A Literary Classic for February #collaboreads - The Hound of the Baskervilles

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I finished reading my Literary Classic for #collaboreads quite early in February, and had almost forgotten to link up at Rachel A. Dawson. Here is my original brief summary and review of the book, followed by my thoughts specifically for #collaboreads.

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Thanks to the many movies and TV shows, I think everyone knows the name of the great detective Sherlock Holmes, but I'm finding that the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are not that commonly read. I've read most of these stories, but despite it being perhaps the most famous detective story of all time, I honestly couldn't remember the resolution or many details from The Hound of the Baskervilles so I decided it would be a good start for the Back to the Classics Challenge.
Dr. Mortimer brings his concerns to the great detective - there is something mysterious about the recent death of Sir Charles Baskerville, especially considering the story that continues to circulate among the residents of Dartmoor that the Baskerville family is cursed by a devilish hound. As Holmes considers the case, the new heir, Sir Henry, arrives in London amid some strange circumstances. Holmes sends Dr. Watson along with Sir Henry to Baskerville Hall as a protector and observer, while he pursues the case from another angle. The final resolution is, of course, a testament to Holmes' brillance and ingenuity.
Dr. Watson's narrative, as usual, contains most of the clues necessary to solve the mystery, but Mr. Holmes delights in holding the final piece of the puzzle and presenting it with a bit of prideful flourish. In this one, as I read, I developed a sense of who the villain was, but couldn't figure out exactly how he committed his crimes, or why, until Sherlock Holmes explained.

Riveting. {What part of the book could you NOT get enough of?} It's amazing to me that Sherlock Holmes can be so smug and condescending about his mental prowess and ability to solve any mystery, and yet remain such a likable character! Dr. Watson's self-deprecating narrative is always entertaining as well, and his almost hero-worship of Mr. Holmes.

Elements. {How did you relate to/care for the characters?}The characters were overall very likable and each had some appeal to sympathetic feelings, even - to a certain extent - the villain, at least at the beginning.

Associate. {What other books are like this one? Does it remind you of a TV show or movie with its themes and characters? Did it serendipitously line up with things going on in your life or in the news right now?} Of course Sherlock Holmes has found yet another generation of fans with the popularity of the TV show and recent movies. I haven't watched much of the TV series, but my daughter is a fan of it, so I'm thinking it would be entertaining to watch some of the episodes and satisfy myself as to how well the characterizations follow the books.

Design. {You know you judged this book by the cover. What did you think of it? How did it relate to the contents of the novel?}  Well, there are many different covers, and since I read on my Kindle, I didn't spend much time looking at the cover. In fact, I have to admit I mostly pictured the Robert Downey, Jr. version of the movie poster in my head!

Stars. {How many out of five do you give this book? Would you recommend this book to a friend?} Four stars out of five. It's entertaining and is a clever mystery. For younger readers, who may be expecting the polish or "special effects" of the TV show or movies, they may be disappointed in that aspect. However, I highly recommend that all modern Sherlock fans read the original stories, and I hope that my own daughter will find the time to read a few of the original stories sometime soon as well.

This review is linked at Rachel A. Dawson for #collaboreads (February's theme was A Literary Classic)

A LITERARY CLASSIC

Find a book that fits the category (here's a list to get you started!), read it throughout the coming month, and join us with your review as we link up again on February 29!

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