Novel: The Hound of the Baskervilles

Overview
"The Hound of the Baskervilles" is a gothic detective novel by Arthur Conan Doyle that pairs Sherlock Holmes's keen rationalism with a landscape steeped in superstition. The story follows an investigation into a family curse said to plague the Baskervilles, centered on a monstrous, spectral hound that haunts the moors of Devon. Doyle blends atmospheric description with methodical inquiry, setting up a clash between fear and reason.

Plot Summary
Dr. James Mortimer brings a mysterious manuscript and a grim tale to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson: Sir Charles Baskerville has died suddenly on the grounds of his ancestral estate, and local legend holds that a giant, phantom hound has stalked the Baskerville line for generations. Henry Baskerville, the last heir, arrives from Canada to claim the estate despite the warning, and Holmes accepts the case but stays behind in London, sending Watson to accompany and report on Henry at Baskerville Hall.
Watson narrates much of the ensuing investigation, describing eerie nights, strange lights on the moor, and the uneasy behavior of the manor's inhabitants. Suspicion falls on several figures: the secretive Barrymore family, who tend to the household and communicate by signals; the naturalist and neighbor Jack Stapleton and his supposed sister Beryl; and an escaped convict who roams the moor. Holmes secretly conducts his own inquiries on the moor and eventually reveals a carefully laid plan to expose the truth.
The climax comes when the monstrous hound attacks Henry on the fog-bound moor. Holmes and Watson intervene, and the hound is revealed to be a very real, vicious dog made more terrifying by being smeared with phosphorescent substances to produce an unearthly glow. The villain, Stapleton, is unmasked as having manipulated the legend to murder heirs and secure the Baskerville fortune; he flees and is lost in the treacherous Grimpen Mire. The rational explanation triumphs over the supernatural façade, though the moor remains a place of danger and legend.

Main Characters
Sherlock Holmes applies deductive logic and discreet surveillance to unravel the case, while Dr. Watson provides the human perspective and on-site observations that drive the narrative. Sir Henry Baskerville is a courageous, level-headed heir whose presence triggers the conspiracies surrounding the estate. Jack Stapleton, introduced as an enthusiastic naturalist, is ultimately exposed as the calculating antagonist who weaponizes local lore for personal gain. Supporting figures include Dr. Mortimer, the earnest country physician who brings the case to Holmes, and the Barrymores, whose secret loyalties and family ties complicate the mystery.

Setting and Atmosphere
The isolated, brooding moorland around Baskerville Hall is almost a character itself, with its shifting mists, rugged bogs, and bleak expanses that foster dread and feed superstition. Doyle's descriptive passages emphasize weather, landscape, and the soundscape of the moor to create an oppressive, gothic mood that contrasts sharply with Holmes's clinical methods. The Grimpen Mire, a ravenous stretch of peat, symbolizes the lurking, ancient dangers that locals both fear and respect.

Themes and Detection
The novel explores the tension between science and superstition, showing how myth can be manipulated to conceal criminal intent. Doyle celebrates observation, disguise, and meticulous reasoning as tools to dispel fear, while also acknowledging the psychological power of legend. Issues of heredity, social ambition, and the isolation of rural life underscore motives and opportunities in the crime, and Holmes's intervention demonstrates the value of modern investigative technique in a world haunted by older beliefs.

Conclusion
"The Hound of the Baskervilles" remains one of Conan Doyle's most enduring tales, prized for its fusion of gothic atmosphere with detective craft. The novel delivers both a suspenseful, moor-bound mystery and a decisive affirmation that careful evidence and steady intellect can unmask even the most terrifying of apparitions.