The Doctor, His Wife, and the Clock

Mr. Gryce #7

by Anna Katharine Green

There is a murder; a blind physician confesses himself the murderer, and to prove that he could shoot a man through the heart offers to hit a small clock placed at a suitable distance, guided only by the sound it makes in striking. The ending is horrible enough to suit even the boy in German folklore who complained that he could not shudder.

Genres: Mystery, Classics, Audiobook, Crime, Short Stories, 19th Century, Fiction

148 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1895

About the author

Anna Katharine Green (1846-1935) was an American poet and novelist. She was one of the first writers of detective fiction in America and distinguished herself by writing well plotted, legally accurate stories. Born in Brooklyn, New York, her early ambition was to write romantic verse, and she corresponded with Ralph Waldo Emerson. When her poetry failed to gain recognition, she produced her first and best known novel, The Leavenworth Case (1878). She became a bestselling author, eventually publishing about 40 books. She was in some ways a progressive woman for her time-succeeding in a genre dominated by male writers-but she did not approve of many of her feminist contemporaries, and she was opposed to women's suffrage. Her other works include A Strange Disappearance (1880), The Affair Next Door (1897), The Circular Study (1902), The Filigree Ball (1903), The Millionaire Baby (1905), The House in the Mist (1905), The Woman in the Alcove (1906), The House of the Whispering Pines (1910), Initials Only (1912), and The Mystery of the Hasty Arrow (1917).

Reviews

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Mr. Hasbrouck, a well-known and highly respected citizen, was attacked in his room by an unknown assailant, and shot dead before assistance could reach him.

The affair was given to a young man, named Ebenezer Gryce, to investigate, and the story, as he tells it, is this:

So begins this short story. I found this early case for Mr. Gryce interesting as in earlier installments of the series he is a mature man and experienced police officer. In this he tells when he was merely 30 years of age and still relatively inexperienced.

I like this series that began many years before Sherlock Holmes. Too bad Anna Katharine Green didn't get the same attention. Her characters are much more pleasant, Sherlock being so full of himself that he makes me want to gag. (Yes, laugh all you want. I know I'm going to have to read another Sherlock Holmes and I'll try to hold my temper while doing so.)

This is too short for more than 3 strong stars, but I look forward to sitting down with Ebenezer Gryce in future.

[Come Musica]

Il 29 marzo è stata inaugurata 'Criminali', la nuova collana esclusivamente in ebook di Einaudi Stile Libero.

Dal sito ANSA: “Curata da Beniamino Vignola, raccoglierà storie vere, forti, a volte crude, in testi agili, svelti: cronache, reportage, biografie, atti processuali, racconti, romanzi brevi che non superano le 100 pagine. Opere spesso frutto di ricerche negli archivi o invenzioni d'autore che giocano tra il vero autentico pulp storico e la memorialistica a volte morbosa.
    I primi tre titoli, dal 29 marzo su tutti gli store online, sono: 'Tipi criminali' di Havelock Ellis, 'Il dottore, sua moglie e l'orologio' dell'americana Anna Katharine Green dove a indagare sul delitto di un uomo ucciso a colpi di arma da fuoco nella sua stanza è Violet Strange, la prima donna detective nella storia del mystery e 'Rapina all'American Express' di Eddie Guerin che di mestiere faceva il ladro e non lo scrittore.
   
Ho iniziato la collana, leggendo “Il dottore, sua moglie e l'orologio”: un giallo godibilissimo che ci trasporta nel 1800, in cui la protagonista è Violet Strange, la prima donna detective della storia del mystery.


Sempre dal sito ANSA: “Diversissimi tra loro, i testi spaziano dal racconto della Green che rese popolare il genere poliziesco con un decennio di anticipo su Conan Doyle e diventò un modello per molti scrittori, al compendio di Ellis, che ci offre una testimonianza ricca e dettagliata dei principali risultati dell'antropologia criminale, fino al resoconto autobiografico di Guerin su una sensazionale rapina all'American Express nei primi anni del Novecento.”


[Joan]

With a mere 45 pages, this is the shortest of the Mr. Gryce books I have read. However, Mrs. Green does not disappoint in the depth of her characters or in the telling of a very interesting mystery. In 1851, a young Mr. Gryce is investigating the shooting of a well respected businessman killed in his own bedroom. The only real clue is provided by the victim's wife. She woke from a deep sleep and thought she was dreaming. She soon realized that her husband wasn't next to her in bed. While she was looking for him, she heard a voice say from across the dark room, "God! what have I done!", which was quickly followed by footsteps and the front door closing. I hope you will enjoy this 7th Mr. Gryce book. Happy Reading!

[Perry Whitford]

Interesting little proto-detective story in which an unsolved murder case is reopened when a doctor and neighbour of the deceased confesses to the shooting eighteen months later. The peculiar thing is, the doctor is blind.

Anna Katherine Green has been called the 'mother of detective fiction', and she certainly precedes Agatha Christie, and even Conan Doyle. This is the second story of hers I have read now and she certainly writes well, better than Christie anyway.

Ebenezer Gryce is her series detective, and this is a murder case that even Holmes may have described as being of 'singular interest'. I'm not so sure about the method adopted to ultimately crack the case, but it did make for a dramatic ending.

[Leo]

Liked it but way to short. Probably will read more by her, hopefully longer books!

[Katja Labonté]

2 stars & 2/10 hearts. I wasn’t impressed by this one. It was very sad, and a little creepy. It involved conjugal jealousy (for no reason), murder (partly accidental), and two suicides. And while the mystery was solved, there was no solution given—just suicide.

[Daniy ♠]

Such a short book that was still too long somehow

[El]

I was disappointed by this book after enjoying so many of Ms Green's other works. I found the plot lacklustre and looked in vain for any character development. It was as if Ms Green had had an idea for a plot but only roughly sketched the details and then decided to publish the rough sketch. Not her best. But don't let that put you off reading her other novels - she is definitely worth your investment in time and energy. (And I have to add that I found the reader's intonation did not add to my enjoyment of the book which might have soured my opinion.)

[William]

Wonderful mystery listening 🎶😉

Another will written British murder mystery romantic relationship adventure thriller short story by Anna Katharine Green about the investigation into a murder mystery with a blind doctor confessing to the deed. I would highly recommend this novella to readers of murder mysteries. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do. 🏡🔰👒😢 2022

[Julie]

This story is well-written, but not the same quality as Anna Katherine Green's other stories. I could tell where the story was going before it got there. It also was soooo tragic a story and depressed me.

[Myrna]

Short book but interesting

[Sandy]

This was a fascinating detective story. I had not realised there were such good writers, and especially lady authors of detective or crime novels at this period of time.
This book has an intriguing mystery, a man who is liked, is killed at night in his bedroom. The book also has, what for me was, a conundrum...a blind Doctor! Perhaps there is such a person, but I am surprised more amazement was not expressed about this fact!
After the case dries up, the detective is caught up by a thought which leads to his investigating this doctor and his wife. There are great tensions between the two and he really has to struggle in more ways than one to see how they could have been involved.
The ending is very dramatic.

The narration was okay. I know someone with an accent like this, yet still at times it was difficult to decipher because the rhythm of her speech changed word sounds.

[Steven Fox]

" The Doctor, His Wife, and the Clock, published in 1895, features the same hero, detective Ebenezer Gryce, a low key, middle aged New York police officer, plus his many assistants. A contemporary Gryce narrates a gripping drama from his youth, the opening scene of which has been described as "one of the most hallucinatory in modern fiction." Green excelled at detection, the gradual uncovering of hidden facts about a crime. This story is set in the time and place of Green's own childhood, the New York City of the 1850s. Green influenced many other writers. An 1894 fan letter to Green from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, survives. Agatha Christie records in her autobiography that Green's works inspired her to become a mystery writer. You too will be inspired by this work from one of the century's greatest fiction masters!

[Pamela Mclaren]

A sad but complicated tale about a murder and the man who claims to have committed the death.

Mr. Gryce is called out as part of an investigation in the death of a man killed in his own home for no apparent reason. Several months later, Gryce has still not discovered a motive or a suspect for the crime, but he does meet the next door neighbors, a blind doctor and his beautiful wife. During his conversation, the doctor confesses to the crime but can furnish not motive or supporting evidence. His wife, is appalled by the confession and pleads with officials to disregard it, that for some reason her husband has convinced himself that he is the guilty party.

A quick, short read but one that some the strength of Anna Katharine Green's writing.

[Vintagebooklvr]

2 1/2 stars. It is clever but I don't think that most would be able to figure it out; it is a bit complicated (I didn't). The language is a bit more ornate than we use today. Depending on how you find the language will probably effect how you like the story.

One thing that bothered me: It was never really answered why one man wanted to goad another particular man with rumors. I understand the man's hatred but not picking that one particular man.

[Sawako]

Group read with Public Domain Readers. I read it on Gutenberg. Audio book on Librivox

[Yaritza]

A mystery filled with guilt, love and anger led to death. I loved that the story was told by the detective who went to the murder scene at the beginning and solved the mystery. True love can lead to horrible tragedies. I was happy to read this book as a first edition novel.

[Susan]

1851, 17th July, Lafayette Place. Ebenezer Gryce investigates the death of a Mr Hasbrouck, but finds he has no clues. Until some months later he has an idea, and soon he has a confession. But does he believe it.
More a sad story than an enjoyable one.
Originally written in 1895

[Mirrordance]

Un giallo vecchia maniera. La sinossi è fuorviante, infatti Violet non è l'investigatrice principale ma un aiuto, Probabilmente per i tempi era già abbastanza trasgressivo così.
Un classico di sicuro ma con uno stile un po' datato ed una modalità narrativa un po' noiosa e didascalica.

[Farheen Iqbal]

3.5 🌟

[Melinda]

3.5 stars

[Danni]

Weird

[Mark Rabideau]

This novella is brief/short. It offers an interesting but tragic tale.

[Janith Pathirage]

I think this's the first Anna Katharine Green story I read and I was disappointed. It was not an intelligent detective story and there were lot of loopholes. I was not expecting Sherlock Holmes stuff in it but the author should have given more depth to this story. I won't be too judgmental on the author yet but this story is pretty much below the average.