How Many Chapters in The Hound of the Baskervilles?

15 chapters. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902) runs 15 chapters — a full-length Holmes novel after the two earlier novellas. At about 63,000 words, that averages 4,200 words per chapter — roughly 18 minutes of reading each at an average pace, which makes each chapter a useful planning unit. A manageable pace is about 15 nights at one chapter a night; at 30 minutes a night, plan on about 9 days. The full reading-time breakdown is at how long it takes to read The Hound of the Baskervilles, and the Hound of the Baskervilles quiz tests what stuck.

The structure, chapters by chapters

Fifteen chapters that run as a two-location mystery: Baker Street and the manuscript (1-3), Baskerville Hall and the moor (4-12), the trap at the station and the mire (13-15). Doyle keeps Watson as narrator throughout the moor chapters, so Holmes's absence — and his secret presence — structures the middle. The chapters alternate between investigation and atmosphere, and the famous mire chapters are where the two finally meet.

The chapters divide this work into natural reading sessions. Each lasts about 18 minutes at an average pace; the table below shows how that changes with reading speed.

The chapters worth knowing

Not every chapter earns a place in the argument, but a handful carry the book. These are the ones to watch for:

1. 2. The curse of the Baskervilles — The manuscript read aloud: the hound of the family legend, set to Hugo.
2. 7. The Stapletons of Merripit House — Watson meets the naturalist and his sister — the couple the plot turns on.
3. 10. The man on the tor — Watson finds the hut on the moor, and the cigarette stub that shouldn't be there.
4. 14. The hound of the Baskervilles — The fog, the signal, and the thing that comes over the hill. The chapter that named the book.

Reading pace, per chapter and whole

At 30 minutes a night, you can read about 2 chapters per session and finish in roughly 9 days. Use a natural break rather than stopping mid-chapter; it is easier to resume when you know where the next unit begins.

Working through the whole shelf? The Sherlock Holmes books in order guide orders it.

Chapter counts for other classics

War and Peace, Anna Karenina, Moby-Dick, Don Quixote, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Da Vinci Code, Life of Pi, The Maze Runner, Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations, The Shining — among books measured by chapters, The Hound of the Baskervilles ranks 81 of 93. Browse all classic book chapter counts. Each count is tied to the text or standard edition, with a reading plan for each unit. When you finish this one, the book quiz settles how much of it stayed.

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