2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss Arthur Conan Doyle‘s book, The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Pages: 256

Length: 1 month

Participants: Randy, Suki, Ilona, Scott, Eirelyn, Ashley

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

Check out the introduction post (here) for more information about Buddy Reads!

You might also want to check out what other Buddy Reads are scheduled for 2018 here!.

Happy Buddy Reading!

I got started this morning by reading the first chapter.

It's interesting that this novel marks the first appearance of Holmes since The Adventure of the Final Problem which was the last story in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. Hound was published eight years after Memoirs, but there is no mention at all of the events in The Final Solution.

This seems like a good Holmes story to read in October.

I'm about a third of the way through. Doyle's writing appears to have improved since the early Holmes stories, especially his sense of pacing. The opening few chapters are all info dumps as usual, but he finds a way to slip a little bit of action in after the visitors leave.

I'll be halfway through today and should finish next week. How's everyone else doing?

Awesome choice & read!

Veda wrote: "Awesome choice & read!"

Are you reading this one with us this month Veda? Glad to have you along! :-)

I am reading a little each day. I am about a fourth of the way through. (view spoiler)[ Holmes seems to be taking a slightly different approach in this story as he did not personally investigate the area, he is trying to get the area spiritually. This is an interested and different approach to the other stories. (hide spoiler)]

Just found this so i will start today! I have only read one Sherlock Holmes book and am excited to read another one!!

I am almost finished with this story. I am enjoying this one. I like how there are many different things going on and (view spoiler)[ Watson is the one who is doing most of the investigating. It takes a different approach than the others. Also, I like how it really takes you through each step you can try to figure out what is going on and take some guesses as to what is going to happen. (hide spoiler)]

Ashley wrote: "I am almost finished with this story. I am enjoying this one. I like how there are many different things going on and [spoilers removed]"

Yes, I think he did a nice job with the pacing of this story. It was too much to be jammed into the short story format but it made a nice short novel. It was originally serialized in The Strand Magazine over the course of a year. I can't imagine waiting a month to find out what happens in the next chapter!

Cosmic wrote: "Just found this so i will start today! I have only read one Sherlock Holmes book and am excited to read another one!!"

Welcome Cosmic!

Sorry guys, I don't think I will be able to read The Hound of the Baskervilles this month. I am still working on the memoirs and once finished I will take a break from this series.

Ilona wrote: "Sorry guys, I don't think I will be able to read The Hound of the Baskervilles this month. I am still working on the memoirs and once finished I will take a break from this series."

Sorry to hear that Ilona. I think the thread will stay open for a while so feel free to post your thoughts later.

I just finished this story. This is one of my favorites. It was very different from the other stories and was very enjoyable.

Ashley wrote: "I just finished this story. This is one of my favorites. It was very different from the other stories and was very enjoyable."

I just finished today also and I agree with you Ashley, this was tyhe best of the three Holmes novels I have read so far. I do generally prefer the short stories because they get to the point quicker, however ACD used the extra pages to good advantage in this case, allowing the plot to slowly develop and adding some twists that probably wouldn't have fit into a short story.

I'll be taking a 2-week Holmes break, then back to it with The Return of Sherlock Holmes at the beginning of November!

I read this one 2 or 3 years ago so I might skip it even though it’s really good.

I changed my mind and decided to go this one again

This was really good, the Stephen Fry audiobook version really brings it to life. It was also nice reading this after the other Holmes books because there is similarities in the way Holmes and Watson interact. For instance the walking stick analysis in the beginning and Holmes hiding in the hut towards the end. Basically Holmes doesn’t let Watson in on his plans.

Scott wrote: "This was really good, the Stephen Fry audiobook version really brings it to life. It was also nice reading this after the other Holmes books because there is similarities in the way Holmes and Wats..."

I'm glad you liked it. I thought it was one of the better Holmes stories. I haven't listened to the audiobook.