Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

"Well, Watson, what do you make of it?"  That famous question---those famous words---are repeated throughout the novel by Sherlock Holmes to his trusty assistant, Dr. Watson.  They are asked of Watson as much as of the reader, and that's what makes reading Doyle such a pleasure; you become engaged in mystery-solving and sleuthing along with the famous duo.  

This was my first time reading a novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (a shameful confession, but there it is!), and I have already picked up Vol. 1 of Doyle's collected Holmes stories because I so enjoyed this novel.  The writing is crisp, witty, and thoughtful.  There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing what will happen next.  

I enjoyed reading it with a sense that the Holmes novels and stories were the great entertainment of their day.  In a world before radio, TV, and of course, the computer and Internet (people lived before the Internet?!  The horror!), people turned to stories and novels for a good thrill.  In a world before shows like Lost, Law and Order (and their myriad spin-offs), ER and the like, Doyle and others provided great stories that offer intrigue, mystery, murder, and deception.  It is a worthwhile endeavor to see how those are done by a master; they will enhance our enjoyment of shows and movies and other forms of entertainment in our own day.  

Highly recommended for all readers 12 and up.  I give it an A+  ---how could I do other than that?

If you liked this, you may also enjoy: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson; either of the Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Tate (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag are currently out; A Red Herring without Mustard will be published in early 2011, and I can't wait!); any other story or novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle about Sherlock Holmes, of which there are many; the stories of Edgar Allen Poe (who influenced Doyle's own writing).  

You may be interested to read about the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, an Irish-Catholic boy raised in Scotland and educated by the Jesuits: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/hound/ei_doyle.html