Project Gutenberg Library B1 C1

The American

The American by Henry James is available here as the complete public-domain text, split into 1792 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.

Henry James26 chapters

The American by Henry James. Complete public-domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #177.

26 chaptersComplete chronicle

Five linesIn each reading

US EnglishNarration and vocabulary

Open Chapter I

Academic course · 26 chapters

Course Syllabus

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

The American

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

0 of 1781 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.

This edition of The American by Henry James carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #177, divided into 26 chapters and 1792 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 American in full?

The complete text of The American is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #177 and divided into 1792 sections.

This page carries the whole of The American by Henry James, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #177, a public-domain edition, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 8959 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 The American divided for reading?

The American is presented in 26 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.

Rather than presenting The American as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 1792 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 The American read aloud?

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

Every sentence of The American 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 American

Common questions about reading The American by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The American?

Yes. All 8959 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #177 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The American is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #177, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The American take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1792 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The American section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 26 chapters of The American 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 The American

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

Brilliant: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The American; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gentleman: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The American; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Reclining: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The American; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The American; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

The American

Where can I read The American in full?

How is The American divided for reading?

Can I hear The American read aloud?

Questions about reading The American

How to read The American section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The American