By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
This is my second Sherlock Holmes novel after reading A Study in Scarlet last summer, and I definitely want to read a lot more Sherlock stuff soon. Jenn was nice enough to get me a collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories with a picture of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman on the cover. Of course, the two brilliant actors play Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson respectively in the new (ingenious) Sherlock TV series on the BBC.
There's a lot I want to talk about with Hound. First of all, if you read Jenn's post, she talks about how this novel is not a great mystery. I have to agree. I didn't actually state out loud at any point who I thought the killer was, but had someone asked me to make a guess, I would have been right. I don't think that's a problem though. Yes, Study in Scarlet does a better job of keeping the reader guessing, but Hound kinda feels more like an episode of Columbo, where you practically see the murder taking place and know who did it, but the fun is watching the great detective figure it out.
I love reading about Sherlock Holmes. He is one of the all time great literary characters and Doyle keeps him endlessly entertaining. So, it's even more impressive that in Hound Holmes isn't in about half the novel. In the story, Holmes sends Watson ahead to Baskerville Hall to guard Henry Baskerville, while he remains in London to work on another case. He disappears for many chapters before finally turning up again towards the end. It's a really bold choice, and I respect that while I don't necessarily agree with it. Still, he manages to keep the story interesting while it's centered on Watson and his reports to Holmes back in London. Study in Scarlet had a similar (sort of) digression by providing a five chapter biography of the killer. It was very disorienting, and I like how Hound of the Baskervilles does stay focused on our principle characters.
The relationship between Holmes and Watson is fantastic. I was completely invested in this book from the first chapter because Holmes asks Watson to give his theories about the case they're working on, and Watson outlines a very logical, concise, sensible theory about the victim, which Holmes them completely demolishes. He thanks Watson basically for being so stupid that it helps his vastly superior mind jump from the mundane to the ingenious. Holmes' brilliance and the inevitable arrogance it brings is a lot of fun to read about, but there's also a definite compassion for Watson deep inside him. It's much clearer here than in Scarlet, which makes sense since the characters had just met in Scarlet.
Bottom line: I can't wait to get to more Sherlock Holmes stories soon. I think I have to read the novel with Professor Moriarty next, because I've seen several film/television adaptations of the infamous villain and I'm very curious to see Doyle's original vision of the crime lord.
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