Pierre
Pierre by Herman Melville is available here as the complete text, split into 1210 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
Pierre by Herman Melville. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #34970.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
Pierre
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 1197 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
- Chapter I
- Chapter II
- Chapter III
- Chapter IV
- Chapter V
- Chapter VI
- Chapter VII
- Chapter VIII
- Chapter IX
- Chapter X
- Chapter XI
- Chapter XII
- Chapter XIII
- Chapter XIV
- Chapter XV
- Chapter XVI
- Chapter XVII
- Chapter XVIII
- Chapter XIX
- Chapter XX
- Chapter XXI
- Chapter XXII
- Chapter XXIII
- Chapter XXIV
- Chapter XXV
- Chapter XXVI
This edition of Pierre by Herman Melville carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #34970, divided into 26 chapters and 1210 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 Pierre in full?
The complete text of Pierre is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #34970 and divided into 1210 sections.
This page carries the whole of Pierre by Herman Melville, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #34970, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 6047 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 Pierre divided for reading?
Pierre is presented in 26 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting Pierre as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 1210 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 Pierre read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of Pierre can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of Pierre 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 Pierre
Common questions about reading Pierre by Herman Melville on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Pierre?
Yes. All 6047 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34970 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Pierre is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #34970, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Pierre take to read?
About 503 minutes of reading across 1210 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Pierre section by section
How to work through Pierre section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Pierre 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 Pierre
Words and structures a reader meets early in Pierre, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Pierre
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pierre; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Ambiguities
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pierre; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Herman
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pierre; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Melville
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pierre; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.