Book Anatomy · The Leavenworth Case
The Leavenworth Case: Pace
16 lenses on pace for The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katharine Green. 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
39 chapters, median 2,557 words. See the full lens on the book page.
D2. Mean sentence length per chapter. Count
Mean 15.2 words. See the full lens on the book page.
D3. Paragraph length per chapter. Count
Paragraphs average 36 words.
Mean paragraph words, chapter by chapter
D4. Scene against summary: how much is shown live? AI
The book is heavily scene-based, especially in Books I and II where the inquest and investigation unfold live across chapters 2 to 26. Summary appears mainly in transitions between investigation phases and in Mrs. Belden's narrative (chapter 32), but action dominates.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 7
D5. Action against reflection, per chapter. AI
Early chapters (2 to 13) balance action with Raymond's reflection on evidence and Eleanore's innocence. Middle chapters (14 to 26) shift toward investigation and deduction. Late chapters (27 to 39) return to action as Hannah is found and Harwell confesses, with chapter 38 being pure reflection via Harwell's confession.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 26, Ch 27, Ch 38
D6. Tension score per chapter (1 to 5) as a curve. AI
Peak 5 of 5, mean 3.8. See the full lens on the book page.
D7. Emotional arc of the whole book, matched to the six shapes. Count
Icarus (rise then fall). See the full lens on the book page.
D8. Chapter endings: cliffhanger, question, reveal or quiet close. AI
32 of 39 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: the inquest (2), the coroner's testimony (3), Raymond meeting Gryce (15). Some open after time jumps signalled by summary: chapter 12 begins after the inquest verdict, chapter 24 after Raymond's investigation progresses. Chapter 32 opens with Mrs. Belden's narrative summary.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 12, Ch 15, Ch 24, Ch 32
D10. Do chapters and sentences get shorter near the climax? Count
In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.29 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.01 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures.
D11. Dialogue density against pace. Count
Link between dialogue share and chapter length: -0.09 (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
21 time jump phrases in the narration, such as 'next morning' or 'years later'.
| Where | Phrase |
|---|---|
| c9p192 | next day |
| c11p65 | next day |
| c15p8 | next morning |
| c16p7 | next day |
| c16p16 | next day |
| c17p3 | next morning |
| c19p33 | next evening |
| c20p3 | next day |
Time jump phrases, chapter by chapter
Ch 9, para 192: A momentary silence ensued, soon broken, however, by an impatient stir as our little juryman rose and proposed that the jury should now adjourn for the day. This …
Ch 11, para 65: But she shook her head, and, without waiting for my assistance, opened the door on her own side of the carriage and leaped to the ground. Even then …
Ch 15, para 8: Expectant of difficulty, I started next morning upon my search for Mr. Gryce, with strong determination not to allow myself to become flurried by disappointment nor discouraged by …
Ch 16, para 7: The next day, pursuant to the wishes of Mr. Gryce, in I stepped into the Hoffman House, and took a seat in the reading room. I had been …
Ch 16, para 16: The next day I repeated the experiment, but with no greater success than before. Mr. Clavering came into the room, but, seeing me, did not remain. I began …
Ch 17, para 3: The next morning’s Tribune contained a synopsis of Mr. Leavenworth’s will. Its provisions were a surprise to me; for, while the bulk of his immense estate was, according …
Time jumps are signalled by chapter breaks and brief summaries of elapsed time. Chapter 12 jumps past the inquest verdict. Chapter 24 jumps past Raymond's hotel investigation. Chapter 26 jumps to Raymond being sent to find Hannah. No explicit clock markers; jumps are implicit.
Chapters: Ch 12, Ch 24, Ch 26
D13. Info dump spots: long runs with no action or speech. Both
4 stretches of 900 words or more with no speech at all. These are where description, summary or backstory pile up.
| Starts at | Words | Paragraphs |
|---|---|---|
| c38p27 | 2215 | 9 |
| c3p2 | 1549 | 10 |
| c28p52 | 1447 | 7 |
| c38p16 | 1055 | 5 |
Chapter 32 (Mrs. Belden's narrative) is the longest info dump, running 29 pages of pure exposition about Mary's secret marriage and Eleanore's role. Chapter 38 (Harwell's confession) is another extended monologue without action. Most other chapters mix dialogue and action throughout.
Chapters: Ch 32, Ch 38
Hannah Chester, coming direct to my door from the scene of violence, begged me to take her in and secrete her from public inquiry, as I loved and desired to serve Mary Leavenworth. (Ch 32, para 204)
I am not a bad man; I am only an intense one. Ambition, love, jealousy, hatred, revenge--transitory emotions with some, are terrific passions with me. (Ch 38, para 3)
a blazing torch fell into my soul whose flame has never gone out, and never will, till the doom before me is accomplished. (Ch 38, para 4)
D14. Reading time per chapter. Count
About 7.4 hours to read at 250 words a minute. The longest chapter takes 34.4 minutes.
Minutes per chapter, chapter by chapter
D15. Micro tension in quiet scenes. AI
Not enough in the text to answer this one yet.
D16. Section breaks per chapter. Count
8 section breaks marked in the text, in 5 of 39 chapters.
Section breaks, chapter by chapter
Ask The Leavenworth Case 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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