Book Anatomy · The Murders in the Rue Morgue
The Murders in the Rue Morgue: Pace
16 lenses on pace for The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe. 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
5 chapters, median 3,092 words. See the full lens on the book page.
D2. Mean sentence length per chapter. Count
Mean 18.8 words. See the full lens on the book page.
D3. Paragraph length per chapter. Count
Paragraphs average 106 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. Section 1 is summary, but sections 2 to 5 are primarily in-scene dialogue and action, with the narrator present witnessing events unfold.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5
D5. Action against reflection, per chapter. AI
Section 1 is pure reflection on Dupin's character. Sections 2 to 3 balance action (crime scene visit) with reflection on evidence. Sections 4 to 5 are action-heavy with the deduction and sailor's confession.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5
But it is by these deviations from the plane of the ordinary, that reason feels its way, if at all, in its search for the true. (Ch 3, para 7)
D6. Tension score per chapter (1 to 5) as a curve. AI
Peak 4 of 5, mean 3.0. 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
3 of 5 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
Section 1 opens in summary. Section 2 opens in summary with newspaper report. Section 3 opens after a time jump signalled by 'Let us now suppose'. Section 4 opens in scene. Section 5 opens in scene.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5
D10. Do chapters and sentences get shorter near the climax? Count
In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.45 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.2 times. So things speed up near the end.
D11. Dialogue density against pace. Count
Link between dialogue share and chapter length: 0.57 (1 is a perfect match, 0 none). Between dialogue share and tension: 0.71.
Dialogue % per chapter, chapter by chapter
D12. Time jumps and how they are signalled. Both
2 time jump phrases in the narration, such as 'next morning' or 'years later'.
| Where | Phrase |
|---|---|
| c2p7 | next day |
| c3p4 | next day |
Time jump phrases, chapter by chapter
Ch 2, para 7: The next day’s paper had these additional particulars.
Ch 3, para 4: I have said that the whims of my friend were manifold, and that Je les ménageais:—for this phrase there is no English equivalent. It was his humor, now, …
Time jumps are signalled by narrative summary and phrases like 'Let us now suppose' in section 3. Most jumps occur between sections rather than within them.
Chapters: Ch 3
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 |
|---|---|---|
| c5p3 | 1170 | 7 |
| c1p7 | 1022 | 9 |
Section 1 contains a long info dump on Dupin's analytical powers and the narrator's admiration. Section 4 has extended exposition on the orang-outang's capabilities and the deduction process.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 4
We appreciate them only in their effects. We know of them, among other things, that they are always to their possessor, when inordinately possessed, a source of the liveliest enjoyment. (Ch 1, para 4)
He seemed, too, to take an eager delight in its exercise—if not exactly in its display—and did not hesitate to confess the pleasure thus derived. (Ch 1, para 13)
D14. Reading time per chapter. Count
About 0.9 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 intellectual revelation. Section 3's window examination builds suspense as Dupin uncovers the hidden escape mechanism. Section 4's deduction creates tension through logical inevitability.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 4
But it is by these deviations from the plane of the ordinary, that reason feels its way, if at all, in its search for the true. (Ch 3, para 7)
It was clear to me, however, that the shutter belonging to the window at the head of the bed, would, if swung fully back to the wall, reach to within two feet of the lightning-rod. (Ch 3, para 22)
D16. Section breaks per chapter. Count
0 section breaks marked in the text, in 0 of 5 chapters.
Ask The Murders in the Rue Morgue a question about its craft (free beta)
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