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UPPER INTERMEDIATE

The Hound of theBaskervilles

S U M M A R Y

he Hound of the Baskervilles is one of ConanD o y l e ’s most famous mysteries featuring thedetective, Sherlock Holmes, and his friend, Dr

Watson.

The eerie mists of Dartmoor form the setting to thesinister events at Baskerville Hall. When Sir CharlesB a s k e rville is found dead, the people living in theneighbouring area are sure that he didn’t die from naturalcauses. Strange sightings of a giant fire-breathing houndand stories from the past have convinced them of this.

The new heir to the property, Sir Henry Baskerville,arrives from Canada determined not to let the storiesfrighten him away from his new home. He braves theloneliness of the moors, takes pleasure in getting to knowhis neighbours, and is careful to follow the advice andguidance of the great detective, Holmes.

Holmes and Watson slowly unravel a tangle of mysteryas the case takes them deep into the heart of theBaskerville family.

Arthur Conan Doyle was born on May 22nd 1859 inEdinburgh, Scotland. He studied at Edinburgh Universityand became a doctor. Interestingly, he had a strongresemblance to his fictional character - Dr Watson - bothin nature and looks. He was solid, extrovert and patriotic,with strong views on things such as the importance of theBritish Empire and the stupidity of modern art. However,his Irish ancestors gave him a wilder, Celtic streak that ranthrough his life and writings.

Conan Doyle, like Holmes, had very acute powers ofobservation. He had a very practical mind but also a greatimagination. He developed an interest in spiritualism whilehe was a doctor in Southsea; an interest that comfortedhim when his youngest son, Kingsley, died of pneumoniain the First World War.

Conan Doyle joined the Society for Psychical Researchand for nearly 30 years carried out a series of experimentsin telepathy and spiritual investigations. Finally, at the peakof his literary career, he wrote two books on spiritualism –The New Revelation and The Vital Message.

Conan Doyle rather resented the success of his SherlockHolmes books, feeling that they overshadowed his moreimportant historical and scientific books. This was never

more apparent than when he gave a lecture on spiritualismin Amsterdam shortly before his death in 1930. Ignoringthe lecture’s title, many of the questions from the audiencewere about Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle refused toanswer them and told the audience he had nothing moreto say about the detective or his cases.

Few fictional characters are as well known around theworld as the amateur private detective Sherlock Holmes.Sherlock Holmes was ‘born’ in 1887 when Conan Doyle’sfirst full-length detective story, A Study in Scarlet, waspublished.

At the time of Sherlock Holmes’ creation, Victoriansociety was in a state of unease as new thoughts andideas threatened to undermine traditional beliefs. TheIndustrial Revolution had brought about the rapiddevelopment of industry, railways, commerce andengineering. Along with this came revolutionary scientifictheories which shocked many people. Darwin’s Origin ofSpecies, published in 1859, put forward the theory ofevolution, and so questioned the Christian beliefs that hadbeen dominant until then. There also occurred the rise of anew class of rich factory owners, who capitalized on thep o o r, particularly women and children. The Vi c t o r i a nconscience was eventually stirred by the revelation of thisexploitation in the works of authors such as Dickens andCharles Kingsley.

Tales of mystery, where social problems were rarelyconfronted, grew in popularity during the Victorian age.The success of Wilkie Collins’ Woman in White, publishedin 1860, lead the way for further novels of mystery, crime,detection and suspense. When Sherlock Holmes solvedhis first mystery in Strand Magazine in 1887, he was animmediate success with readers. People often wrote to theeditor of Strand asking if Holmes was a real person.

Dr Watson, who relates all the Sherlock Holmes stories,acts as a foil to Holmes. The sparkling brilliance ofHolmes’s sharp mind shines as he explains to Dr Watson,and thus to the reader, how he has solved each mystery.The solutions to the Sherlock Holmes mysteries arereached through reason and, perhaps because of ConanDoyle’s interest in the supernatural, there is often an air ofthe unexplained and macabre about them.

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by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

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Written in 1902, The Hound of the Baskervilles is one ofthe best-known tales of Sherlock Holmes. Doyle wasinspired to write the story after hearing a West Countrylegend, and the resulting novel is rather more gothic thanother Holmes stories. As in all Sherlock Holmes stories,the solution to the mystery is found through Holmes’observation of tiny details. As Holmes says to Watson,‘The world is full of clear things which nobody notices.’Because his mind is uncluttered and free of trivia, Holmesnotices these small things.

Characteristics, good and bad, run through generationsof families. Doyle develops this theme in the The Hound ofthe Baskervilles. We see traits in the modern Baskervillefamily that are reminiscent of the family members a centuryearlier. Doyle thus shows good and evil in permanentopposition to each other throughout the ages. Evil isshown to be stronger in the hours of darkness. ‘Dark’ is aword that is constantly used to describe Baskerville Halland Dartmoor. The feeling of menace created through thedescriptions of the hall and the moors contrasts sharplywith the warm cosiness of Baker Street.

Conan Doyle builds the tension in the novel throughmysterious happenings, unexplained noises, menacingw e a t h e r, and eccentric characters who clearly havesomething to hide.

The following teacher-led activities cover the samesections of text as the exercises at the back of the reader,and supplement those exercises. Further supplementaryexercises covering shorter sections of the book can befound on the photocopiable Student’s Activities pages ofthis Factsheet. These are primarily for use with classreaders but, with the exception of discussion andpair/group work questions, can also be used by studentsworking alone in a self-access centre.

ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING THE BOOKDivide the class into groups. Ask groups what the frontcover of the reader is trying to say about the book andhow well it does this. Make sure they think about the styleof the letters as well as the picture. What does the covertell them about the plot or the themes? Write the mainpoints on the board.

ACTIVITIES AFTER READING A SECTIONChapters 1–4Put students into pairs. Ask them to go through the bookand make a list of all the clues we have learnt so far whichmight lead to the mystery being solved. Then have a classdiscussion and write all the clues on the board. Dostudents have any ideas so far on the solution? Ask themto tell the class.

Chapters 5–8Put students into small groups. Give each group adifferent character from the book. The groups write downwhat they know about that character and then what sortof life they think that character has had – whether they

have travelled much, what their childhood was like etc.Have a whole-class feedback session.

Chapters 9–12Put students into pairs. Give each pair a paragraph in thebook to rewrite from the 1st person into the 3rd person.Ask them to discuss what effect this has on the writing,and come to some conclusions about why Conan Doylewrote the story in the 1st person, through the eyes of DrWatson. Write the main points on the board, and have aclass discussion.

Chapters 13–15Write on the board what Holmes says: ‘The stranger andmore meaningless an event seems, the more closely itshould be considered.’ Discuss the meaning of thisstatement. Divide the students into small groups and giveeach group a different situation. For example, someonehas committed a murder, someone is having an affair, etc.Each group writes down some ‘strange and meaningless’things that might happen in these situations, which mightshow that the person is guilty.

ACTIVITIES AFTER READING THE BOOKDiscuss with students what they carry around in theirpockets or handbags. Show them what you have in yourbag/pocket, and ask them what this says about you as aperson. Divide the class up into small groups and giveeach group a character from the book. They discuss whatthis character would carry around with them, and why.Have a whole-class feedback session.

It will be useful for your students to know the following new words.They are practised in the ‘Before You Read’sections of exercises atthe back of the book. (Definitions are based on those in the LongmanActive Study Dictionary.)

Chapters 1–4article (n) a piece of writing in a newspaper or magazineavenue (n) a road or a pathblack sheep (n) someone who is thought to be bad by the rest oftheir family or groupcab (n) taxicigar (n) rolled tobacco which people smokeconfess (v) to tell the truth about a bad thing you have done dressing gown (n) a long loose coat that you wear before gettingdressedfate (n) a power that is believed to control people’s livesgigantic (adj) very bighounds (n) dogs used for huntingmoor (n) an area of high ground covered with rough grassnaturalist (n) someone who studies plants and animalsyew (n) a type of tree with dark green leaves

Chapters 5–8carriage (n) a vehicle with wheels that is pulled by a horsemire (n) an area of soft, sinking wet groundroar (n) a very deep loud noise

Chapters 9–12divorce (n) when a marriage is legally endedreputation (n) the opinion people have of someone or somethingstraw (n) dried sticks of wheat put down for animals to sleep on

Chapters 13–15phosphorous (n) a chemical

C o m m u n i c a t i v e a c t i v i t i e sG l o s s a r y

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P e n g u i n R e a d e r s F a c t s h e e t s

Read the Introduction in the book. Then close your bookand answer these questions. Check your answers in thebook.

(a) What nationality was Conan Doyle?

(b) What was his first job?

(c) How old was he when he became a full time author?

(d) Why did he go to South Africa?

(e) Where were Conan Doyle’s short stories aboutSherlock Holmes first published?

(f) What other types of book did Conan Doyle write?

(g) How did the death of his son affect him?

(h) When did Conan Doyle die? How old was he?

CHAPTERS 1–4

Chapters 1 & 21 On the first page of the book, Holmes says to

Watson, ‘Now is the moment of fate, Watson, whenyou hear on the stairs a step which is walking intoyour life, whether for good or for evil.’ How does thissentence sets the mood (atmosphere) of the book?

Now talk to another student. Do you agree with eachother?

2 Finish these sentences. Try not to look at the book.

(a) Dr James Mortimer is a ....................................... .

(b) He comes to see Holmes because..................................... .

(c) Sir Hugo Baskerville owned Baskerville Hall in1650. He was a .......................................... .

(d) One night he followed ......................................... .

(e) He and the girl were found dead. There was aterrible thing .........................................

(f) Over 200 years later, Sir Charles Baskerville isfound ................................... .

Chapters 3 & 41 Which people in B have the feelings in A? Find

sentences in these chapters that show this.

A: (a) excited

(b) deeply moved

(c) impatient

(d) satisfied

(e) angry

B: (i) Doctor Mortimer

(ii) Sherlock Holmes

(iii) Sir Henry Baskerville

2 Work with another student. Write down all the thingsin these chapters that seem to be unusual orunnatural. Can you think of a way to explain any ofthese events?

3 Answer these questions

(a) What does Holmes like to do when he is thinkinghard?

(b) What hobby does Holmes have?

CHAPTERS 5–8

Chapters 5 & 61 (a) Who says the sentences below, and who do they

say them to? What are they talking about?

(b) Change the sentences from direct speech intoreported speech in the past tense.

Example: ‘I can laugh at a joke like anybody else, butthey have gone a bit too far this time.’

Sir Henry Baskerville speaking to Holmes about hismissing boots.

Sir Henry told Holmes that he could laugh at a jokelike anybody else, but this time someone had gonetoo far.

(i) ‘He is quite old, and is a man of good life andsimple tastes.’

(ii) ‘Did you know that you were followed thismorning?’

(iii) ‘I tell you, this time we have an enemy worthfighting.’

2 Work with a partner. You are Watson and Holmes.Watson describes to Holmes how he felt when he firstsaw Baskerville Hall and the surrounding moors.Holmes asks him questions to make him explain thedetails.

3 Have you learnt anything in these chapters which mayhelp solve the mystery? If so, make a note of it.

Chapters 7 & 8Fill in the gaps in the sentences with the words below.

moor, walk, meets, surprises, crying, breakfast,mire, death, footsteps, chases, plan, foothold, SirHenry, back to London

After (a) ............................. Watson meets Mrs Bar rymore.

He realizes that she was the person he heard

(b) ............................. in the night. He takes a

(c) .................... along the edge of the (d) ..........................

and (e) .............................. Stapleton. Stapleton

(f) ............................. Watson by asking him if Holmes has

come to a decision about the (g) ............................. of Sir

Charles. Stapleton (h) ............................. a small fly

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The Hound of the Baskervilles

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PhotocopiableThese activities can be done alone or with one or moreother students. Pair/group-only activities are marked.

Activities before reading the book

Activities while reading the book

S t u d e n t ’ s a c t i v i t i e s

© Pearson Education 2000

P e n g u i n R e a d e r s F a c t s h e e t s

across the (i) .............................. without losing his

(j) ............................. . Miss Stapleton thinks that Watson

is (k) ............................., and tells him to go

(l) ............................. . In the night Watson hears

(m) ............................. passing his room. He and Sir

Henry make a (n) ............................. .

CHAPTERS 9–12

Chapters 9 & 101 Answer these questions.

(a) Why does Watson follow Sir Henry out on to themoor when Sir Henry goes out hoping to meetMiss Barrymore?

(b) What does he witness?

(c) What excuse does Stapleton give for hisbehaviour?

2 Are these sentences true or false?

(a) The escaped prisoner is Mrs Barrymore’s elderbrother.

(b) Watson and Sir Henry go out onto the moor togive the prisoner some food.

(c) Watson and Sir Henry think they hear a ghost onthe moor.

(d) Watson sees a man on a rock.

(e) Laura Lyons wrote a letter to Sir Charles and heburnt it.

3 Talk to a partner.

(a) How many men are living out on the moor? Whatare they like? Make notes.

(b) Watson writes to Holmes: ‘I have a feeling ofdanger all the time – a danger all the moreterrible because I cannot describe it.’ Whatreasons does Watson have for feeling this?

Chapters 11 & 121 Which three adjectives best describe Laura Lyons,

and which three best describe Mr Stapleton?

cunning, sad, wild, pretty, deceitful, desperate,happy, patient, anxious, kind

2 Talk to another student.

How do you think Laura Lyons will help Holmes andWatson discover the truth? Why will she want to helpthem?

3 Answer these questions.

(a) How does Holmes know that Watson is in thehut?

(b) Who was the man Watson saw on the night heand Sir Henry went out after Seldon?

(c) Why does Stapleton want people to think his wifeis his sister?

(d) Who does Watson describe as ‘the man of iron’.

(e) Who dies on the rocks of the moor? Why doHolmes and Watson mistake him for someoneelse?

(f) What makes Stapleton such a dangerousenemy?

CHAPTERS 13–15

Chapters 13 & 141 Put these events in the right order.

(a) Holmes sends a report to Princetown about thedeath of Seldon.

(b) Laura Lyons tells Holmes that Stapleton stoppedher from keeping her appointment with SirCharles.

(c) Holmes, Watson and Lestrade positionthemselves around Merripit House.

(d) Mrs Stapleton is found tied to a post.

(e) A gigantic, fire-breathing hound chases Sir Henryacross the moor.

(f) Holmes discovers that Stapleton is a Baskerville.

(g) The mist begins to sur round Merripit House.

(h) Holmes and Watson look for Stapleton onGrimpen Mire, but cannot find him.

(i) Holmes kills the hound.

(j) Holmes tells Laura Lyons that Stapleton ismarried.

(k) Holmes tells Sir Henry that he and Watson arereturning to London.

2 Talk to another student.

Conan Doyle writes about the ‘powers of evil’ beingstronger in the darkness. Do you ever feel this?

Chapter 15Answer these questions. Try not to look at the book.

(a) What relation was Stapleton to Sir Charles?

(b) What killed Sir Charles?

(c) Why did Stapleton steal one old boot and one newboot from Sir Henry?

(d) Why did Holmes pretend to be in London when hewas hiding on Dartmoor?

(e) Why did Stapleton encourage the friendship betweenSir Henry and his wife?

Talk to another student.

Did you guess who the murderer was before Holmes tellsthe reader? Do you think The Hound of the Baskervilles isa good detective novel? Did you enjoy it?

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Activities after reading the book

S t u d e n t ’ s a c t i v i t i e s

© Pearson Education 2000