the descriptions of the dark and foggy moors, the phantom hound baying, and the butler's creepy doings in the night - all of which created a very distinctive tone. Along with these types of elements, Holmes and his sidekick Watson have spawned so much of what we see today in books, TV, and film.Favorite quote:"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 amouont of tobacco."The short story "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" was also included in this edition, and I was very surprised to read that Doyle considered it his best Holmes story. The setup is intriguing but the conclusion is far too contrived.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a super fun read. I was looking for something a little lighter to read and this definitely fit the bill!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a book I never expected to like. I have to admit that I sometimes get lost in books with complicated plot lines. My perception of this book was that it might be overly dramatic. I sometimes find books regarded as classics as intimidating. I was very worried that I might get lost in the plot or that the story might be overly dramatic or that I might find the text to be intimidating.I’m happy to report that none of these things happened. I found this book to be one of the best books I’ve read. The plot is clever and unexpected, but easy to follow. The characters are dramatic but also witty and funny. And the text was surprisingly easy to read. Add another tally mark for me for Classics I’ve Read and Loved.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Sherlock Holmes mystery taking place in England, told by his accomplice, Dr. Watson. It has a rather slow beginning, but the end makes up for it with suspense and action.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A classic of the mystery genre. Sherlock Holmes and his faithful assistant are called in to investigate a seemingly supernatural hound haunting the Baskerville family. The mystery is satisfyingly creepy, without becoming ridiculous or unbelievable. I would complain about the notes in the Penguin Classic edition, though. People who have never read the story before should be careful not to read the notes, as several of them reveal important plot points.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really good books with a lot of suspense, mystery. But as you read this book, you "might" don't like Holmes because he is very arrogant to Watson. I think everybody should read this mystery book
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Though the incredible cruelty to a dog gets totally ignored in this frightening tale,we get most of the clues and so can make more predictions than in previous short novels.The mystery is a complicated one, not the least of it is why Dr. Watson did not follow Sherlock'sexplicit instructions to never leave the baron alone. One other remaining mystery - since neither he, nor his body, were ever found, where is the final proof that the murderer is dead?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Reading Sherlock Holmes in an edited version as part of your fifth grade curriculum is probably not the best introduction to the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - however, my initiation into the world of Sherlock Holmes was through the story of the Hound of the Baskervilles. And once I got into this world, I could never extract myself. The story starts with the calling of Sherlock Holmes to investigate the death of a Charles Baskerville, whose fortune is being inherited by a Henry Baskervilles, whose life is also in danger, according to Holmes upon investigation. The twist in the story comes with the family history including the legend of a supernatural "Hound" that has haunted the moors, and the Baskervilles, due to an ancestors cruelty. Holmes and Watson work together to solve the mystery, as you well know, neither believes in the supernatural. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's genius lay not only in the forensics that he brought into play in his tales, or merely the mystery and the thrills his stories entail, but also in characterization. He had a knack of creating characters that you could visually, and then set them in scenarios and locations just as vivid as the characters themselves. That, therein, is what made The Hound of the Baskervilles such an interesting read for me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    this astonishing book is about a myth of a hound that kills but a mean and sellfish person named Jack made it come true. Everyone in Baskerville Hall is scared to look for the hound and see what they would find, whether the sight isd too scary for them and they don't want to say anything or the hound eats them alive. Sherlock Holes and Mr. watson came from scottland so that they could find out who is holding the hound and how it only kills at night. when they find out that Sir Henry is comming to inherit what his fatyher left, like Baskerville Hall, Sherlock holmes looks through his years of life, and finds out that he has another brother and the girl he wants to get engaged to is actually his so called brothers wife, even though they pretended that they were brother and sister. so that is why jack wants to kill Sir Henry, because Jack would be next to inherit all of his fathers fortunes.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very, very enjoyable read: definitely the pinnacle (thus far) of the Holmes canon.

    Every element fits into its proper place: the isolated location is well described, with many fascinating features such as the Neolithic huts, fatal bogs and rows of yews. Each character is well-drawn, and each has their own mystery which interlocks perfectly with the overarching puzzle. By utilising different aspects of Watson's narrative voice - his diary, his letters, his reminiscences - Conan Doyle is able to shake up his writing formula somewhat, and present us with a mystery in which both Watson and Holmes are used to their respective strengths.

    Beyond this, the mystery is multi-faceted and - particularly noteworthy - the novel is about every aspect of the crime, not just the "whodunnit" or how. As a result, even though the revelations are really no more than typical Conan Doyle fare, they are in no way a letdown, because it is only part of a larger canvas.

    Seasoned crime readers like myself will probably pick up on the big clue planted very early in the book but, even then, it by no means allows you to solve the crime. The only aspect which might be seen by some as negative is that the book is always happy to pause and consider any minute clue (half a chapter is spent on exactly which newspaper a ransom-style note was cut from). To me, though, this is quintessential Holmes. The traces of romantic characterisation and storytelling linger, but are kept in check by the power of the work overall. As a result, I'm soldiering on with renewed vigour to the sixth of the nine Holmes books.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The real hero of these stories is Watson for having the restraint not to have strangled that insufferable egomaniac Holmes whenever he had a chance. Holmes is brilliant...and never misses an opportunity to let you know it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Features Holmes of course, but a fair amount of the actual "screen time" belongs to Watson. Sent to Dartmoor to protect the heir, Henry Baskerville, Watson contributes to the solving of the case with regular reports and updates in his diary. There are some things that happen as part of the solution that should have been obvious to Watson. Hasn't he been hanging around with Holmes long enough to know what the man's like? And of course a seemingly innocent party is the guilty one of course. It would take a far less jaded eye than mine not to have spotted it, but of course no one in the story does except Holmes, which is par for the course. All in all a satisfying romp through Holmes's world.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    If you look at the rest of my library you'll notice a distinct lack of classics. I read more of these when I was younger, but haven't recently. Why now? Because I read it as an eBook on my iPhone - Classics application - a few pence for a bundle of books. And it really was readable. Best thing was I could read in the dark (ie at night) with no problem.Anyway, on to the book. I've not read any Sherlock Holmes before, and, luckily, had somehow avoided catching it on TV etc, so didn't know the ending. Lets face it, some classics can feel a little, you know, worthy (?) now, but this was just thoroughly enjoyable, perfectly readable, could have been written an time. OK, the characters aren't deep, but they are deep enough for a mystery story, the setting is great, and the twists and turns still work well today. Kept me gripped to the end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a great book by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A great powerful and intense story of bravey and intelligence. After Sir Hugo Baskerville and Charles Baskerville died only Sir Henry was left. Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes were on the case met by honesy and betrayal and probably most of all suspicion.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was my first Sherlock Holmes story and I ended up enjoying reading this even though. Had to restart it after halfway through. I apparently read through too fast and got lost in the story and felt that to better appreciate what we have been given in this masterful mystery. I felt that this decision helped establish the characters better and helped me figure out some of the mystery before it came upon us. I'll definitely be reading more, probably starting at book one for a change.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was the first "Sherlock Holmes" book that I had ever read. It was very good and interesting; quick and witty dialogue fast-paced, etc. My only complaint was that it did begin to drag near the end. I will definitely read another of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective stories!