The Hound of the Baskervilles, 36/100

My first Sherlock Holmes story!

No, I have never read any Arthur Conan Doyle until now. Or, gasp, even knew the plot of what's considered his greatest work, The Hound of the Baskervilles. I have been trapped under a rock for 25 years. I apologize.

So not knowing the story, I had an enjoyable time trying to piece together the mystery. Would I have still enjoyed it had I known the outcome? Yes, because Doyle's characters are interesting and hilarious. The banter between Holmes and Watson made me laugh out on more than one occasion.

"And the dog?"

"Has been in the habit of carrying this stick behind his master. Being a heavy stick the dog has held it tightly by the middle, and the marks of his teeth are very plainly visible. The dog's jaw, as shown in the space between these marks, is too broad in my opinion for a terrier and not broad enough for a mastiff. It may have been—yes, by Jove, it is a curly-haired spaniel."

He had risen and paced the room as he spoke. Now he halted in the recess of the window. There was such a ring of conviction in his voice that I glanced up in surprise.

"My dear fellow, how can you possibly be so sure of that?"

"For the very simple reason that I see the dog himself on our very door-step.

Having finally read a Sherlock Holmes adventure, it makes me remember a graduate student I knew back in school. He was OBSESSED with Arthur Conan Doyle. He wore tweed suits to class, with with a bow tie, and carried a brief case. If he had ever walked in wearing a flap hat or smoking a pipe I would've lost it. Regardless, it made me feel particularly juvenile/frumpy in my jeans and Tool tee-shirt. Everyday I resisted the urge to just walk up and casually ask him what mystery he was working on, or if he suspected the butler.

So if you want to check out CSI: Creepy Wind-Swept Moors edition, I suggest buying the book from Melville House, or reading it for free at Project Gutenberg.