Book Anatomy · The Great God Pan
The Great God Pan: Pace
16 lenses on pace for The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen. 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
8 chapters, median 2,865 words. See the full lens on the book page.
D2. Mean sentence length per chapter. Count
Mean 18.9 words. See the full lens on the book page.
D3. Paragraph length per chapter. Count
Paragraphs average 66 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 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 feature direct dialogue and action. Chapter 2 is entirely summary of Clarke's memoirs. Chapter 8 is documents read after events.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6
D5. Action against reflection, per chapter. AI
Early chapters (1 to 2) are reflective, with Raymond's theory and Clarke's memoir reading. Chapters 3 to 7 shift to action and investigation. Chapter 8 returns to reflection through documents and confession.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6
D6. Tension score per chapter (1 to 5) as a curve. AI
Peak 5 of 5, mean 4.4. 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
8 of 8 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
Chapter 1 opens in scene with Raymond preparing the experiment. Chapter 2 opens in summary as Clarke reads memoirs. Chapters 3 to 7 open in scene or after brief time jumps. Chapter 8 opens with documents being read.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6
D10. Do chapters and sentences get shorter near the climax? Count
In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.88 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.37 times. So things speed up near the end.
D11. Dialogue density against pace. Count
Link between dialogue share and chapter length: -0.43 (1 is a perfect match, 0 none). Between dialogue share and tension: 0.4.
Dialogue % per chapter, chapter by chapter
D12. Time jumps and how they are signalled. Both
9 time jump phrases in the narration, such as 'next morning' or 'years later'.
| Where | Phrase |
|---|---|
| c1p39 | Three days later |
| c2p7 | a year after |
| c2p8 | three months later |
| c3p26 | A few days later |
| c4p2 | A few months after |
| c6p3 | next morning |
| c6p3 | next morning |
| c7p2 | Three weeks later |
Time jump phrases, chapter by chapter
Ch 1, para 39: Three days later Raymond took Clarke to Mary’s bedside. She was lying wide-awake, rolling her head from side to side, and grinning vacantly.
Ch 2, para 7: Some eleven years ago, Helen V. came to the village under rather peculiar circumstances. It is understood that she, being an orphan, was adopted in her infancy by …
Ch 2, para 8: In course of time, however, the impression seemed to have worn off, and about three months later he accompanied his father to the home of a gentleman in …
Ch 3, para 26: A few days later he saw at his club a gentleman of his acquaintance, named Austin, who was famous for his intimate knowledge of London life, both in …
Ch 4, para 2: A few months after Villiers’ meeting with Herbert, Mr. Clarke was sitting, as usual, by his after-dinner hearth, resolutely guarding his fancies from wandering in the direction of …
Ch 6, para 3: By slow degrees the details came to light, but the case still remained a mystery. The chief witness at the inquest was the deceased’s valet, who said that …
Time jumps are signalled through narrative summary and document reading. Chapter 2 jumps backward through memoir. Chapters 3 to 6 use brief summaries between scenes. Chapter 8 uses Raymond's letter dated after Helen's death.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 7
D13. Info dump spots: long runs with no action or speech. Both
2 stretches of 900 words or more with no speech at all. These are where description, summary or backstory pile up.
| Starts at | Words | Paragraphs |
|---|---|---|
| c3p31 | 1036 | 1 |
| c7p20 | 981 | 1 |
Chapter 2 is a long info dump of Clarke's memoir reading with no action or speech, spanning the entire chapter. Chapter 8 contains extended manuscript and letter reading with minimal interruption.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 8
D14. Reading time per chapter. Count
About 1.5 hours to read at 250 words a minute. The longest chapter takes 12.8 minutes.
Minutes per chapter, chapter by chapter
D15. Micro tension in quiet scenes. AI
Quiet scenes build tension through dialogue restraint and implication. Chapter 4 creates tension as Clarke recognises the sketch silently. Chapter 7 builds tension through Villiers' grim preparations with the rope.
Chapters: Ch 4, Ch 7
This word—‘Helen’—was written on the back. Didn’t I tell you her name was Helen? Yes; Helen Vaughan. (Ch 4, para 32)
I shall offer a choice, and leave Helen Vaughan alone with this cord in a locked room for fifteen minutes. (Ch 7, para 41)
D16. Section breaks per chapter. Count
0 section breaks marked in the text, in 0 of 8 chapters.
Ask The Great God Pan 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).
Weekly email: coming soon
One short email a week on new AI tools for authors. Sign up opens soon.