The Aspern Papers
The Aspern Papers by Henry James is available here as the complete public-domain text, split into 393 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
The Aspern Papers by Henry James. Complete public-domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #211.
This edition of The Aspern Papers by Henry James carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #211, divided into 11 chapters and 393 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 Aspern Papers in full?
The complete text of The Aspern Papers is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #211 and divided into 393 sections.
This page carries the whole of The Aspern Papers by Henry James, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #211, a public-domain edition, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 1965 sentences across 11 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 Aspern Papers divided for reading?
The Aspern Papers is presented in 11 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting The Aspern Papers as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 393 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 11 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 Aspern Papers read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of The Aspern Papers can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of The Aspern Papers 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 Aspern Papers
Common questions about reading The Aspern Papers by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Aspern Papers?
Yes. All 1965 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #211 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Aspern Papers is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #211, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Aspern Papers take to read?
About 163 minutes of reading across 393 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Aspern Papers section by section
How to work through The Aspern Papers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Aspern Papers 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 Aspern Papers
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Aspern Papers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Macmillan
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Aspern Papers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Taken
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Aspern Papers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Prest
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Aspern Papers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Confidence
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Aspern Papers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
The Aspern Papers
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 397 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.