The Leavenworth Case

Green, Anna Katharine, 1846-1935Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.9

Word count: 610K words
Chapters: 61

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katharine GreenAuthor: Green, Anna Katharine, 1846-1935,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: May 1, 2003

Editor's review

The Leavenworth Case is a detective novel by Anna Katharine Green, telling of a murder in the Leavenworth family and the investigation that follows. The work holds a place in the history of detective fiction and is often regarded as one of the early examples of the genre written by a woman and driven by careful reasoning, with a structure that emphasizes the laying out of clues and witness testimony and carries a strong courtroom and investigative flavor. Its pleasure lies not in fast-paced action but in following the narrator step by step through doubts and in telling true testimony from false. For readers used to modern crime fiction its pace is slow and its manner classical, but precisely for that reason it shows what genre fiction looked like in its formative years. As a public-domain ebook it suits readers filling gaps in the history of detective literature, and also those who wish to understand nineteenth-century American society and family ethics.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of detective fiction and early works of ratiocination
Readers who enjoy classical deduction built on sifting testimony and tracing clues
Those who wish to understand nineteenth-century American family and social life through fiction
Readers who need public-domain English originals for broad reading in genre literature

Not a good fit for

Readers of modern crime fiction who prefer fast pace and strong action
Readers unaccustomed to the long narration and slow unfolding of the nineteenth century

Reading tips

Keep pen and paper at hand to record characters and key testimony for cross-reference.
At each doubt, form your own guess first, then read on to verify it and enjoy the pleasure of classical detection.
After finishing, consult histories of detective fiction to understand its place in the genre's evolution.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this a ratiocination novel in the strict sense?

It is closer to early detective fiction: a murder investigation is the main line, with heavy emphasis on testimony and clues and a clear deductive element, but its pace and method differ from modern honkaku mystery. Read as a work from the genre's formative period, its characteristics come through more clearly.

How difficult is the English, and what level is needed?

The original is nineteenth-century English, with long sentences and some wording and expression that differ from modern English. It suits readers with intermediate reading ability or above who are willing to look up words; those who want an easy read may first choose a Chinese translation to learn the plot.

Why is this work significant in the history of detective fiction?

It is often cited as one of the early detective novels written by a woman, showing the genre's formation in the nineteenth century. It is of value to readers studying the evolution of detective literature, women's writing, and the tastes of readers of the time.

Comments

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About the author

Green, Anna Katharine, 1846-1935 Author

Anna Katharine Green (1846–1935) was an important early American writer of detective fiction. Public information about her is limited, and few biographical details are recorded in the collection, but the 39 works held here show that she devoted herself to mystery and suspense writing over a long career. Representative works such as The Leavenworth Case, Agatha Webb, The Forsaken Inn: A Novel, The Golden Slipper, and Other Problems for Violet Strange, Hand and Ring, That Affair Next Door, The Chief Legatee, and The Filigree Ball center on criminal investigation and are notable for their careful plotting, tightly structured puzzles, and intricate relationships among characters. Her style emphasizes logical deduction and detailed description, giving her a recognized place in the development of early detective fiction and helping pave the way for later women writers of mystery fiction.