Hello dear readers. I know, yet another lengthy time period between my blog entries. But I promise I have not been idle. Actually, I have accomplished two items on my list but haven’t had the chance to write about them yet. But I promise that both shall be posted very soon.
The first story I wish to blog about is “Hound of the Baskervilles” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Now, I am certain most of you are familiar with Sherlock Holmes. It has grown in popularity since the release of the BBC show and I admit I am addicted. In fact, it was the show that actually caused me to delve further into the original stories. Before watching, I had only read Sign of Four and absolutely loved it. But I hadn’t really had opportunity to read many others. So, I bought the entire collection of the original stories and have slowly been making my way through. Actually, later I will have an entry on the collection as a whole but for right now I want to focus on just the one story.
“Hound of the Baskervilles” is probably the most well known of all the Sherlock Holmes stories and the one most students are required to read in school. It tells the story of a town being haunted by a large dog that many believe to be a ghost or demon. However, the real explanation is even spookier. Honestly, after reading it, I must say it is a wonderful tale although not my absolute favorite one. What makes it unique is the almost horror story aspect of it. Most of the cases Sherlock deals with a fairly straightforward and human in nature. However, this is one case that actually rattles the fearless consulting detective. After watching the episode based on this story, I was curious to see what the original story was. I knew it would be different since it is set in a different time period but honestly, it did not really affect the story as much as I would have thought. This particular tale of Sherlock Holmes is very intriguing and I am loathe to say a ton about it because I fear I would give away a vital detail. But it will keep you on the edge of your seat, I have no doubt.
Honestly, after delving into these original stories, I have fallen even more in love with Sherlock Holmes. Every single story is genius in its development and detail and I think that the writers of the show have done a marvelous job in the translation of these tales to modern times. This is especially true for “Hound of the Baskervilles”. If you haven’t read any of the original Sherlock Holmes stories, it is one I highly recommend as a first. It has mystery and horror along with a good dose of humor. I want to say more but I dare not deprive you of the joy of discovery that comes with a mystery story. So I will leave it up to you.
Look for my next entry next week on Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. Until next time, happy travels.
