Project Gutenberg Library B1 C1

Persuasion

Persuasion by Jane Austen is available here as the complete public-domain text, split into 700 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.

Jane Austen24 chapters

Persuasion by Jane Austen. Complete public-domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #105.

24 chaptersComplete chronicle

Five linesIn each reading

US EnglishNarration and vocabulary

Open Chapter I

This edition of Persuasion by Jane Austen carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #105, divided into 24 chapters and 700 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 Persuasion in full?

The complete text of Persuasion is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #105 and divided into 700 sections.

This page carries the whole of Persuasion by Jane Austen, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #105, a public-domain edition, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 3499 sentences across 24 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 Persuasion divided for reading?

Persuasion is presented in 24 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.

Rather than presenting Persuasion as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 700 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 24 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 Persuasion read aloud?

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

Every sentence of Persuasion 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 Persuasion

Common questions about reading Persuasion by Jane Austen on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Persuasion?

Yes. All 3499 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #105 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Persuasion is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #105, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Persuasion take to read?

About 291 minutes of reading across 700 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Persuasion section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 24 chapters of Persuasion 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 Persuasion

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

Walter: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Persuasion; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Elliot: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Persuasion; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kellynch: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Persuasion; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Somersetshire: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Persuasion; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Academic course · 24 chapters

Course Syllabus

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

Persuasion

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

0 of 712 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.

Persuasion

Where can I read Persuasion in full?

How is Persuasion divided for reading?

Can I hear Persuasion read aloud?

Questions about reading Persuasion

How to read Persuasion section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Persuasion