My first Sherlock Holmes! Completely inspired by my inhaling the BBC’s Sherlock and falling in love with Benedict Cumberbatch. I immediately picked up the only Holmes story I owned and dug in, only slightly nervous about how well the older, original stories would hold up against the newer BBC version. I know that’s not really fair since Holmes is a Doyle creation, but all my fears were shortly put to rest!
In The Hound, the Baskerville family has been plagued by a nasty legend involving an almost supernatural hound creature. If at any time they find themselves out on the Devon moor alone at night, bad things are sure to happen! When Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead just outside his estate’s gate, Sherlock Holmes and his trusty Watson are called in to investigate how Sir Charles met his mysterious end. Can they figure out the culprit of these seemingly canine murders in time to save the new heir’s life?
Weak plot description, I know. It’s just that I don’t want to give anything away since half the fun’s in guessing who (or what) dunnit. I was really worried that Doyle’s original stories wouldn’t hold up well in the modernity of today’s mystery novels, but definitely not the case at all. The language and prose are both beautiful and simplistic. In many ways, the story felt incredibly fresh and contemporary, with only the slightly archaic mentions of carriages, cloaks, and telegrams. But even these dated references didn’t ruin the vivacity of the story – instead they added a coziness and decidedly British feel that was entirely welcome. I’m actually shocked at how talented a writer Doyle turned out to be – not sure why I should be shocked since his novels have held up so long.
What most surprised me was how little Sherlock Holmes was actually used in this particular story. Watson definitely takes center stage and never comes off as bumbling (which modern adaptations can sometimes fall victim to). I thoroughly enjoyed Watson and often never even missed Holmes, but was pleasantly surprised when he showed his lovably arrogant face again. And Holmes seemed a bit softer and more jovial in Doyle’s text than in the updated scripts of the past few years. Two very fantastic characters for the price of one!
Honestly, the only thing that holds me back from shouting the highest praise is the book’s inability to keep me guessing very long. I knew who the killer was quite early on as I suspect most readers will discover as well. The plot was just a bit too transparent. Doyle might have had better success if he’d created more characters or suspects, but when the mystery takes place in a nearly deserted moor – things aren’t going to be too complicated.
I do highly recommend fitting some Sherlock Holmes in your busy reading schedules! Delightful characters, quickly moving mysteries, and atmosphere in spades will keep you turning the pages. Really want to find a great Holmes collection and read all his stories and novels. If anyone has any suggestions of a particular volume, please let me know in the comments. What are your favorite Holmes stories? Have you seen Sherlock? Is anyone watching Elementary and enjoying?
********************************************
A Classics Club selection!
The Blog of Litwits 