Irmo Branch Library - Multimedia Book Club discussion

A Study in Scarlet and the Hound of the Baskervilles
*Warning: Spoilers*
When I started Part II of "A Study in Scarlet," I must say I was not expecting the jump from Victorian England to the American Wild West, but I loved the digression! Doyle kind of drops the conceit of his character Watson being the authorial voice and takes us into a very close view of what happened to drive the suspected murderer to his crimes, as told from the perspective of the adoptive father of the woman the murderer loved. (That's complicated!)
How thrilling must it have been for Victorian England readers to be transported to Utah and this unknown culture of the followers of (actual Historical figure) Brigham Young. While I can't speak to the accuracy of Doyle's portrayal, the saga is gripping. I was surprised because the commentary in the intro of my copy described Part II as being less elegant than the unfolding of the scheme in "The Hound of the Baskervilles." And while it was odd to have Watson and Holmes by the wayside for several chapters, I have to say the subplot in Wild West Utah was a great read.
What did you think when you got to this part? How did the differences in the writing style between this first novella and the later one strike you?

yes, that was great. It also can be seen as a comparison between how the British Empire and the still relatively new American nation were growing. The British empire was growing under Queen Victoria outwardly. (Various countries and continents), and America inwardly. (the expansion of the west through what was later called "Manifest Destiny.'

The Houd of the Baskervilles on the other hand, I feel deals with the dying traditions of the British Aristocracy. Specifically, the tradition of Progeniture. (nearest male heirs may only inheriting their own right) Queen Victoria inadvertently changed this when she inherited the town as the result of a succession crisis. Although the hound does turn out to be made up at the end of the story, I feel it could represent the monster of changing traditions within the aristocracy, and the fact that those that did not change ti would become a thing of the past.

With that in mind, it's particularly interesting that the Sir Henry is thoroughly American yet has the claim to the Baskerville estate. Listening to this on audio book made the distinction between Henry's accent and manner of speaking from the British characters' very striking. I'd be interested to see if Doyle contrasts American and Britishness often in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Admittedly, most of my exposure to the Holmes has been via film or TV, so the original texts are new to me. Meanwhile, it seems Black/Ghost dogs were a common folk-trope in the British Isles, with Devon having a "Yeth Hound" in local folklore. Here's a link (sorry it's wiki) to a whole slew of them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_d...
Does the presence of the hell hound in ongoing British folklore change how you would interpret it?