1. What are your initial thoughts after reading the manuscript that details the myth of the "Hound of the Baskervilles"?

2. Stapleton remarks, "This is the great Grimpen Mire . . . a false step yonder means death to man or beast." What is the significance of the moor? Is it a crucial element in the story?

3. Why does the novel feature letters that Watson writes to Holmes?

4. Why does Watson travel to Baskerville Hall without Sherlock Holmes?

5. In the novel's opening chapter, how do Watson and Holmes deduce Dr. Mortimer's character from just his walking stick, before actually meeting him?

6. The narrative states, "One of Sherlock Holmes's defects . . . was that he was exceedingly loth to communicate his full plans to any other person until the instant of their fulfillment." Why is this significant? Discuss some examples of this in The Hound of the Baskervilles.

7. How does Holmes determine the origin of Sir Henry Baskerville's threatening letter? Does he make any similar deductions in the story? If so, what are they?

8. What clues uncover Sir Charles Baskerville's actions on the night he was murdered?