Project Gutenberg Library B1 C1

Contrary Mary

Contrary Mary by Temple Bailey is available here as the complete text, split into 1241 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.

Temple Bailey26 chapters

Contrary Mary by Temple Bailey. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #17938.

26 chaptersComplete chronicle

Five linesIn each reading

US EnglishNarration and vocabulary

Open Chapter I

Academic course · 26 chapters

Course Syllabus

This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.

Contrary Mary

Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.

0 of 1228 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.

This edition of Contrary Mary by Temple Bailey carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #17938, divided into 26 chapters and 1241 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 Contrary Mary in full?

The complete text of Contrary Mary is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #17938 and divided into 1241 sections.

This page carries the whole of Contrary Mary by Temple Bailey, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #17938, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 6204 sentences across 26 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 Contrary Mary divided for reading?

Contrary Mary is presented in 26 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.

Rather than presenting Contrary Mary as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 1241 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 26 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 Contrary Mary read aloud?

Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of Contrary Mary can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.

Every sentence of Contrary Mary 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 Contrary Mary

Common questions about reading Contrary Mary by Temple Bailey on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Contrary Mary?

Yes. All 6204 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17938 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Contrary Mary is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #17938, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Contrary Mary take to read?

About 517 minutes of reading across 1241 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Contrary Mary section by section

How to work through Contrary Mary section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 26 chapters of Contrary Mary to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Contrary Mary

Words and structures a reader meets early in Contrary Mary, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Silken: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Contrary Mary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ladies: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Contrary Mary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ascend: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Contrary Mary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stairway: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Contrary Mary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Contrary Mary

Where can I read Contrary Mary in full?

How is Contrary Mary divided for reading?

Can I hear Contrary Mary read aloud?

Questions about reading Contrary Mary

How to read Contrary Mary section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Contrary Mary