Myths in Mystery

My dog Adele modeling as the hound

I am not here to persuade or dissuade you from reading this book. The Hound of Baskerville by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is (arguably) one of the most read Sherlock Holmes books there is. Of the four full length novels and 56 short stories that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote, there are three unique traits found in this story that you don’t see in any of the others.

A Supernatural spin

While Sherlock Holmes himself is almost a figure of myth—both in his stories and outside of them—everything about him is logical with a capital L. The mysteries he solves are human, factual, and solidly based in reality. The fact that this case starts off mostly based on a legend that led to a mysterious death with little evidence to be seen, makes it vastly different from Holmes’ usual jobs. This is the only book where the first, and main, suspect of the case is supernatural. It is also a book that is less about solving a pervious murder than it is about preventing a coming one. This too, ties into the supernatural tilt the book has.

While I am not the authority on this being the first book to utilize the fake-supernatural-evil trope, it is a very early and very popular iteration. As I was reading, I couldn’t help thinking, “This feels straight out of an episode of Scooby Doo”. All the hallmarks of a good Scooby Doo mystery are there: the call for help, the small-town legend, the sightings by nosey neighbors, the suspicious butler, everything. I would be unsurprised if this story was one of the original works of fiction that influenced the creation of new media involving this trope. The story was, and still is, wildly popular. Originally having come out as a serial in a magazine, the turn from the expected Sherlock Holmes programming to something touched with supernatural legend captured and held the interest of readers.

Get a Clue

Speaking of media influences, another popular trope story this book reminded me of is Clue. (I guess I should be saying that Clue reminds me of this story since The Hound of Baskerville was published over 80 years previous.) When we arrive in the small town on the moor, every neighbor in the area is a suspect until proven otherwise. Due to the minimal evidence and the mysterious circumstances of the first death, it becomes “this many went in, one less came out” kind of situation. This is especially true because logical, level-headed, Holmes refuses to entertain the idea that the legend of the Baskerville hell hound is true.

We have a real who-done-it story on our hands. I don’t think I am taking a big suggestive leap when I say this story in particular influenced the creation of what we would now consider a traditional mystery plot. Though this could be said about a lot of the Sherlock Holmes collective works, The Hound of Baskerville had a specifically wide reach when first published and continues to be a popular choice.

Oh, Watson, dear Watson

Unlike other Sherlock Holmes stories, the man himself is only briefly on the pages of this book. He is present for the initial introduction of the mystery but elects to stay behind in London in order to finish a pervious case, sending Watson out to the country in his stead. Holmes is only mentioned by correspondence for the main chunk of the story and then re-enters the cast in person for the climax and conclusion to the mystery. This really changes the dynamic of the story for the reader. Although Watson is the narrator in all of the books, he is usually conveying facts and observations as Holmes sees them and speaks through them out loud. While Holmes is through in his explanations, having Watson on the scene, seeing and describing everything himself, drawing his own conclusions makes for a more detailed story.

Unlike when Holmes leads a case, we don’t miss the formation of theories or any key observations because we are in the head of the man who is theorizing and observing. It brings the reader an entirely different approach to solving the mystery because Watson is a man of action while Holmes is a man of plotting. In the end it takes both of their strengths to solve the case and catch the bad guy, but the journey getting there was a unique one.

This book stands out from the other Holmes stories and holds its place as a classic with presence and pride. I know I said I wasn’t going to try to persuade you to read this book, but it is 100% worth the hype it’s had for centuries, so I do recommend you pick it up. If you do, I’d love to hear your opinion!

Until next time,

Keep wondering and stay wandering!