Shirley
Shirley by Charlotte Brontë is available here as the complete text, split into 2846 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
Shirley by Charlotte Brontë. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #30486.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
Shirley
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 2827 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
- Chapter XXVII
- Chapter XXVIII
- Chapter XXIX
- Chapter XXX
- Chapter XXXI
- Chapter XXXII
- Chapter XXXIII
- Chapter XXXIV
- Chapter XXXV
- Chapter XXXVI
- Chapter XXXVII
This edition of Shirley by Charlotte Brontë carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #30486, divided into 37 chapters and 2846 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.
Where can I read Shirley in full?
The complete text of Shirley is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #30486 and divided into 2846 sections.
This page carries the whole of Shirley by Charlotte Brontë, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #30486, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 14226 sentences across 37 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 Shirley divided for reading?
Shirley is presented in 37 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting Shirley as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 2846 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 sections are gathered into 37 chapters.
Can I hear Shirley read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of Shirley can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of Shirley 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 Shirley
Common questions about reading Shirley by Charlotte Brontë on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Shirley?
Yes. All 14226 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30486 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Shirley is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #30486, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Shirley take to read?
About 600 minutes of reading across 2846 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Shirley section by section
How to work through Shirley section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 37 chapters of Shirley 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 Shirley
Words and structures a reader meets early in Shirley, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Years
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shirley; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Abundant
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shirley; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Shower
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shirley; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Curates
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shirley; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.