The Hound of the Baskervilles

8 ways to start a deeper conversation.

Contains spoilers for the entire book.

Discussion topics

Topic 01 of 08

How does the legend of Hugo Baskerville set the mood for the whole story?

There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.

How does the legend of Hugo Baskerville set the mood for the whole story?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does Dr Mortimer believe it?
- What role does superstition play in the case?
Why does Holmes send Watson to Dartmoor alone?
Keep the conversation going
- How does Watson do as a detective in Holmes's absence?
- How did you feel when Watson discovered who was living in the stone hut?
How does the Grimpen moor itself become a character in the story?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of the Grimpen Mire?
- Why is the moor so frightening?
What did you make of the Barrymores' secret?
Keep the conversation going
- Was Mrs Barrymore wrong to help her brother?
- How does the case of Selden throw suspicion in the wrong direction?
When did you begin to suspect Stapleton?
Keep the conversation going
- What does his butterfly-net say about him?
- Why is his plan so hard to prove?
How do you see Beryl's part in the story?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does she try to warn Sir Henry?
- What does her fate say about Stapleton?
Does the story come down on the side of reason or the supernatural?
Keep the conversation going
- Did any part of it frighten you, despite the explanation?
- How does Holmes's method defeat the legend?
How did the final night on the moor play out for you?
Keep the conversation going
- Was the ending satisfying?
- What does the mystery of Stapleton's disappearance in the mire leave unresolved?

There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.