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The Library
of Alexandria

A character in The King in Yellow

Who is Jack Hastings?

By the Library of Alexandria · 2 minute read · Updated 23. Okt 2026

In short

  • Jack Hastings is the American in The Demoiselle d'Ys, a ghost romance in Robert W. Chambers's The King in Yellow.
  • He loses his way while hunting in Brittany and meets a woman named Jeanne.
  • His love for Jeanne grows quickly, while her ties to an older time give their romance a ghostly quality.

Who Jack Hastings is

Jack Hastings is an American whose hunting trip in Brittany leads him into a ghostly romance. When he loses his way, he meets Jeanne, a lovely woman connected to an old family.

His story belongs to the part of the collection that moves away from the threatening play. Here, Chambers turns toward Breton legend and a love that reaches across centuries.

Jack Hastings and the others in the story

Jeanne is the woman Jack falls in love with, and their attachment develops quickly. She is linked not only to an old family but also to an older time. That connection gives their growing love the atmosphere of a legend rather than an ordinary meeting.

Questions

Who is Jack Hastings?

Jack Hastings is an American traveler at the center of the ghost romance The Demoiselle d'Ys.

Who does Jack Hastings fall in love with?

He falls in love with Jeanne, a woman whose family has ties to an older time.

Where does Jack Hastings meet Jeanne?

He meets her in Brittany after losing his way while hunting.

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