Hello world! My name is Rhiannon and so far I appear to have failed the blog writing shenanigans. Hopefully this will put me back in good graces. Many developments in my life have caused me to be lame on this front, one of them being Anderson and the other my room being refurnished.
BUT I am here and have finished reading my book and so will now discuss it with you.
Yesterday evening I finished the Hound of the Baskervilles by A.C. Doyle, a popular Sherlock Holmes classic that I quite enjoyed. As always, Holmes is sharp and cracking cases with vigorous gusto. I'm not a newcomer to Sherlock's adventures as I have read "A Study in Scarlet" and "The Sign of the Four", but I have to say I especially liked this epic.
After a mysterious murder of Charles Baskerville of Baskerville Hall, Holmes and Watson are hired to investigate what seems to be the work of an ancient family legend. There is said to be a gigantic hello hound who roams the moors, intent on murdering the Baskerville family. Set on an extremely creepy terrain (which has A LOT of quicksand) Watson is sent out by himself to investigate, while Holmes remains in London. What follows is rather interesting, if I do say so myself.
I really enjoyed this novel because I feel that Watson developed quite a bit as a character, especially being away from Holmes' genius. He began to think for himself, while using Holmes' methods to deduce his own outcomes. The unique thing about the Sherlock Holmes novels is that while they are about Sherlock's adventures, the narrator (John Watson) never really gets the spotlight.
A.C. Doyle himself has been quoted to say that Watson was quite a bland, humourless fellow. It seems to me that this iconic character really has taken a life of his own. Watson is quite subtly humorous at times especially when Holmes is around and manages to describe everything in the most minute detail as to make a perfect narrator. I argue that Watson is not only a narrator, but a fundamental part of Holmes. Not only is he kind and understanding of the human condition, but he is a flush character to Holmes, putting his genius in higher contrast. And as much as I love Sherlock (which is A LOT more that most teenagers), I have to wish that he would let Watson take the appreciation he so rightly deserves. Next to anyone else, Watson would most definitely be the hero.
While I enjoyed the Hound of the Baskervilles, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, especially if you've read other Holmes novels and found them a touch slow. A.C. Doyle seems to enjoy finishing everything with a ridiculously long monologue, filling in the points that Holmes has not yet revealed. While they are interesting, I don't think I really retained any information or had any moments in those last few pages where I was astonished by his genius. It does start to wear old after the first two books.
If you haven't read Holmes though, I would recommend reading this one. Not only do you get a grasp of the classic characters, but you have an intricate mystery to puzzle over. While it isn't a profound novel, I am as always exceedingly grateful to A.C. Doyle for the creative spark he brought to so many people in the form of Sherlock Holmes.
This morning (Day 3) I commenced Wuthering Heights. Feeling vaguely wary because of my dislike for Jane Eyre (for some reason I was getting them mixed up, good grief), I proceeded to read. I'm really enjoying it, and only about 20 pages in so far. Usually with classics I have to push myself past a boring beginning, but I find the writing so well done that no effort is required. It is beautifully descriptive and the narrator is so analytical and observant that I'll probably just hole up in my room the rest of the day and finish it. The humour is such that I can chortle heartily along with it and feel rather sophisticated because I used the word chortle.
This wraps up my blogging for now, but I look forward to getting back and report my enjoyment of Wuthering Heights tomorrow.
Geronimo!
~Rhiannon
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