The Closed Window by A.C. Benson
The Closed Window is a novella written by A.C. Benson, first published in 1908. It tells the story of a man named Francis Durrand who becomes increasingly obsessed with a closed window in his room that he cannot open or close. As he becomes more fixated on the window, he begins to neglect his relationships and responsibilities, leading to a downward spiral of isolation and madness. The novella explores themes of obsession, solitude, and the fragility of the human psyche.
By A.C. Benson · First published 1915 · Genre: Mystery, Horror, Suspense · 4,909 words
First lines
The Tower of Nort stood in a deep angle of the downs; formerly an old road led over the hill, but it is now a green track covered with turf; the later highway choosing rather to cross a low saddle of the ridge, for the sake of the beasts of burden. The tower, originally built to guard the great road, was a plain, strong, thick-walled fortress. To the tower had been added a plain and seemly house, where the young Sir Mark de Nort lived very easily and plentifully. To the south stretched the great wood of Nort, but the Tower stood high on an elbow of the down, sheltered from the north by the great green hills. The villagers had an odd ugly name for the Tower, which they called the Tower of Fear; but the name was falling into disuse, and was only spoken, and that heedlessly, by ancient men, because Sir Mark was vexed to hear it so called.
What this Textopian page supports
The Closed Window is listed on Textopian as a short story by A.C. Benson, dated 1915 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: A.C. Benson
- Date: 1915 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Mystery, Horror, Suspense, Thriller, Psychotherapy
- Length: 4,909 words
- Structure: 1 section, 44 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Closed Window by A.C. Benson
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Closed Window?
- How does this short story by A.C. Benson fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Mystery first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Red Camp by A. C. Benson
- The Hill Of Trouble by A. C. Benson
- The Temple Of Death by A. C. Benson
- Paul The Minstrel by A. C. Benson
- The Slype House by A. C. Benson
- Linus by A. C. Benson
Genres
- Mystery — The title suggests an element of suspense and intrigue, that are commonly found in mystery genre.
- Horror — The idea of a closed window often represents isolation or imminent danger which aligns with the horror genre.
- Suspense — Elements of uncertainty or anxiety may be central to the plot, associated with the suspense genre.
- Thriller — Should the plot contain high levels of excitement and engagement, it could be classified within the thriller genre.
Tags
came · closed · could · dark · day · drew · found · great · hand · house · left · like