Project Gutenberg Library B1 C1

Main Street

Main Street by Sinclair Lewis is available here as the complete public-domain text, split into 2353 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.

Sinclair Lewis39 chapters

Main Street by Sinclair Lewis. Complete public-domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #543.

39 chaptersComplete chronicle

Five linesIn each reading

US EnglishNarration and vocabulary

Open Chapter I

This edition of Main Street by Sinclair Lewis carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #543, divided into 39 chapters and 2353 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 Main Street in full?

The complete text of Main Street is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #543 and divided into 2353 sections.

This page carries the whole of Main Street by Sinclair Lewis, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #543, a public-domain edition, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 11763 sentences across 39 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 Main Street divided for reading?

Main Street is presented in 39 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.

Rather than presenting Main Street as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 2353 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 39 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 Main Street read aloud?

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

Every sentence of Main Street 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 Main Street

Common questions about reading Main Street by Sinclair Lewis on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Main Street?

Yes. All 11763 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #543 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Main Street is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #543, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Main Street take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2353 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Main Street section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 39 chapters of Main Street 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 Main Street

Words and structures a reader meets early in Main Street, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Mississippi: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Main Street; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Where: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Main Street; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chippewas: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Main Street; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Camped: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Main Street; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Academic course · 39 chapters

Course Syllabus

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

Main Street

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

0 of 2370 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.

Main Street

Where can I read Main Street in full?

How is Main Street divided for reading?

Can I hear Main Street read aloud?

Questions about reading Main Street

How to read Main Street section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Main Street