The Last Man: Pace
16 lenses on pace for The Last Man by Mary Shelley. 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
29 chapters, median 5,694 words. See the full lens on the book page.
D2. Mean sentence length per chapter. Count
Mean 25.9 words. See the full lens on the book page.
D3. Paragraph length per chapter. Count
Paragraphs average 148 words.
Mean paragraph words, chapter by chapter
D4. Scene against summary: how much is shown live? AI
The book balances scene and summary. Early chapters show Lionel's transformation through Adrian's arrival (chapter 2) and love for Idris (chapters 4 to 5) in vivid scenes. Later chapters shift to summary as plague spreads (chapters 15, 18, 20), with key deaths shown live (Idris in 21 to 22, Adrian in 28).
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 15, Ch 18, Ch 20
In the deepest fountain of my heart the pulses were stirred; around, above, beneath, the clinging Memory as a cloak enwrapt me. (Ch 4, para 1)
I studied the wisdom of the ancients, and gazed on the happy walls that sheltered the beloved of my soul. (Ch 5, para 2)
Our enemy, like the Calamity of Homer, trod our hearts, and no sound was echoed from her steps (Ch 20, para 1)
D5. Action against reflection, per chapter. AI
Early chapters (1 to 10) favour action and dialogue as Lionel pursues love and Adrian guides him. Middle chapters (11 to 14) mix action with reflection on Raymond's death. Late chapters (15 to 29) shift heavily to reflection and summary as plague devastates, with action reserved for key moments like the storm.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 4, Ch 6, Ch 11, Ch 12, Ch 15
Jealousy and disquiet were unknown among us; nor did a fear or hope of change ever disturb our tranquillity. Others said, We might be happy—we said—We are. (Ch 6, para 1)
I had used this history as an opiate; while it described my beloved friends, fresh with life and glowing with hope, active assistants on the scene, I was soothed (Ch 18, para 1)
Our enemy, like the Calamity of Homer, trod our hearts, and no sound was echoed from her steps (Ch 20, para 1)
D6. Tension score per chapter (1 to 5) as a curve. AI
Peak 5 of 5, mean 4.3. See the full lens on the book page.
D7. Emotional arc of the whole book, matched to the six shapes. Count
Riches to rags (fall). See the full lens on the book page.
D8. Chapter endings: cliffhanger, question, reveal or quiet close. AI
23 of 29 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 or with immediate action. Chapter 2 opens with Adrian's arrival in scene. Chapter 14 opens with Lionel returning home in autumn. Chapter 20 opens with reflection on plague's devastation. Chapter 29 opens with Lionel waking to find Adrian and Clara dead.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 14, Ch 20, Ch 29
I returned to my family estate in the autumn of the year 2092. My heart had long been with them; and I felt sick with the hope and delight of seeing them again. (Ch 14, para 1)
Adrian and Clara are dead. I no longer shall be hailed by their good-morrow—or pass the long day in their society. (Ch 29, para 1)
D10. Do chapters and sentences get shorter near the climax? Count
In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.0 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.08 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures.
D11. Dialogue density against pace. Count
Link between dialogue share and chapter length: 0.13 (1 is a perfect match, 0 none). Between dialogue share and tension: 0.36.
Dialogue % per chapter, chapter by chapter
D12. Time jumps and how they are signalled. Both
27 time jump phrases in the narration, such as 'next morning' or 'years later'.
| Where | Phrase |
|---|---|
| c1p17 | years passed |
| c2p10 | A few days after |
| c4p11 | the following day |
| c4p35 | the following day |
| c5p14 | next evening |
| c5p33 | the following day |
| c6p5 | Years passed |
| c6p12 | The following morning |
Time jump phrases, chapter by chapter
Ch 1, para 17: Thus years passed on; and years only added fresh love of freedom, and contempt for all that was not as wild and rude as myself. At the age …
Ch 2, para 10: A few days after he arrived. Every inhabitant of the most miserable cottage, went to swell the stream of population that poured forth to meet him: even Perdita, …
Ch 4, para 11: So saying, he hastened away, vaulted on his horse, and with a gesture as if he gave me his hand to kiss, bade me another laughing adieu. Left …
Ch 4, para 35: It needed not this last account to spur me on to visit him. I only doubted whether or not I should endeavour to see Idris again, before I …
Ch 5, para 14: The next evening therefore, though the autumnal change had brought on cold and rain, Adrian and Idris entered my cottage. They found me Curius-like, feasting on sorry fruits …
Ch 5, para 33: One day, after the lapse of nearly a month, Adrian received a letter from a friend in London, requesting his immediate presence for the furtherance of some important …
Time jumps are signalled through summary and reflection. Chapter 6 jumps five years with 'lived in happy seclusion'. Chapter 10 jumps a year through Lionel's account of Perdita's recovery. Chapter 14 opens 'in the autumn of the year 2092'. Chapter 26 compresses weeks of travel into summary.
Chapters: Ch 6, Ch 10, Ch 14, Ch 26
After the lapse of more than a year, Adrian returned from Greece. (Ch 10, para 12)
I returned to my family estate in the autumn of the year 2092. My heart had long been with them; and I felt sick with the hope and delight of seeing them again. (Ch 14, para 1)
D13. Info dump spots: long runs with no action or speech. Both
45 stretches of 900 words or more with no speech at all. These are where description, summary or backstory pile up.
| Starts at | Words | Paragraphs |
|---|---|---|
| c28p19 | 4283 | 25 |
| c18p51 | 3845 | 27 |
| c2p24 | 2948 | 15 |
| c8p31 | 2701 | 12 |
| c9p54 | 2679 | 14 |
| c23p48 | 2641 | 12 |
| c23p17 | 2596 | 12 |
| c1p1 | 2565 | 12 |
Long reflective passages occur in chapters 18, 20, and 26 where Lionel meditates on plague's devastation without action or dialogue. Chapter 18 describes social responses across England. Chapter 20 reflects on nature's indifference. These passages sustain mood rather than advance plot.
Chapters: Ch 18, Ch 20, Ch 26
I had used this history as an opiate; while it described my beloved friends, fresh with life and glowing with hope, active assistants on the scene, I was soothed (Ch 18, para 1)
Our enemy, like the Calamity of Homer, trod our hearts, and no sound was echoed from her steps (Ch 20, para 1)
Plague is the companion of spring, of sunshine, and plenty. We no longer struggle with her. (Ch 20, para 3)
D14. Reading time per chapter. Count
About 11.3 hours to read at 250 words a minute. The longest chapter takes 41.8 minutes.
Minutes per chapter, chapter by chapter
D15. Micro tension in quiet scenes. AI
Quiet scenes gain tension through emotional stakes. Chapter 5 shows Lionel secretly watching Idris, building longing. Chapter 10 shows Perdita's silent grief as Lionel tries to heal her. Chapter 27 shows the four survivors finding temporary happiness at Lake Como before Evelyn's death.
Chapters: Ch 5, Ch 10, Ch 27
I studied the wisdom of the ancients, and gazed on the happy walls that sheltered the beloved of my soul. (Ch 5, para 2)
A moral tempest had wrecked our richly freighted vessel, and we, remnants of the diminished crew, were aghast at the losses and changes which we had undergone. (Ch 10, para 1)
though our four hearts alone beat in the world, those four hearts were happy (Ch 27, para 23)
D16. Section breaks per chapter. Count
0 section breaks marked in the text, in 0 of 29 chapters.
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