This kind of atmosphere which Conan Doyle has created makes Victorians feel at home. A home is a place where it is regarded to be safe so I think that is what they would feel about Holmes flat. It is a place of thought comfort and a place where the readers can feel at home.
A lot of attention was paid to the moor in the book as it was described in great detail throughout. The moor is described as a gloomy, desolate and sinister place from the first time we first hear of it in the book. Quote about the moor ‘but behind the peaceful an sunlit countryside there rose ever , dark against the evening sky, the long gloomy curve of the moor, broken by the jagged and sinister hills’. What this quote is saying is that the moor isn’t all it appears to be, it has hidden depths. It is first described as peaceful but the countryside is then shown in a different light with ‘sinister hills’ and a ‘gloomy curve’. This helps to build up a mysterious atmosphere of the moor. The scenery is beautiful but there is something there that isn’t quite right and this gets the readers mind ticking as to what it could be.
This detailed description of the moor helps it to be brought to life. The reader can imagine themselves there in the footsteps of one of the characters. The description helps them to feel what the characters are feeling about the moor whether it is good or bad. They could feel scared when reading about what happen there at night because they can imagine themselves in that position. This helps the reader feel more involved in the book as if they were one of the characters.
Having been introduced to the menacing appearance of the moor another factor is added that will eat in the back of the readers mind. ‘Somewhere there, on that desolate plain, was lurking a fiendish man, hiding in a burrow like a wild beast’. There is an escaped convict on the moor and they have brutally murdered many people. The reader will always have at the back of their mind that the man lurks possibly waiting for a victim to fall into his grasp. The man is just one of the dangers of the moor and adds to the atmosphere of tension and fear when it is spoken about. There are so many hidden dangers behind its pleasant appearance.
Like the moor Baskerville Hall also sparks a slight sense of mystery into are minds. It is an ‘ancient’ house where many other had lived before. Not surprisingly the house is slightly daunting in its appearance. It has two tall thin looms over everyone and can be scene above the tall trees that surround the house. The house is also quoted as ‘glimmered like a ghost’ this is showing that everything around it is dark and gloomy and it is the only real source of light.
The inside of the house isn’t anymore inspiring or happy. The dining room is said to be ‘a place of shadow and gloom’ and this is a trend throughout the house. The gloom and seemingly misery of the house also shows through in the characters comment. Sir Henry says ‘my word it isn’t a very cheerful place’ which is showing he recognizes the gloom of the house.
This gloomy atmosphere that is created by the house helps build up even more mystery and tension. Maybe it is a warning of what lies ahead and it is better left alone. Everything is so dark and gloomy and this very much affects everyone’s moods in that they feel that way to. All the dark and gloom make it mysterious as well as it creates a tense atmosphere. You never quite know hat is going to happen in such a house in a deserted area. The reader is fearful for the characters that inhabit it.
Characterisation
Sherlock Holmes is an exceptional character as he had amazing intelligence and a mind that unravels mysteries that others couldn’t. Holmes is a character that the readers would look up and they would want to emulate him in some way. The readers like him because they get a small insight into how a mind like his works. Aswell as giving them information that others characters wouldn't know of. He is also liked because he is an out of the ordinary person, he is an individual and he is unique in his methods of deduction.
We create a picture of Holmes by his actions as there is little description of his physical appearance. We know that Holmes is very observant by the way that he picks things out. One example of this is when Holmes comes back to his base in the moor to find Watson waiting there. He hasn’t seen Watson yet but he knows he there because ‘I see the stub of a cigarette marked Bradley, Oxford Street I know my friend Watson is in the neighbour hood ‘. The fact that he noticed the cigarette in the first place shows he is very observant. He is also extremely intelligent in the way he manages to solve so many of the problems in the case. He is also a bit of a loner as Watson quotes that Holmes needed ‘seclusion and solitude’. Holmes appearance really comes from our own imagination but a picture is easily made up by the description of his actions and the way he works. Even though we aren’t told about his appearance we still feel as though we know him.
Watson is the narrator of the story and he is the person that the average person could relate to in terms of thinking. He is the link between the book and the person and he gives us information on the story. It is good that there is a kind of narrator as they help clarify and put are minds at ease about some of the things. We are not where the characters are so we need the narrator to tell us bits of information and what’s going on. This is especially needed in a detective story so the reader can have ago at trying to solve the mystery themselves which keeps them interested.
By Watson being the narrator is helps us to feel the tension that all the characters are feeling. We are getting the reactions of someone who is there and experiencing it and this plays through to us and we start to feel the anxiety or whatever the character is feeling. We are told how Watson feels, his facial expressions and how he is summing up the situation. This helps to be there and feel the tension which creates and more a dramatic read for the reader. One example of the tension is shown by this quote ‘far away came the sharp clink of a boot striking upon a stone’. Someone is approaching Watson and this quote first tells us that they are coming. The detail helps build up the tension and because Watson is the narrator it creates more tense because we realize he senses danger. Watson would make the book more popular because he is level with the readers in terms of intelligence and can explain the story to an average person as how it would be for them. Watson is similar to many people’s minds and makes mistakes. If someone like Holmes were to be the narrator the reader may often become confused as Holmes may have superior intelligence.
Nearly every book has a villain and in this case it is Stapleton. It was a common theme in the Victorian era and still is today to have a goodie/ baddie them. In this the good would prevail over evil and this is what much happens in this book. This is what the reader always wants to see.
Stapleton is a very clever and conniving villain. He has two personalities in the book:
- One which covers up his evil intentions. He does this by making out to be interested in butterflies and needed to be on the moor to find rare species
- His evil side which wants the Baskerville families money and will do anything to get it
We see Stapleton’s ‘fake’ personality for most of the book. He is very inviting and seems to be friendly. He invites Watson to his house and welcomes him and introduces him to his wife who models as his sister. He is also quite an eccentric man and he often runs about slashing his net trying to capture butterflies. But this is just a cover up as underneath his shell is pure evil.
This kind of madness escapes him once when it shouldn’t have had and his cover is almost blown. Sir Henry quotes ‘does he ever strike you as being crazy’ and he says that he saw a great evil in his eyes. This is when it looked as though he were going to kiss Miss Stapleton but Stapleton intervened. This is our first clue that there may be another side to him, which is evil.
To the end of the book we see his full evil when he beats his wife as he believes she may blow his cover, he sets the hound on Sir Henry and we find out he was doing it all for money. He is certainly a mysterious character and we never know where he quite stands in the book till the end because of his two personalities. We are not sure until the end whether he is the one behind the death and this creates mystery as the reader don’t know who the murder is.
Conclusion
I think these points have shown why the The Hound Of The Baskervilles book is still popular today and was popular when it was first published. It appealed to the Victorians then because at the time crime/fiction was a unique idea and little had been written about it before. The book also had historical interest to the modern reader as they could learn about the way in which detectives worked in the Victorian era and how the crimes were solved with inadequate resources.
Also the way in which the book is written is exhilarating for the reader. The build up of tension throughout the book is key to its success as it keeps the reader guessing what might happen next. The atmosphere of the moor especially is very eerie and helps build up an atmosphere of tension and anxiety often for the safety of the characters. The scenery is described to the greatest detail so we have a clear picture of the surroundings. This helps us imagine being in the characters position and makes us feel more involved.
The characters again help the book as they are so introvert, unique and also believable.
Watson helps the reader to understand the story and gives them an idea of what is going on from the point of view of a normal person. The reader can enjoy the book more because of Watson as they have a better understanding of the plot.
Finally the story line is a masterful one and there are many twists and turns as it begins to unravel. The reader is always on the edge and doesn’t know what to expect which creates an exciting read. The book would not be so popular with out such an innovative plot. All these points I have prepared show why the book is so popular whatever the era.
By Peter Desborough
