Project Gutenberg Library B1 C1

Father Goriot

Father Goriot by Honoré de Balzac is available here as the complete public-domain text, split into 1114 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.

Honoré de Balzac34 chapters

Father Goriot by Honoré de Balzac. Complete public-domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #1237.

34 chaptersComplete chronicle

Five linesIn each reading

US EnglishNarration and vocabulary

Open Chapter I

Academic course · 34 chapters

Course Syllabus

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

Father Goriot

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

0 of 1101 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.

This edition of Father Goriot by Honoré de Balzac carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #1237, divided into 34 chapters and 1114 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 Father Goriot in full?

The complete text of Father Goriot is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #1237 and divided into 1114 sections.

This page carries the whole of Father Goriot by Honoré de Balzac, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #1237, a public-domain edition, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 5569 sentences across 34 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 Father Goriot divided for reading?

Father Goriot is presented in 34 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.

Rather than presenting Father Goriot as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 1114 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 34 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 Father Goriot read aloud?

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

Every sentence of Father Goriot 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 Father Goriot

Common questions about reading Father Goriot by Honoré de Balzac on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Father Goriot?

Yes. All 5569 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1237 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Father Goriot is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1237, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Father Goriot take to read?

About 464 minutes of reading across 1114 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Father Goriot section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 34 chapters of Father Goriot 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 Father Goriot

Words and structures a reader meets early in Father Goriot, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Great: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Father Goriot; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Illustrious: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Father Goriot; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Geoffroy: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Father Goriot; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Saint-hilaire: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Father Goriot; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Father Goriot

Where can I read Father Goriot in full?

How is Father Goriot divided for reading?

Can I hear Father Goriot read aloud?

Questions about reading Father Goriot

How to read Father Goriot section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Father Goriot