Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Hound of the Baskervilles (Large Print) by Arthur Conan Doyle

40 reviews

mxmorganic's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A bit slow in parts, especially early on. As well, the book is riddled with unchallenged ideas about the merits of colonialism and various racial “facts” - e.g. being able to identify and define various groups of people by the contours of their skulls - that are extraordinarily uncomfortable to read today.

However, the core mystery of the novel is quite compelling, and most of all Arthur Conan Doyle has a way with words that really struck me at multiple points in the text - when finally the eponymous Hound of the Baskervilles rears its head, ACD describes it with some of my favorite language I’ve read this year, and the surrounding chapter too was a tremendous climax to the novel.

Finally, the introduction/afterword to my edition of the novel was a highlight of this printing, leaving me with much-appreciated food for thought as I think back over the novel now. So, with the caveats that it’s not always as thrilling as one might expect, and that it’s very of its time, I do certainly recommend the Hound of the Baskervilles for Doyle’s rich renderings of the English language, if for nothing else.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Murder

Minor: Colonisation

drybay's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Murder

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

katie0528's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

A classic detective story, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are asked to investigate the death of Sir Charles Baskerville, a baronet who seems to have died from fright. The arrival of his nephew, Henry, raises questions about Baskerville Hall's safety, due to a family curse involving a hellhound hunting Baskerville family members. I picked this up after hearing the first few chapters on the Calm app, but I wasn't a huge fan of the narrator of the edition my Libby had. I'm also not a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes adaptations, and it seems I'm not the biggest fan of Holmes generally. There were some good twists and turns in the story itself, but I find Holmes rather insufferable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Stalking

fantasycat's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Murder

hjb_128's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, and Kidnapping

mousecat's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Murder

seforana's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

paloverdepages's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I read this book for The StoryGraph's Genre Challenge 2024 prompt 2. A historical fiction novel set before 1900. 

Even knowing some version of the story (thanks BBC Sherlock), this was still fun to read! I might be a fan of mystery/detective stories now

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, and Murder

isaaah's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Confinement, Drug use, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and Colonisation

readingelli's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Violence