D10. Do chapters and sentences get shorter near the climax? Count
Pace. One line per book. Open a book for the full answer, charts and cited lines.
| Book | Genre | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Treasure Island | Thriller and adventure | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.06 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.98 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| The Thirty-Nine Steps | Thriller and adventure | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.97 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.87 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Prisoner of Zenda | Thriller and adventure | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.04 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.16 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| Around the World in Eighty Days | Thriller and adventure | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.81 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.78 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| King Solomon's Mines | Thriller and adventure | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.78 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.92 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Hound of the Baskervilles | Crime and mystery | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.99 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.13 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| A Study in Scarlet | Crime and mystery | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.08 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.11 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | Crime and mystery | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.15 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.03 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| The Moonstone | Crime and mystery | 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. |
| The Woman in White | Crime and mystery | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.69 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.01 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Pride and Prejudice | Romance | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.12 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.93 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Persuasion | Romance | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.69 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.88 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Emma | Romance | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.06 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.22 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| Jane Eyre | Romance | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.07 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.84 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Dracula | Gothic and horror | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.16 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.95 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| Frankenstein | Gothic and horror | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.85 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.01 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde | Gothic and horror | In the last fifth, chapters run at 2.45 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.64 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| The Picture of Dorian Gray | Gothic and horror | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.62 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.79 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Wuthering Heights | Gothic and horror | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.88 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.98 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Turn of the Screw | Gothic and horror | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.05 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.82 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Time Machine | Science fiction | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.62 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.86 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The War of the Worlds | Science fiction | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.23 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.05 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| The Invisible Man | Science fiction | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.1 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.05 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | Fantasy and children's | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.89 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.0 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Wonderful Wizard of Oz | Fantasy and children's | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.44 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.93 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Secret Garden | Fantasy and children's | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.31 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.11 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| The Wind in the Willows | Fantasy and children's | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.13 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.96 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| Great Expectations | Literary | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.03 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.01 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| A Christmas Carol | Literary | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.35 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.64 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Great Gatsby | Literary | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.97 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.97 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| Heart of Darkness | Literary | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.88 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.9 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Kidnapped | Thriller and adventure | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.99 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.92 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Count of Monte Cristo | Thriller and adventure | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.8 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.94 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Three Musketeers | Thriller and adventure | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.85 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.92 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Riddle of the Sands | Thriller and adventure | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.44 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.14 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| The Scarlet Pimpernel | Thriller and adventure | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.15 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.02 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| The Lost World | Thriller and adventure | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.32 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.23 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| Captain Blood | Thriller and adventure | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.75 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.98 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Lady Audley's Secret | Crime and mystery | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.16 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.08 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| The Murders in the Rue Morgue | Crime and mystery | 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. |
| The Innocence of Father Brown | Crime and mystery | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.94 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.95 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| The Big Bow Mystery | Crime and mystery | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.15 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.79 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Leavenworth Case | Crime and mystery | 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. |
| The Red Thumb Mark | Crime and mystery | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.94 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.91 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Amateur Cracksman | Crime and mystery | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.96 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.0 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| The Secret Agent | Crime and mystery | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.97 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.75 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Sense and Sensibility | Romance | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.26 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.18 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| North and South | Romance | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.84 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.04 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Far from the Madding Crowd | Romance | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.55 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.92 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Enchanted April | Romance | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.89 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.0 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Sheik | Romance | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.96 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.07 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| Daddy Long Legs | Romance | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.58 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.97 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Carmilla | Gothic and horror | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.75 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.09 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Castle of Otranto | Gothic and horror | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.8 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.86 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Phantom of the Opera | Gothic and horror | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.15 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.95 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| The Great God Pan | Gothic and horror | 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. |
| The Yellow Wallpaper | Gothic and horror | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.03 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.74 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Call of Cthulhu | Gothic and horror | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.91 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.01 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| The Island of Doctor Moreau | Science fiction | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.28 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.18 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| Journey to the Centre of the Earth | Science fiction | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.05 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.94 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| A Princess of Mars | Science fiction | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.74 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.84 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Herland | Science fiction | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.12 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.15 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| Flatland | Science fiction | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.94 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.87 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Erewhon | Science fiction | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.3 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.98 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| The Last Man | Science fiction | 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. |
| Through the Looking Glass | Fantasy and children's | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.78 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.96 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| A Little Princess | Fantasy and children's | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.93 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.94 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Jungle Book | Fantasy and children's | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.9 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.87 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Five Children and It | Fantasy and children's | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.85 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.94 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Railway Children | Fantasy and children's | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.91 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.97 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| The Princess and the Goblin | Fantasy and children's | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.67 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.99 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Peter and Wendy | Fantasy and children's | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.2 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.92 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Worm Ouroboros | Fantasy and children's | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.96 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.0 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| Anne of Green Gables | Fantasy and children's | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.9 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.19 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| Black Beauty | Fantasy and children's | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.04 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.93 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Middlemarch | Literary | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.79 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.1 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Tess of the d'Urbervilles | Literary | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.79 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.98 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Mrs Dalloway | Literary | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.92 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.8 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| To the Lighthouse | Literary | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.06 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.79 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Anna Karenina | Literary | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.81 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.96 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Crime and Punishment | Literary | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.8 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.03 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Madame Bovary | Literary | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.33 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.77 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Age of Innocence | Literary | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.32 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.88 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Silas Marner | Literary | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.54 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.68 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | Literary | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.87 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.18 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Hamlet | Plays | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.31 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.97 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| Macbeth | Plays | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.6 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.9 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Romeo and Juliet | Plays | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.0 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.86 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Othello | Plays | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.03 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.64 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | Plays | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.87 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.97 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| Twelfth Night | Plays | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.44 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.19 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| Doctor Faustus | Plays | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.03 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.56 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | Plays | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.58 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.08 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| A Doll's House | Plays | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.88 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.01 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Hedda Gabler | Plays | In the last fifth, chapters run at 0.67 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.92 times. So things speed up near the end. |
| Pygmalion | Plays | In the last fifth, chapters run at 2.49 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 1.3 times. So the end does not speed up by these measures. |
| The School for Scandal | Plays | In the last fifth, chapters run at 1.7 times the length of earlier ones, and sentences at 0.84 times. So things speed up near the end. |
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