The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle [PDF]

Information The Hound of the Baskervilles

• Author: Arthur Conan Doyle​​.
• Publication Date: 1902.
• Main Characters:
  • Sherlock Holmes: Genius detective consulted to solve the mystery. Dr. John Watson: Friend and assistant of Holmes, the narrator of the story.
  • Sir Henry Baskerville: The last heir of the Baskervilles, a victim of the ancestral evil that haunts his family.
  • Dr. James Mortimer: Friend of the Baskerville family and the family physician.
  • Mrs. Beryl Stapleton: Mysterious and suspicious neighbor.
• Brief Summary: “The Hound of the Baskervilles” is a mystery novel in which Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigate the curse haunting the Baskerville family. When Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead under mysterious circumstances, his heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, becomes the new target of a supernatural entity, an infernal hound. Holmes and Watson travel to the Baskerville mansion in the gloomy Dartmoor region to unravel the dark secret surrounding the family and protect Sir Henry from his fatal destiny.
• Thematic Analysis: “The Hound of the Baskervilles” explores themes such as mystery, superstition, terror, and crime resolution. The novel focuses on the struggle between the rational and the supernatural, as Holmes employs his deductive reasoning to unravel the mystery and unmask the culprit behind the inexplicable events. It also addresses the relationship between science and popular belief, as well as the influence of ancestral past on the present.
• Historical Context: “The Hound of the Baskervilles” was published in 1902, during the Victorian era in England. During this period, mystery literature and detective stories gained popularity, and Arthur Conan Doyle became one of the genre’s prominent authors. The novel reflects society’s interest in the occult and the supernatural, as well as the contrast between the scientific mindset and the superstitious tradition of the time.