Before Adam
Before Adam by Jack London is available here as the complete public-domain text, split into 499 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
Before Adam by Jack London. Complete public-domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #310.
This edition of Before Adam by Jack London carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #310, divided into 18 chapters and 499 reading sections of 5 sentences each. Every sentence of the source is kept, and each chapter records which sentences cover which part of the story. Any word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry, and each section carries a contextual illustration generated from the passage itself.
Where can I read Before Adam in full?
The complete text of Before Adam is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #310 and divided into 499 sections.
This page carries the whole of Before Adam by Jack London, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #310, a public-domain edition, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 2495 sentences across 18 chapters. Each chapter stores a record of which sentences cover which part of the work, so nothing is quietly dropped between the source edition and the page you read.
How is Before Adam divided for reading?
Before Adam is presented in 18 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting Before Adam as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 499 sections of 5 sentences each. A section is short enough to hold in mind at once, which suits a reader working in a second language or returning to a long work in short sittings. The 18 chapters follow the divisions of the source edition, and each section carries a contextual illustration drawn from the passage it accompanies rather than a stock image.
Can I hear Before Adam read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of Before Adam can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of Before Adam can be played aloud, and so can any single word within it. Tapping a word plays it on its own and opens its dictionary entry, with the pronunciation shown in IPA alongside the part of speech and meaning. The reading voice uses United States English. This matters most for a work of this period, where a reader meets vocabulary and turns of phrase that are no longer in daily use and cannot be guessed reliably from spelling alone.
Questions about reading Before Adam
Common questions about reading Before Adam by Jack London on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Before Adam?
Yes. All 2495 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #310 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Before Adam is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #310, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Before Adam take to read?
About 207 minutes of reading across 499 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Before Adam section by section
How to work through Before Adam section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 18 chapters of Before Adam to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in Before Adam
Words and structures a reader meets early in Before Adam, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Pictures
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Before Adam; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Often
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Before Adam; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Learned
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Before Adam; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Wonder
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Before Adam; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
Before Adam
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 507 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
- Chapter I Chapter 1
- Chapter II Chapter 2
- Chapter III Chapter 3
- Chapter IV Chapter 4
- Chapter V Chapter 5
- Chapter VI Chapter 6
- Chapter VII Chapter 7
- Chapter VIII Chapter 8
- Chapter IX Chapter 9
- Chapter X Chapter 10
- Chapter XI Chapter 11
- Chapter XII Chapter 12
- Chapter XIII Chapter 13
- Chapter XIV Chapter 14
- Chapter XV Chapter 15
- Chapter XVI Chapter 16
- Chapter XVII Chapter 17
- Chapter XVIII Chapter 18