Can Such Things Be? · Chapter
The Realm of the Unreal explained
A narrative exploring the blurred boundaries between reality and illusion, where characters confront unsettling phenomena that challenge their perceptions of the world.
What happens
A narrative exploring the blurred boundaries between reality and illusion, where characters confront unsettling phenomena that challenge their perceptions of the world.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage marks the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of the narrato…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Madness and Perception
Characters grapple with distorted realities and question their own sanity.
- The Uncanny and the Grotesque
Unsettling events and objects blur the line between the familiar and the strange.
Characters to notice
- Halpin Frayser
Central figure experiencing dream-like states and supernatural encounters.
- Julia Hetman
Victim of a mysterious murder, whose death is investigated.
- Moxon
Inventor of a chess-playing machine that exhibits eerie behavior.
Key passages
“The realm of the unreal is not that of the impossible; it is that of the improbable.”
The unreal world consists of unlikely events, not impossible ones.
Defines the story's philosophical stance on reality.
“He had a strange feeling that he was not alone.”
He sensed an unseen presence nearby.
Highlights the theme of isolation and terror.
