Read in English · with German
Read The haunting hand in English, with German beside it
by Walter Adolphe Roberts · 1886–1962
The Haunting Hand by Walter Adolphe Roberts is a mystery novel written in the early 20th century. It follows Margot Anstruther, a rising film actress in New York, whose lively studio life collides with an unnerving, seemingly supernatural threat: a disembodied hand that appears in her room. Caught between an ardent cameraman ally and a domineering director, she is drawn into a puzzle that blends show-business intrigue with creeping suspense. Expect a sharp, modern heroine using cool reason to probe a chilling mystery. The opening of the novel introduces Margot’s world: a roof-garden party with movie colleagues, a flirtatious yet menacing director (Stoner), and loyal cameraman Gene, amid gossip about a vanished lodger and hints of a stolen cache of radium. After midnight, alone in her brownstone room, Margot sees a thin hand slide from beneath her bed to snuff a burning match. Terrified but resourceful, she telephones Gene using a French-coded plea; he arrives with a revolver, finds nothing, but a smudged mark proves something touched the rug. The police are summoned, and in darkness one officer himself witnesses the eerie hand extinguish a flame, sending shock through the house. At dawn, Margot rejects ghostly explanations, convinced a human plot is at work. Back at the studio, she relates the incident to friends; Stoner warns her off publicity and control-freakishly urges her to drop it, while she resolves to investigate the mystery herself.
Summary generated automatically by Project Gutenberg.
- Read time
- 266 min
- Words
- 58,579
- Chapters
- 21
- Paragraphs
- 1,554
- Price
- Free
- Astoria (New York, N.Y.) -- Fiction
- Detective and mystery stories
- Man-woman relationships -- Fiction
- Motion picture industry -- Fiction
- Thrillers (Fiction)
- Young women -- Fiction
“Just a little,” she whispered back.
„Nur ein wenig“, flüsterte sie zurück.
As if afraid that she had surrendered too much and too quickly, she drew gently out of his arms, with a glance that told him he mustn’t press the advantage gained.
Als hätte sie Angst, dass sie sich zu viel und zu schnell ergeben hatte, löste sie sich sanft aus seinen Armen, mit einem Blick, der ihm sagte, er dürfe den erzielten Vorteil nicht weiter ausnutzen.
Then a frown drew her eyes together, as if to remind him that the situation demanded concentrated thought and action, unrelated to love-making.
Dann zogen sich ihre Augenbrauen zusammen, als wollte sie ihn daran erinnern, dass die Situation konzentriertes Denken und Handeln erforderte, unabhängig von Liebesgeschäften.
“Gene, whether I ever sleep again in this room or not, I’ve got to know what was under my bed and where it went to.
„Gene, egal, ob ich in diesem Raum jemals wieder schlafe oder nicht, ich muss wissen, was sich unter meinem Bett befand und wohin es verschwunden ist.
You said you’d help me?”
Du hast gesagt, du hilfst mir?“
About the author
Walter Adolphe Roberts1886–1962
Walter Adolphe Roberts (1886–1962) was a Jamaican-born novelist, poet, and historian who spent much of his career in London.
The Walter Adolphe Roberts page, and where to start →Read it in another language
Questions about The haunting hand
Can I read The haunting hand in English with German side by side online?
Yes, free. Paralelo shows the English original with a German machine translation beside it, aligned phrase by phrase: hover or tap a phrase and its counterpart lights up in the other column. Anyone can read a passage; a free account opens the whole book.
What level do I need to read The haunting hand here?
There is no set level. The haunting hand runs to 58,579 words in 21 chapters, and the translation sits beside it, aligned phrase by phrase, so you can start below the level the original would need on its own and lean on the translation only where you stumble.
Is The haunting hand really free to read?
Yes. The text is in the public domain, and the translation and alignment are ours to give. A free account opens the whole book; the paid tier is for unlimited explanations.
Can I read The haunting hand in another language?
Yes. It is also published in Spanish, French, and switching keeps your place, because both columns share one paragraph numbering.
How long does The haunting hand take to read?
About 4 hours at a normal pace, longer if you stop to look at the alignment, which is rather the point.
Book details
- Original language
- English
- Translation
- German, machine translation
- Source text
- Project Gutenberg #78094
- Licence
- Public domain in the United States
Start The haunting hand today.
Free forever, no card. The whole library opens with an account.
Start reading, it's free