Book Anatomy · The Amateur Cracksman
The Amateur Cracksman: Pace
16 lenses on pace for The Amateur Cracksman by E.W. Hornung. 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: D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10 D11 D12 D13 D14 D15 D16
D1. Chapter length in words, as a chart. Count
17 chapters, median 3,078 words. See the full lens on the book page.
D2. Mean sentence length per chapter. Count
Mean 14.3 words. See the full lens on the book page.
D3. Paragraph length per chapter. Count
Paragraphs average 38 words.
Mean paragraph words, chapter by chapter
D4. Scene against summary: how much is shown live? AI
Most of the book is shown live in scenes. Chapters 8 and 9 are exceptions, where Raffles narrates his Australian bank robbery as a summary to Bunny. The rest unfolds through dialogue and action.
Chapters: Ch 8, Ch 9
D5. Action against reflection, per chapter. AI
Action dominates most chapters. Reflection appears strongest in chapters 3, 13, and 15, where Bunny wrestles with guilt or jealousy between crimes. Chapters 1, 2, 5, 10, 14, and 17 are heavily action-driven.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 5, Ch 10, Ch 13
Raffles was a burglar. I had helped him to commit one burglary, therefore I was a burglar, too. (Ch 3, para 5)
D6. Tension score per chapter (1 to 5) as a curve. AI
Peak 5 of 5, mean 4.2. See the full lens on the book page.
D7. Emotional arc of the whole book, matched to the six shapes. Count
Man in a hole (fall then rise). See the full lens on the book page.
D8. Chapter endings: cliffhanger, question, reveal or quiet close. AI
15 of 17 chapters end on a hook. See the full lens on the book page.
D9. Chapter openings: in scene, in summary, or after a time jump. AI
Most chapters open in scene with dialogue or action already underway. Chapter 15 opens in summary after a time jump. Chapter 8 opens with Raffles beginning his story. Chapter 13 opens with Bunny reflecting on past events.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 8, Ch 13, Ch 15
D10. Do chapters and sentences get shorter near the climax? Count
In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.96 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.0 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures.
D11. Dialogue density against pace. Count
Link between dialogue share and chapter length: 0.02 (1 is a perfect match, 0 none). Between dialogue share and tension: 0.04.
Dialogue % per chapter, chapter by chapter
D12. Time jumps and how they are signalled. Both
3 time jump phrases in the narration, such as 'next morning' or 'years later'.
| Where | Phrase |
|---|---|
| c5p57 | next day |
| c12p26 | next day |
| c15p16 | a few weeks later |
Time jump phrases, chapter by chapter
Ch 5, para 57: Nevertheless, when he did play there was no keener performer on the field, nor one more anxious to do well for his side. I remember how he went …
Ch 12, para 26: And see him I did, towards one o'clock next day. I was watching for him from my window in Mount Street, when he drove up furiously in a …
Ch 15, para 16: The incident would have been a godsend to the Press a few weeks later. Even in June there were leaders, letters, large headlines, leaded type; the Daily Chronicle …
Time jumps are signalled by chapter breaks and brief summary lines. Chapter 15 explicitly marks months passing. Chapter 13 mentions 'months later' when Raffles reveals Crawshay's threat. Most jumps are unmarked but clear from context.
Chapters: Ch 13, Ch 15
he had left no word. When he reappeared the papers were full of the murder; and the man who had committed it was on the wide Atlantic (Ch 11, para 17)
D13. Info dump spots: long runs with no action or speech. Both
0 stretches of 900 words or more with no speech at all. These are where description, summary or backstory pile up.
Long info dumps are rare. Chapter 8 and 9 contain extended narrative from Raffles about his Australian crime, but this is dialogue-based storytelling rather than exposition. Chapters 4 and 12 have brief planning passages with minimal action.
Chapters: Ch 4, Ch 8, Ch 9, Ch 12
D14. Reading time per chapter. Count
About 3.5 hours to read at 250 words a minute. The longest chapter takes 12.9 minutes.
Minutes per chapter, chapter by chapter
D15. Micro tension in quiet scenes. AI
Quiet scenes gain tension through emotional stakes and unspoken conflict. Chapter 3 shows Bunny's moral struggle. Chapter 15 builds tension through Bunny's jealousy of Miss Werner. Chapter 13 creates dread through Raffles's revelation of danger.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 13, Ch 15
Raffles was a burglar. I had helped him to commit one burglary, therefore I was a burglar, too. (Ch 3, para 5)
I'm ashamed to tell you, Bunny, that I went there on purpose! (Ch 16, para 2)
D16. Section breaks per chapter. Count
1 section breaks marked in the text, in 1 of 17 chapters.
Section breaks, chapter by chapter
Ask The Amateur Cracksman a question about its craft (free beta)
Answers cite chapter and paragraph, and every quote is checked against the text. (3 free questions a day).
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