Chains
Chains by Theodore Dreiser is available here as the complete text, split into 1511 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
Chains by Theodore Dreiser. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #72326.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
Chains
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 1504 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
This edition of Chains by Theodore Dreiser carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #72326, divided into 18 chapters and 1511 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.
Where can I read Chains in full?
The complete text of Chains is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #72326 and divided into 1511 sections.
This page carries the whole of Chains by Theodore Dreiser, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #72326, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 7555 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 Chains divided for reading?
Chains is presented in 18 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting Chains as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 1511 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 sections are gathered into 18 chapters.
Can I hear Chains read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of Chains can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of Chains 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 Chains
Common questions about reading Chains by Theodore Dreiser on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Chains?
Yes. All 7555 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72326 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Chains is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #72326, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Chains take to read?
About 600 minutes of reading across 1511 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Chains section by section
How to work through Chains 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 Chains 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 Chains
Words and structures a reader meets early in Chains, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Italic
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Chains; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Displayed
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Chains; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Printed
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Chains; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- United
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Chains; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.