Project Gutenberg 2005-02-01 Public domain in the USA. 284 Wharton, Edith 1862 1937 Wharton, Edith Newbold Jones Olivieri, David Crucial Instances Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucial_Instances The Duchess at prayer -- The angel at the grave -- The recovery -- "Copy": a dialogue -- The Rembrandt -- The moving finger -- The confessional. Produced by Charles Aldarondo, Tiffany Vergon, William Flis, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team HTM version by Chuck Greif "Crucial Instances" by Edith Wharton is a collection of short stories written during the late 19th century. The work delves into themes of love, loss, and existential contemplation, often set against the backdrop of the upper-class society that Wharton was known for critiquing. The opening story, "The Duchess at Prayer," introduces us to the tragic and complex figure of Duchess Violante, exploring the intermingling of art, devotion, and the shadows of personal anguish in her life. The opening of "Crucial Instances" presents a richly descriptive setting within an old Italian villa, where the narrator encounters an elderly guide. As they explore the faded grandeur of the Duchess's apartment, including a chilling statue of the Duchess in prayer, a sense of mystery unfolds. The old man hints at a dark history involving the statue, which once bore a serene visage but has now twisted into a depiction of horror. Through the old man's fragmented memories, we learn of the Duchess's once-vibrant spirit, her isolation, and how she may have succumbed to despair, leading to the statue's chilling transformation. The tone is laced with a sense of foreboding and intrigue, setting the stage for Wharton's exploration of deeper psychological themes. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 79.0 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Short stories, American American fiction -- 19th century PS Text Category: Short Stories Category: American Literature 341221 2025-10-03T11:35:36.090731 text/html 341070 2021-01-26T23:40:23 text/html 172899 2025-10-03T11:35:40.296630 application/epub+zip 177399 2025-10-03T11:35:36.750668 application/epub+zip 35549 2017-10-20T09:39:18 image/jpeg 177399 2025-10-03T11:35:36.410661 application/epub+zip 280148 2025-10-03T11:35:43.264631 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 260329 2025-10-03T11:35:39.989658 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 260453 2022-09-04T06:25:25.636825 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 318014 2025-10-03T11:35:35.479699 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 323277 2017-10-20T09:49:36 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 317945 2020-12-30T15:41:41 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 317940 2020-12-30T15:41:41 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 23516 2025-10-03T11:35:43.390616 application/rdf+xml 12461 2025-10-03T11:35:36.490651 image/jpeg 2286 2025-10-03T11:35:36.449666 image/jpeg 124826 2020-12-30T15:41:41 application/octet-stream application/zip 124239 2020-12-30T15:41:41 application/octet-stream application/zip 162277 2021-01-26T23:40:23 application/octet-stream application/zip 124189 2020-12-30T15:41:41 application/octet-stream application/zip 164141 2025-10-03T11:35:36.120651 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog fr.wikipedia en.wikipedia