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The Monkey's Paw

Critique • Quotes • Text

Lady of the Barge (incl. Moneky's Paw) coverStory collection first edition, 1902
By W.W. Jacobs
Publication details ▽ Publication details △

First publication
1902 in collection The Lady of the Barge

Literature form
Story

Genres
Fantasy, horror

Writing language
English

Author's country
England

Length
Approx. 4,500 words

Adaptations
Plays, radio plays, movies, television episodes

Notable lines

Without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnum Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly.

— First line

Unconscious of his wife's shriek, the old man smiled faintly, put out his hands like a sightless man, and dropped, a senseless heap, to the floor.

 

But the days passed, and expectation gave place to resignation—the hopeless resignation of the old, sometimes miscalled, apathy. Sometimes they hardly exchanged a word, for now they had nothing to talk about, and their days were long to weariness.

 

The street lamp flickering opposite shone on a quiet and deserted street.

— Last line

 

Critique • Quotes • Text