The Face and the Mask

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

—

Title

The Face and the Mask

Language

en

Book source

Global Grey

Description max 80 words

Set in turn-of-the-century Paris, this collection of twenty-four short stories by Robert Barr weaves tales of crime, romance, and moral ambiguity. From a pharmacist's assistant coerced into theft to an art student's tragic affair, each narrative explores the duality of human nature, where masks hide true intentions and faces reveal hidden depths.

Summary up to 500 words

Robert Barr's *The Face and the Mask* is a collection of interconnected and standalone stories that explore the deceptive nature of human behavior, contrasting outward appearances with hidden realities. The volume opens with "The Woman of Stone," a tale of manipulation and heartbreak. In Paris, a young and innocent pharmacist's assistant named Lurine is courted by the charming Jean Duret. Duret, however, is a criminal who exploits Lurine's naivety, convincing her to steal specific chemicals for an anarchist plot. When the scheme is exposed, Lurine is falsely accused and arrested. Upon her release, she discovers that the marble statue she once admired has turned to stone, a grim symbol of her own broken spirit and the cold reality of her betrayal. Another prominent narrative, "The Great Pegram Mystery," features the astute detective Sherlaw Kombs investigating a seemingly straightforward suicide on a train. Kombs uncovers that the victim, Kipson, was actually murdered; his body was placed in a carriage to mimic a suicide, a tactic intended to frame an innocent man using "Queen's evidence." Through meticulous observation of the train's mechanics and a dent in the window frame caused by a falling pistol, Kombs proves the crime was staged. The investigation reveals that criminals attempted to rob Kipson and dispose of his body, but their plan failed when the train stopped unexpectedly. In "The Sixth Bench," art student Hector McLane falls for a mysterious girl named Yvette while painting in Notre Dame. Despite being engaged to a wealthy woman, McLane chooses Yvette. However, upon confronting her, she reveals she is wealthy and never loved him, having used him solely for his artistic talent. When he returns to their agreed meeting place, he finds her body, poisoned, realizing too late that her "face" was a mask of deception. Other tales, such as "Death Cometh Soon or Late," feature a dying man who knows his exact time of death and mocks the innkeeper who profits from the dead, while "The Failure of Bradley Ringamy's Convert" examines religious hypocrisy. Throughout the collection, Barr employs a detached, observational tone to highlight themes of greed, the inevitability of fate, and the fragility of happiness in a corrupt world. These stories serve as cautionary tales about the danger of trusting appearances and the moral decay that lurks beneath the surface of society.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Fiction