Shapes of Clay
Shapes of Clay by Ambrose Bierce is available here as the complete text, split into 492 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
Shapes of Clay by Ambrose Bierce. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #12658.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
Shapes of Clay
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 490 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
This edition of Shapes of Clay by Ambrose Bierce carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #12658, divided into 7 chapters and 492 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 Shapes of Clay in full?
The complete text of Shapes of Clay is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #12658 and divided into 492 sections.
This page carries the whole of Shapes of Clay by Ambrose Bierce, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #12658, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 2460 sentences across 7 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 Shapes of Clay divided for reading?
Shapes of Clay is presented in 7 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting Shapes of Clay as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 492 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 7 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 Shapes of Clay read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of Shapes of Clay can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of Shapes of Clay 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 Shapes of Clay
Common questions about reading Shapes of Clay by Ambrose Bierce on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Shapes of Clay?
Yes. All 2460 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12658 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Shapes of Clay is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #12658, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Shapes of Clay take to read?
About 205 minutes of reading across 492 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Shapes of Clay section by section
How to work through Shapes of Clay section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 7 chapters of Shapes of Clay 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 Shapes of Clay
Words and structures a reader meets early in Shapes of Clay, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Pride
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shapes of Clay; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Faith
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shapes of Clay; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Future
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shapes of Clay; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Affection
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shapes of Clay; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.