THE HOUND OF THE

BASKERVILLES

By

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I. Development of detective mystery genreA. Early detective stories

B. First widely-read detective mystery stories

C. 1920s:

D. 1930s and 1940s:

Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Murders in theRue Morgue” (1841) with Detective Dupin

Sherlock Holmes (1887)

Detective mysteries widely read

Golden Age of the DetectiveMystery Story

II. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

A. Born

B. First Holmes book:

C. Believed in

1859 in Scotland

A Study in Scarlet (1887)

spiritualism

D. Era ( in Great Britain) when he wrote the Holmes stories:

Victorian Era (reign of Queen Victoria – 1837 to 1901)

1. Rigid social classes; emphasis on manners, proper behavior, formality2. Industrial Revolution has created a new social class – the rich industrialist

3. Advances in science and revolutionary scientific theories (Darwin – 1859)

4. Tales of the supernatural and mystery are popular

5. The British Empire is the greatest power in the world; many colonies

Conan Doyle

A common portrayal of

Watson

E. Conan Doyle is similar to Watson

III. Sherlock Holmes A.

B. 1. 2.

Uses scientific method in solving crimes: observation and deduction

Home221B Baker StreetWith Dr. Watson

T HE S I T T I N G R O O M AT 2 2 1 B B A K E R ST R E E T

HOLMES’S DESK

WATSON’S DESK

C. D. Other information

A master of disguise

AppearanceOpium addictPlays the violinGreatest nemesis: MoriarityPrefers staying at homeMany famous phrases: a three-pipe problem The game is afoot! Elementary, my dear Watson.

Narrow, deep knowledge

IV. The Hound of the Baskervilles – published in 1901

B. Presents an interesting conflict between Holmes’s science and the supernatural

C. Appeals to Victorian interest in gothic literature and the supernatural

D. Reflects Conan Doyle’s interest in the supernatural

A. Published in installments in The Strand

Additional information The book presents a clear picture of late Victorian manners and awareness of social position.

The book’s settings are London and the moors of Dartmoor, which are in Devon.