The Moonstone: Pace
16 lenses on pace for The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. 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
56 chapters, median 3,376 words. See the full lens on the book page.
D2. Mean sentence length per chapter. Count
Mean 14.9 words. See the full lens on the book page.
D3. Paragraph length per chapter. Count
Paragraphs average 55 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 the theft live (15 to 23), but investigation and revelation rely heavily on summary and reports, especially Cuff's written account (49 to 53) and documents from other witnesses.
Chapters: Ch 15, Ch 16, Ch 18, Ch 19, Ch 23, Ch 49
Father!” she screamed, “come upstairs, for God’s sake! The Diamond is gone! (Ch 15, para 22)
Side by side, in the grey of the summer evening, Sergeant Cuff and I set forth for the Shivering Sand. (Ch 18, para 70)
D5. Action against reflection, per chapter. AI
Action dominates the first half (theft, investigation, Rosanna's death). The second half shifts to reflection and theory: Franklin's despair, Jennings's explanation, Cuff's written report. Quiet scenes increase after chapter 40.
Chapters: Ch 15, Ch 23, Ch 40, Ch 42, Ch 47, Ch 48
And, on the unanswerable evidence of the paint-stain, I had discovered Myself as the Thief. (Ch 41, para 77)
I believe the vindication of your innocence is in my hands! (Ch 47, para 93)
D6. Tension score per chapter (1 to 5) as a curve. AI
Peak 5 of 5, mean 3.3. See the full lens on the book page.
D7. Emotional arc of the whole book, matched to the six shapes. Count
Oedipus (fall, rise, fall). See the full lens on the book page.
D8. Chapter endings: cliffhanger, question, reveal or quiet close. AI
45 of 57 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 a time jump. Early chapters (5 to 14) open in scene. Middle chapters (28 to 35) open in summary or after jumps. Late chapters (49 to 56) open with documents or reports after time jumps.
Chapters: Ch 5, Ch 7, Ch 15, Ch 28, Ch 39, Ch 49
D10. Do chapters and sentences get shorter near the climax? Count
In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.1 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.06 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures.
D11. Dialogue density against pace. Count
Link between dialogue share and chapter length: 0.3 (1 is a perfect match, 0 none). Between dialogue share and tension: 0.34.
Dialogue % per chapter, chapter by chapter
D12. Time jumps and how they are signalled. Both
40 time jump phrases in the narration, such as 'next morning' or 'years later'.
| Where | Phrase |
|---|---|
| c6p4 | Some years later |
| c6p14 | next morning |
| c12p4 | next morning |
| c12p32 | next day |
| c12p38 | next day |
| c13p2 | next year |
| c15p61 | next morning |
| c15p114 | next day |
Time jump phrases, chapter by chapter
Ch 6, para 4: Seeing that my lady took an interest in the out-of-door work, and the farms, and such like, I took an interest in them too—with all the more reason …
Ch 6, para 14: The perturbation in my mind, in regard to thinking about it, being truly dreadful after my lady had gone away, I applied the remedy which I have never …
Ch 12, para 4: On the next morning (the morning of the twenty-sixth) I showed Mr. Franklin this article of jugglery, and told him what I have already told you. His opinion …
Ch 12, para 32: A strange gentleman, speaking English with a foreign accent, came that morning to the house, and asked to see Mr. Franklin Blake on business. The business could not …
Ch 12, para 38: On the twentieth, there came a note from Mr. Godfrey. He had arranged to stop at Frizinghall that night, having occasion to consult his father on business. On …
Ch 13, para 2: We, in the servants’ hall, began this happy anniversary, as usual, by offering our little presents to Miss Rachel, with the regular speech delivered annually by me as …
Time jumps are signalled by explicit statements ('weeks passed'), chapter breaks, or narrator asides. Major jumps occur between chapters 27 and 28 (months pass), 39 and 40 (Franklin returns), and 48 and 49 (after the opium experiment).
Chapters: Ch 27, Ch 28, Ch 39, Ch 40, Ch 48, Ch 49
In the dark, I have brought you thus far. In the dark I am compelled to leave you, with my best respects. (Ch 27, para 65)
June, ’forty-nine. Expect news of the Indians, towards the end of the month. (Ch 38, para 64)
D13. Info dump spots: long runs with no action or speech. Both
11 stretches of 900 words or more with no speech at all. These are where description, summary or backstory pile up.
| Starts at | Words | Paragraphs |
|---|---|---|
| c48p470 | 2589 | 41 |
| c53p50 | 2299 | 42 |
| c12p29 | 2055 | 19 |
| c46p48 | 1617 | 19 |
| c28p26 | 1442 | 10 |
| c28p14 | 1260 | 11 |
| c1p1 | 1244 | 17 |
| c27p55 | 1192 | 9 |
Long info dumps appear in Cuff's written report (chapters 49 to 53), where he explains Ablewhite's double life and crimes with minimal action. Bruff's explanation in chapter 36 and Jennings's theory in chapter 47 also contain extended exposition.
Chapters: Ch 36, Ch 47, Ch 49, Ch 50, Ch 51, Ch 52
With regard to the subject now in hand, I may state, at the outset, that Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite’s life had two sides to it. (Ch 51, para 1)
On the night of the birthday, therefore, Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite’s pecuniary position was this. He had three hundred pounds to find on the twenty-fourth of the month, and twenty thousand pounds to find in February eighteen hundred and fifty. (Ch 51, para 13)
D14. Reading time per chapter. Count
About 12.7 hours to read at 250 words a minute. The longest chapter takes 81.9 minutes.
Minutes per chapter, chapter by chapter
D15. Micro tension in quiet scenes. AI
Quiet scenes gain tension through hidden knowledge. Rachel's silence about witnessing the theft (chapters 20, 26, 45) creates suspense. Rosanna's emotional breakdown (21 to 23) builds dread. Jennings's hints about opium (47) create mystery.
Chapters: Ch 20, Ch 21, Ch 23, Ch 26, Ch 45, Ch 47
We left her, as we had found her, sweeping the corridor, like a woman in a dream. (Ch 21, para 66)
It’s the breath of my life, Godfrey, and it’s the poison that kills me—both in one! (Ch 32, para 41)
D16. Section breaks per chapter. Count
0 section breaks marked in the text, in 0 of 56 chapters.
Ask The Moonstone 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.