The Alkahest
The Alkahest by Honoré de Balzac is available here as the complete public-domain text, split into 577 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
The Alkahest by Honoré de Balzac. Complete public-domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #1453.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
The Alkahest
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 569 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
- Chapter I Chapter 1
- Chapter II Chapter 2
- Chapter III Chapter 3
- Chapter IV Chapter 4
- Chapter V Chapter 5
- Chapter VI Chapter 6
- Chapter VII Chapter 7
- Chapter VIII Chapter 8
- Chapter IX Chapter 9
- Chapter X Chapter 10
- Chapter XI Chapter 11
- Chapter XII Chapter 12
- Chapter XIII Chapter 13
- Chapter XIV Chapter 14
- Chapter XV Chapter 15
- Chapter XVI Chapter 16
This edition of The Alkahest by Honoré de Balzac carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #1453, divided into 16 chapters and 577 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 The Alkahest in full?
The complete text of The Alkahest is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #1453 and divided into 577 sections.
This page carries the whole of The Alkahest by Honoré de Balzac, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #1453, a public-domain edition, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 2881 sentences across 16 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 The Alkahest divided for reading?
The Alkahest is presented in 16 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting The Alkahest as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 577 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 16 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 The Alkahest read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of The Alkahest can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of The Alkahest 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 The Alkahest
Common questions about reading The Alkahest by Honoré de Balzac on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Alkahest?
Yes. All 2881 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1453 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Alkahest is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #1453, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Alkahest take to read?
About 240 minutes of reading across 577 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Alkahest section by section
How to work through The Alkahest section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 16 chapters of The Alkahest 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 The Alkahest
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Alkahest, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- House
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Alkahest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Douai
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Alkahest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Paris
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Alkahest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Whose
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Alkahest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.