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17th out of 18 books
—
6 voters
Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong: Reopening the Case of the Hound of the Baskervilles
A playfully brilliant re-creation of one of the most-loved detective stories of all time; the companion book no Holmes fan should be without.
Eliminate the impossible, Holmes said, and whatever is left must be the solution. But as Pierre Bayard finds in this dazzling reinvestigation of The Hound of the Baskervilles, sometimes the master missed his mark. Using the last
Hardcover, 160 pages
Published
October 28th 2008
by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
(first published May 1st 2008)
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For years Pierre Bayard, Literature teacher and shrink, has been carrying on what he called himself "une critique policière" which is literary critic applied to detective novels.
According to him, when it comes to the case of the hound of the Baskervilles, Sherlock Holmes got it all wrong so Pierre Bayard leads a counter-investigation while writing an essay on literature. This book is an exercice in style of exegesis and critic brilliantly accomplished by an Academic who fights with the text, so...more
According to him, when it comes to the case of the hound of the Baskervilles, Sherlock Holmes got it all wrong so Pierre Bayard leads a counter-investigation while writing an essay on literature. This book is an exercice in style of exegesis and critic brilliantly accomplished by an Academic who fights with the text, so...more
A glowing beast stocks what is supposed to be the last of the rich and influential Baskerville family. At least two men seem to have been killed on the cold and desolate English moor by the bloody hound. All hopes for the future of the young Baskerville rest on the cunning of the world's most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. But did he get his conclusion all wrong? Did the real murderer go free?
According to French literature professor, Pierre Bayard, not only did Holmes make numerous mistakes,...more
According to French literature professor, Pierre Bayard, not only did Holmes make numerous mistakes,...more
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A short book with a thin premise
This is a short book. It would be even shorter without the first 30 pages or so, which consists of a lengthy but well-written summary of ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles.’ While this recap is not really necessary to the audience for this book—for how many people would care to read this book without having first read the original?—it may serve useful for readers wishing to refresh their memories of the novel. I had just read ‘The Hound…’ and I read it, although I did...more
This is a short book. It would be even shorter without the first 30 pages or so, which consists of a lengthy but well-written summary of ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles.’ While this recap is not really necessary to the audience for this book—for how many people would care to read this book without having first read the original?—it may serve useful for readers wishing to refresh their memories of the novel. I had just read ‘The Hound…’ and I read it, although I did...more
I'm going to chalk much of my distaste for this book due to bad translation. The flow of language is terrible, making this a difficult read for me from the start.
Another large part of my distaste is the sheer arrogance of the author that drips from every page. Holmes was arrogant, too, but his was derived from his success in solving problems where others where having trouble discerning the mere existence of an issue. Holmes also showed a more humble side numerous times. Pierre Bayard exemplifies...more
Another large part of my distaste is the sheer arrogance of the author that drips from every page. Holmes was arrogant, too, but his was derived from his success in solving problems where others where having trouble discerning the mere existence of an issue. Holmes also showed a more humble side numerous times. Pierre Bayard exemplifies...more
This was a terribly-written book, but I will chalk that up to translation issues, as it was written in French.
More importantly, the first 2/3s of the book is useless navelgazing of the worst kind. Do characters in books come to life and cause real harm in the real world? Of course not, you git.
The final 1/3 of the book is another indictment against Holmes' solution of the HotB. Unfortunately, Bayard does not stick on target and spends a lot of time discussing Holmes' relationship to ACD.
Howeve...more
More importantly, the first 2/3s of the book is useless navelgazing of the worst kind. Do characters in books come to life and cause real harm in the real world? Of course not, you git.
The final 1/3 of the book is another indictment against Holmes' solution of the HotB. Unfortunately, Bayard does not stick on target and spends a lot of time discussing Holmes' relationship to ACD.
Howeve...more
Bayard begins with a very pedestrian exposition of the plot of The Hound of the Baskervilles. As a Conan Doyle enthusiast, I found this a bit irritating. Now I understand Bayard's reasons: he needed to strip the novel of its wonderful atmosphere, its poetry. Bayard undoes Conan Doyle's work, he de-writes the novel. Why? To expose the workings of the plot, the shoddiness of Holmes's deductions and the improbability of the supposed solution to the mystery. And why would a writer of Conan Doyle's c...more
With such an ambitious, and in some aspects arrogant, title Pierre Bayard was always going to have to write a very convincing analysis. Which in my opinion he managed to do while also throwing in a hint of literary criticism of a type I had not paid attention to as of yet. And while such things appeared at first disconnected from his analysis he managed to pull everything back together by the end to throw the entire case on its head.
Bayard for the first half of the book begins with a recap of p...more
Bayard for the first half of the book begins with a recap of p...more
Pierre Bayard reads The Hound of the Baskervilles, and comes to the same conclusion many other readers have: In this particular case, Sherlock Holmes was wrong.
This is a work of slightly tongue in cheek, very French literary criticism. As such, it's not for everyone. This isn't a fault in the book, but simply a matter of taste.
Bayard begins with an explanation of what he calls "detective criticism," and a recap of the events of The Hound of the Baskervilles. This is the preliminary to analyzing...more
This is a work of slightly tongue in cheek, very French literary criticism. As such, it's not for everyone. This isn't a fault in the book, but simply a matter of taste.
Bayard begins with an explanation of what he calls "detective criticism," and a recap of the events of The Hound of the Baskervilles. This is the preliminary to analyzing...more
Really a 3.5 star...
I'll elect to describe this book with a professor's comment from one of my C- art history term papers, "Interesting theoretical paper."
Bayard provides some valid holes in the case, some of which may have already been noticeable to careful readers of the original and others quite unexpected. However, his own "case" is susceptible to the same skepticism he applies to Holmes' construct. The book is worth reading for the beginning, where he talks about understanding life from a...more
I'll elect to describe this book with a professor's comment from one of my C- art history term papers, "Interesting theoretical paper."
Bayard provides some valid holes in the case, some of which may have already been noticeable to careful readers of the original and others quite unexpected. However, his own "case" is susceptible to the same skepticism he applies to Holmes' construct. The book is worth reading for the beginning, where he talks about understanding life from a...more
In preparation for Pierre Bayard's Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong I returned to my childhood favorite reading. Granted, the Hound has never been my favorite Holmes story, but I found it to be a fun, exciting, and an interesting read. The story is steeped in the gothic tradition with the large estate, deadly moor, oppressive fog, and desolate landscape. Doyle succeeds in creating a character out of the landscape in a way that Willa Cather's does (and you try fitting those two in the senetence.) The en...more
An arousing premise of reopening a fictional detective case. The literary theory that follows is curious but not especially compelling or rigorous. The author refers to Thomas Pavel's analysis in "Fictional Worlds" of the so-called "segregationist" and "integrationist" views of fiction and non-fiction; in other words, he asks whether fiction and non-fiction are entirely separate realms or whether there is a permeable membrane between truth and fiction. The author takes the integrationist side, a...more
Pleasantly written (in translation), but loosely reasoned. Bayard is more successful in revealing possible flaws in Holmes's conclusions than he is in concocting plausible alternatives. Also, some of the textual "clues" cited by the author exist only in the French translations of the novel, not the English original, and should therefore be discounted.
Bayard's "detective criticism" is an interesting literary exercise, but I suspect that it lends itself to exactly the fault with which he credits H...more
Bayard's "detective criticism" is an interesting literary exercise, but I suspect that it lends itself to exactly the fault with which he credits H...more
On picking up the book, I thought it would be an outrageous and preposterous take on this mystery classic. But after finishing the work, I found it to be much more credible than I would have imagined.
Especially intriguing was Bayard's criticism of the flaws in Holmes's deductions. On my reading of The Hound of the Baskervilles, I didn't notice any of Bayard's points. But after hearing Bayard's critique, my reaction was: "Hmm. I don't know how I missed that." Or "Yes, I agree. That doesn't make...more
Especially intriguing was Bayard's criticism of the flaws in Holmes's deductions. On my reading of The Hound of the Baskervilles, I didn't notice any of Bayard's points. But after hearing Bayard's critique, my reaction was: "Hmm. I don't know how I missed that." Or "Yes, I agree. That doesn't make...more
The author's analysis is very intriguing. He is either very serious about the fuzzy area between fiction and reality, or he is taking the idea of 'serious scholarship' about literature for a ride. I can't tell....but the portion of the book where he analyzes Holmes' solution to the Hound of the Baskervilles is top notch! His solution is much more satisfying than the ending from Doyle, and his reasoning is quite sound. Highly recommended for Holmes' fans and anyone else who enjoys mysteries. One...more
It's a slender volume with lots of padding - blank pages, lists of characters, a bit of fanciful prose to start off - so don't expect a lot of detail.
I got a bit annoyed with the author in a few places for his obvious attempts to build suspense by not revealing who he thought was the 'real' killer, even when this required some grammatical acrobatics as he discussed his analysis. The bulk of the book is a justification for this sort of literary criticism, resting on the idea that characters becom...more
I got a bit annoyed with the author in a few places for his obvious attempts to build suspense by not revealing who he thought was the 'real' killer, even when this required some grammatical acrobatics as he discussed his analysis. The bulk of the book is a justification for this sort of literary criticism, resting on the idea that characters becom...more
I could not have read this but suspect that I can listen to almost anything read with a British accent. The author went off into a lot of explanations about what he was going to do, after providing a plot summary (though why you would read this if you did not already know the plot, I don't know) - those were a bit tedious. However, his re-evaluation of the Hound of the Baskervilles was quite interesting and convincing. I like the Hound of the Baskervilles as it is, but realize it isn't particula...more
A very strange book. There's a real problem here, folks. This fellow goes to great length to identify the "real" murderer in the Conan Doyle classic and torpedo the alleged genius of Sherlock Holmes. Whether or not his case is persuasive (and it is, within the bounds he's set for detective criticism and Conan Doyle's presumptive attitude towards his literary creation), this is at the end of the day a book about a FICTIONAL character. Does it really matter who the murderer might be? Can't we appr...more
A refreshing and somehow more believable retelling of the Hound of the Baskervilles. I find it difficult to imagine someone tying herself up in a credible fashion, but as compared to the loopholes noted in the original tale, it's a minor detail. The author puts forward the notion that fictional characters can take on a life of their own and at first this seemed a whole load of baloney. Then I thought of it in terms of over-reacting fans and the Thursday Next series (by Jasper Fforde; a quote fro...more
What a hoot! I don't know if Holmes was indeed wrong, but Bayard's spectacular concoction is an clever alternative to what "really" happened out on the Devon moors. It's also an opportunity for him to discourse on fiction, reality, and the permeable border between the two, a concept I very much agree with but one I hadn't considered in his particular terms.
It's not entirely necessary to read the original Hound first, because Bayard presents a fine summary of the story; but I recommend doing so f...more
It's not entirely necessary to read the original Hound first, because Bayard presents a fine summary of the story; but I recommend doing so f...more
I have never liked overanalysing fiction. It would then seem that I should have not even picked this book up and that is probably true. It is however an interesting read if nothing else and while I do not agree with Bayard's reasoning every time I still found it engaging. Sadly, this is not a very amusing read. Unlike "The Physics of Superheroes", a book with a similar idea of applying real world reasoning to a world of fiction, this book takes itself a bit too serious. I will say, however that...more
Siete convinti che nell'Amleto l'assassino sia Claudio? Allora non avete letto bene il testo della tragedia, e vi siete limitati a seguire pedissequamente quanto affermato da Shakespeare senza notare le incongruenze messe nero su bianco nel testo della tragedia. Pierre Bayard si occupa di critica poliziesca, cioè di rileggere i libri gialli e fare nuove ipotesi che siano più rispettose del testo. In questo caso il libro messo sotto torchio è lo sherlockiano Il mastino dei Baskerville. Dopo un br...more
This slim volume takes a clever idea (re-solving the mystery of the House of the Baskervilles) and pads it out in an attempt to be able to justify the idea being presented as a full book instead of a single essay. Bayard expounds on literary theories of whether or not fictional characters can do things without the author knowing (handled pretentiously here; much more cleverly done in the fictional universes of Jasper Fforde), he has a tediously long chapter on whether or not Sherlock Holmes make...more
An interesting critque of the "Holmes method", a speculative analysis of Doyle's psychological relationship with his creation, a brief discussion of the "real" existences of fictional characters, and to finish it up, an alternative solution to the case itself. Delivered with much passion and assuredness, Bayard's discourse may make it impossible for me to read or watch "The Case of The Hound Of The Baskervilles" as I have in the past. Or any other Sherlock Holmes story for that matter.
Dec 09, 2010
Peregrine 12
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of Sherlock Holmes
Recommended to Peregrine 12 by:
Dallas Public Library-display shelf
This book was a lot of fun, and a lot of fun to think about. After reading it, I revisited the Hound of the Baskervilles, and honestly can say, "Oh, my God - I think Bayard is right!" A story beneath the actual story - wonderful! Downside to this book: I am not a literary PhD, so the chapters in the middle about literary theory were a chore to push through. In fact, I skipped them altogether and got to the good stuff. (audio CD format)
An interesting take on a classic detective novel.
Bayard claims that Doyle was wong in his conclusion. That Stapelton and even the Hound were falsely accused of Murder. The evidence is convincing and his conclusions stand up to a rereading of "The Hound of the Baskervilles.
He paints Beryl Stapleton as a Lady MacBeth. Controling and manipulating all of the players to see things her way and to act to her twisted script.
Bayard claims that Doyle was wong in his conclusion. That Stapelton and even the Hound were falsely accused of Murder. The evidence is convincing and his conclusions stand up to a rereading of "The Hound of the Baskervilles.
He paints Beryl Stapleton as a Lady MacBeth. Controling and manipulating all of the players to see things her way and to act to her twisted script.
One of the worst books I've ever read, containing the worst sort of superficial and nonsensical literary analysis that makes high school students hate their lives. About 20 pages of this book is a recap of THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, and maybe another 10 is devoted to the author's new "solution" to the mystery. The rest of the book is full of pseudo-psychological and meta-physical nonsense about novel characters inhabiting the real world and real people inhabiting fictional worlds. Bayard sta...more
¡Excelente libro! Debo admitir que antes de ver la serie Sherlock (2010) no había sentido interés en leer a Conan Doyle. Pero al leer la reseña de wikipedia de la serie y ver que Gattis decía "Siempre que me encuentro con alguien que no las ha leído, pienso que todavía le espera mucha diversión", me convencí y lo leí. El libro es emocionante, muy entretenido. Recomiendo a ojos cerrados leerlo.
I can't quite decide if this is a perfect example of tongue-in-cheek meta-criticism, or a nutty rereading padded with chapters of justification that essentially sum up to "It's my opinion, so it can't be wrong." I suggest skipping to the last chapter and just enjoying Bayard's reworking of the plot, which isn't without its own gaping holes but is somewhat more satisfying than the solution in the original.
A playfully brilliant re-creation of one of the most-loved detective stories of all time--the companion book no Holmes fan should be without.
Listen to Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong on your smartphone, notebook or desktop computer.
Listen to Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong on your smartphone, notebook or desktop computer.
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Pierre Bayard (born 1954) is a French author, professor of literature and connoisseur of psychology.
Bayard's recent book Comment parler des livres que l'on n'a pas lus?, or "How to talk about books you haven't read", is a bestseller in France and has received much critical attention in English language press.
A few of his books present revisionist readings of famous fictional mysteries. Not only do...more
More about Pierre Bayard...
Bayard's recent book Comment parler des livres que l'on n'a pas lus?, or "How to talk about books you haven't read", is a bestseller in France and has received much critical attention in English language press.
A few of his books present revisionist readings of famous fictional mysteries. Not only do...more
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“Our relationship with literary characters, at least to those that exercise a certain attraction over us, rests in fact on a denial. We know perfectly well, on a conscious level, that these characters “do not exist,” or in any case do not exist in the same way as do the inhabitants of the real world. But things manifest in an entirely different way on the unconscious level, which is interested not in the ontological differences between worlds but in the effect they produce on the psyche.
Every psychoanalyst knows how deeply a subject can be influenced, and even shaped, sometimes to the point of tragedy, by a fictional character and the sense of identification it gives rise to. This remark must first of all be understood as a reminder that we ourselves are usually fictional characters for other people […]”
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Every psychoanalyst knows how deeply a subject can be influenced, and even shaped, sometimes to the point of tragedy, by a fictional character and the sense of identification it gives rise to. This remark must first of all be understood as a reminder that we ourselves are usually fictional characters for other people […]”
“[…] a given text may seem fictional or actual depending on the context in which we encounter it. The same is true for oral performances. [Thomas] Pavel takes the example of a theatrical scene wherein an actor mimics the gestures of a priest and pretends to bless the audience. There is nothing effective about this blessing in most contexts, but it can become effective in certain circumstances: imagine, for example, a dictatorship in which religion is banned and in which a theater audience, having kept the old faith, experiences the actor’s gesture as authentic, transforming this fictional scene in a scene of real life.”
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1 person liked it
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