I'm a big Sherlock Holmes fan and have read these in the very distant past but this reading was out loud to my daughter (who is 13). I'd forgotten how well-written they are and very entertaining. These are both novellas but much longer than the usual short story form the Holmes stories take, probably around 150 pages. Of course, The Hound of the Baskervilles is very famous, having been made into movies and TV shows repeatedly. In fact, we have been watching Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes made in the 80's rerun on PBS. The Hound is very suspenseful and atmospheric, taking place out on the godforsaken moors with the remains of prehistoric dwellings. It concerns the mysterious death of a wealthy lord and the subsequent heir who comes from America to take over the title and holdings. The Baskerville hound refers to an ancient curse that the family will be pursued by a hound from hell for past wrong-doings. Holmes and Watson get involved when strange and potentially dangerous things start happening to the new Lord Baskerville. I won't give away the plot but there are several red herrings and the evildoer is finally unmasked and suffers a horrible fate. It's really a great yarn and very well written. There is interesting commentary on the moor and swamp within it that add a creepy, dark and stormy tone to the story. My daughter, who would probably not read this on her own mostly because of the 19th century writing, was quite engaged.
Similar comments on A Study in Scarlet as on The Hound. A Study in Scarlet has a little bit of a slow start but then moves into the backstory of the Mormons settling in Utah. I'd completely forgotten about that whole angle and it was fascinating. Holmes and Watson must get to the bottom of a couple of bizarre murders in London. It turns out that they cannot be solved until they discover the history of abuse in Utah that gives rise to the revenge killings. It is an interesting twist to the tale that grabs the reader. Again, my daughter quite enjoyed it.
1 comment:
Great review! I loved The Hound of the Baskervilles when I read it many years ago, but I have never read A Study in Scarlet. I need to add it to my giant "to read" list!
Post a Comment