The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is perhaps his most well-known novel within the Sherlock Holmes Chronicles, and for good reason. It stands out among his other works – A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, and The Valley of Fear – in its themes, setting and eerie imagery, and has created a long-lasting impact on its readers. But what did I think of the popular novel?

Let’s start with the setting. The Hound of the Baskervilles takes us away from the crowded, dirty city of London into the rolling hills and picturesque landscapes of the country. But this beauty is dangerous when the sun goes down, even deadly. What is first seen as private pastures and fresh air becomes remote isolation and a chill sent straight down your spine as the cries in the night stir you from your slumber. The setting is handled wonderfully and I think it is a key reason The Hound of the Baskervilles has the level of commercial success it does. This is a setting that isn’t exotic like the other novels are, giving it a sense of familiarity and therefore making the horrors and suspense seep into everyday life. A reader in the early 20th century would not have been able to brush off the story so easily when the very landscape it takes place in could have been right outside the window.

Another brilliant feature of this novel is the change in narrative style and structure. Having Watson seperate from Sherlock and carry out this investigation on his own is a huge change in the narrative to what we have seen in A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of the Four. In the previous two books, Sherlock was teaching Watson his methods and leading the investigation and communications with other characters, such as police force, witnesses and suspects. Watson is forced to be the investigator, communications liaison, and informant for Sherlock through his reports, all while still a novice in the art of investigations. This makes Watson unsettled in a way, and this shift in confidence is visible to the reader, feeding into the eerie tension of the tale. There is also something about a written report of what you’ve learnt over the last few days when you know there is important information to share and the way that excitement and suspense is created makes the narrative immersive and addicting.

The plot is easy and elementary, given my experiences with the genre over the last half decade, but it is by no means a boring plot. It has all the great elements of an eerie, tense atmosphere, a tricky conundrum of supernatural detail, and an isolated mystery that gets darker by the day. I honestly wish there was a longer version of this story so more depth and investment could be reached. I expected Watson to make a mistake or two without Sherlock, not because he’s a newbie to the game but because it felt right for his character to be wanting to prove he could lead the investigation without Sherlock. Some details felt very convenient while others required Sherlock’s skills – which may or ay not be a flaw in character design, I’m not sure.

Overall, The Hound of the Baskervilles is my favourite Sherlock Holmes novel. It is a little spooky, a little gothic, and regardless of the role the hound plays in the story I am a sucker for dogs. Justice for the big floofer.