A Whodunit

FROM ISSUE # 126 (June 2006) | IN THIS ISSUE
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Sherlock Holmes is a household name but its creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is not as well-known. The very word 'Holmes' conjures up an image of a man in a deerstalker hat, tweed coat, smoking a pipe and armed with a magnifying glass. Doyle created a character that has grown larger than life to become a legend. In fact in 2002, Holmes was inducted as an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the only fictional character to be so honoured.

A sharp, intuitive and rational detective, Holmes has fascinated generations with his investigative prowess. This month, the WAVE Book Club met at the British Council to discuss Doyle's masterpiece The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Sprinkled with all the elements of a detective story – legend of a family curse, mysterious death, confusing clues and the climax – The Hound of the Baskervilles is a spellbinding story. The novel opens with Dr Mortimer's visit from Yorkshire to Baker Street where Dr Watson and Holmes live. Mortimer believes that the death of his friend, Charles Baskerville, is related to a family legend about a hound that haunts the moors. The Baskerville family curse began with Sir Hugo who was known for his cruel and atrocious behaviour toward women. He kidnapped a young girl and when she escaped, he pursued her till she dropped dead. But a mysterious giant hound killed Sir Hugo and the curse is said to have passed down the family tree with every Baskerville meeting his death at the jaws of the hound.

Holmes takes up the case, agreeing to investigate the death and to protect the heir of Baskerville Hall, Sir Henry Baskerville. The very precise and logical Holmes is faced with supernatural reality. The story unfolds slowly in the most intriguing manner and every time you think you know who did it, the story takes another turn leaving you in the dark.

The feel and eeriness of the moor is captured brilliantly. What makes this Holmes mystery special is that Dr Watson does not just report Holmes' activities but pursues the case in between. His intelligence and initiative is displayed without Holmes' powerful personality. He does a pretty good job that Holmes congratulates him on later. Absolutely unputdownable, this is one Holmes story you shouldn't miss.

What WBC Members had to say:
SALONI SETHIA: It is a very interesting book, keeps you hooked till the end when the suspense is unveiled.
JEBIN GAUTAM: I find the character and story of Sherlock Holmes similar in all of Arthur Conan Doyle's books and can guess the culprit but still I consider Holmes a genius.
DIPIKA SHRESTHA: I found the Victorian society described in the book very much similar to present day Nepal. Women felt very insecure in old Britain like we do here now.
SAMRACHANA ADHIKARY: I liked the plot. The flow of language is smooth and lucid.

NOTICE
The next Wave Book Club Meeting will be held on 10 June, 2PM at the British Council. The Book under discussion will be Scorpia by Anthony Horowitz. The book is available at the British Council.

A thrill of excitement ran through me when I saw a poster announcing the World Book Week at the British Council from 14 to 20 May. The schedule looked interesting and as soon as I got the leaflet, I marked out the days I wanted to attend.

The first programme I attended was on 16 May. It was 'Talking about reading; guest speaker and open discussion' featuring Narayan Wagle, editor of Kantipur and author of Palpasa Cafe. He talked about his book and many questions were raised. I hadn't read the book but it definitely sparked my interest.
My next visit was on the sixth day. Professor Abhi Subedi of Tribhuvan University's Central Department of English would lead the session. I wanted to meet the man who edited the book The Heritage of Words, prescribed for Class 12. There was an audible sigh of relief when Mr Subedi stated that every one of us had excellent English. The highlight of the interaction was when he told us of how, as a boy, he sat reading books on a buffalo's back. The experience was shared in context to today's misconception—that a person with fluent spoken English comes from a renowned expensive school.

The Book Week was educational and entertaining. A large number of people participated and we talked about everything under the sun, from books to climate changes. We discovered how different dimensions such as politics, decentralisation, poverty, family upbringing and so on could impact one's reading habit. On the last day, prizes were distributed to winners under various categories. And I got a British Council t-shirt too, with the World Book Week logo as appreciation for my regular and active participation.

DIPIKA SHRESTHA