The Mystery of the Yellow Room
The narrative revolves around a baffling crime involving an attempted murder in a locked room, known as "The Yellow Room," where Mademoiselle Stangerson is attacked. The story is narrated by a friend of the young detective Joseph Rouletabille, who is determined to solve the mystery surrounding the incident. On the night of October 25, 1892, Mademoiselle Stangerson is found in her room, gravely injured, after a struggle. The room is locked from the inside, and the only window is barred, leading to widespread speculation about how the assailant could have escaped. The investigation reveals that the professor and his daughter had been working on groundbreaking scientific theories, which adds a layer of intrigue to the case. Rouletabille, an eighteen-year-old reporter, takes on the challenge of uncovering the truth. He discovers that Mademoiselle Stangerson had been acting strangely in the days leading up to the attack, expressing fears of an unknown threat. The investigation is complicated by the presence of various characters, including the professor, the concierges, and the enigmatic forest-keeper, who all have their own motives and secrets. As Rouletabille delves deeper, he uncovers clues that suggest the assailant may have had a personal connection to the Stangersons. He theorizes that the attacker was familiar with the layout of the château and had planned the crime meticulously. The narrative unfolds with a series of twists and turns, as Rouletabille pieces together evidence, including a bloodied handkerchief and footprints, leading to the conclusion that the assailant was not a stranger but someone close to the family. The climax reveals that the murderer had indeed escaped through a hidden passage, a detail overlooked by the authorities. Rouletabille's keen observations and logical deductions ultimately lead to the identification of the assailant, who is revealed to be a figure from the Stangersons' past, driven by jealousy and revenge. The story concludes with the resolution of the mystery, highlighting themes of trust, betrayal, and the complexities of human relationships, all set against the backdrop of a thrilling detective narrative.
By Gaston Leroux · First published 1888 · Genre: Mystery, Detective Fiction, Thriller · 29 chapters · 89,409 words
First lines
It is not without a certain emotion that I begin to recount here the extraordinary adventures of Joseph Rouletabille. Down to the present time he had so firmly opposed my doing it that I had come to despair of ever publishing the most curious of police stories of the past fifteen years. I had even imagined that the public would never know the whole truth of the prodigious case known as that of "The Yellow Room," out of which grew so many mysterious, cruel, and sensational dramas, with which my friend was so closely mixed up, if, apropos of a recent nomination of the illustrious Stangerson to the grade of grand-cross of the Legion of Honour, an evening journal -- in an article, miserable for its ignorance, or audacious for its perfidy -- had not resuscitated a terrible adventure of which Joseph Rouletabille had told me he wished to be forever forgotten.
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The Mystery of the Yellow Room is listed on Textopian as a novel by Gaston Leroux, dated 1888 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Gaston Leroux
- Date: 1888 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Mystery, Detective Fiction, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Adventure
- Length: 89,409 words
- Structure: 29 chapters, 1,386 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux
- 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 Mystery of the Yellow Room?
- How does this novel by Gaston Leroux fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Mystery first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Woman Of Mystery by Maurice Leblanc
- The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart
- A Master Of Mysteries by L. T. Meade
- Mystery At Lynden Sands by J. J. Connington
- The Man In Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart
- The Man Of Last Resort by Melville Davisson Post
Genres
- Mystery — The plot revolves around a locked room mystery, central to the genre.
- Detective Fiction — Features a detective solving a crime, a hallmark of detective fiction.
- Thriller — Contains suspenseful elements and tension throughout the narrative.
- Crime Fiction — Involves criminal acts and the investigation surrounding them.
Tags
Mystery · Thriller · Detective Fiction · Crime · Suspense · Psychological Thriller · Gothic Fiction · Victorian Era · Parisian Setting · Locked Room Mystery · Amateur Detective · Female Protagonist
Contents
- In which we Begin not to Understand
- In which Joseph Rouletabille Appears for the First Time
- "a Man has Passed Like a Shadow through the Blinds"
- "in the Bosom of Wild Nature"
- In which Joseph Rouletabille Makes a Remark to Monsieur Robert Darzac which Produces its Little Effect
- In the Heart of the Oak Grove
- In which Rouletabille Sets out on an Expedition under the Bed
- The Examining Magistrate Questions Mademoiselle Stangerson
- Reporter and Detective
- "we Shall have to Eat Red Meat-Now"
- In which Frédéric Larsan Explains how the Murderer was Able to Get out of the Yellow Room
- Frédéric Larsan's Cane
- "the Presbytery has Lost Nothing of its Charm, nor the Garden its Brightness"
- "I Expect the Assassin this Evening"
- The Trap
- Strange Phenomenon of the Dissociation of Matter
- The Inexplicable Gallery
- Rouletabille has Drawn a Circle between the Two Bumps on his Forehead
- Rouletabille Invites me to Breakfast at the Donjon Inn
- An Act of Mademoiselle Stangerson
- On the Watch
- The Incredible Body
- The Double Scent
- Rouletabille Knows the Two Halves of the Murderer
- Rouletabille Goes on a Journey
- In which Joseph Rouletabille is Awaited with Impatience
- In which Joseph Rouletabille Appears in all his Glory
- In which it is Proved that One does not Always Think of Everything
- The Mystery of Mademoiselle Stangerson