Book Anatomy · The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles: Openings and endings
13 lenses on openings and endings for The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10 F11 F12 F13
F1. First line and first paragraph: what each does. Both
The first full paragraph runs to 124 words and 7 sentences.
Mr. (Ch 1, para 2)
The first line 'Mr. Sherlock Holmes' introduces the lead character immediately. The first paragraph establishes Watson's admiration for Holmes and sets the tone of a case being presented to him.
Chapters: Ch 1
F2. What the first page sets up: voice, world, question. AI
The first page establishes Watson's voice as narrator, introduces Holmes's deductive method, and poses the question of who Dr. Mortimer is. It sets a world of London, mystery, and intellectual puzzle-solving.
Chapters: Ch 1
It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light. (Ch 1, para 14)
F3. How many words before the lead appears? Count
First dialogue after 3 words. See the full lens on the book page.
F4. How many words before the first line of dialogue? Count
First dialogue after 3 words. See the full lens on the book page.
F5. The hook of chapter one. AI
The hook is Holmes's deduction from Mortimer's walking stick, which impresses Watson and the reader with Holmes's powers. This leads to Mortimer's arrival and the presentation of a serious case involving a family curse.
Chapters: Ch 1
It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light. (Ch 1, para 14)
F6. Prologue: its job and its length. Both
No prologue: the book starts in its first chapter.
Not a feature of this book. The novel begins directly with Watson and Holmes in scene, with no separate prologue.
F7. How fast is the main story question posed? AI
The main story question is posed quickly in chapter 1 when Dr. Mortimer arrives with the case of the Baskerville curse and Sir Charles's death. By chapter 2, the mystery is fully presented.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2
Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound! (Ch 2, para 48)
F8. Final chapter: which beats resolve what. AI
Chapter 15 resolves the mystery through Holmes's explanation. He clarifies Stapleton's identity, his murder of Sir Charles, his plot against Sir Henry, and the hound's role. The final line leaves one practical question unanswered.
Chapters: Ch 15
Thus I had made certain of the hound, and had guessed at the criminal before ever we went to the west country (Ch 15, para 20)
F9. Last line: what it leaves in the mind. Both
The last full paragraph runs to 222 words.
Might I trouble you then to be ready in half an hour, and we can stop at Marcini’s for a little dinner on the way?” (Ch 15, para 28)
The last line is 'THE END,' which provides closure. Before this, Holmes and Watson reflect on the case's resolution and the fate of the Stapletons, leaving the reader with a sense of justice served.
Chapters: Ch 15
F10. Loose ends tied and left open. AI
Most loose ends are tied: Stapleton's death, Mrs. Stapleton's rescue, Sir Henry's safety, and the hound's destruction. One practical detail remains unanswered, as Watson notes, but the main mystery is fully resolved.
Chapters: Ch 14, Ch 15
F11. Epilogue: its job. Both
No chapter called an epilogue. The last chapter is 4,103 words.
Chapter 15 serves as epilogue, with Holmes explaining the full scheme to Watson. It provides closure and reflection rather than new action, allowing the reader to understand the complete picture.
Chapters: Ch 15
Thus I had made certain of the hound, and had guessed at the criminal before ever we went to the west country (Ch 15, para 20)
And now, my dear Watson, we have had some weeks of severe work, and for one evening, I think, we may turn our thoughts into more pleasant channels (Ch 15, para 28)
F12. Echoes between the opening and the ending. AI
The opening introduces Holmes's deductive method and Watson's admiration. The ending shows Holmes using those methods to solve the case completely. Both emphasise Holmes's intellectual superiority and Watson's role as chronicler.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 15
It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light. (Ch 1, para 14)
Thus I had made certain of the hound, and had guessed at the criminal before ever we went to the west country (Ch 15, para 20)
F13. Length of the wind down after the climax. Count
After the climax (chapter 14, our reading) the book runs 4,103 more words, 6.9% of the whole.
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