Project Gutenberg Library B1 C1

The Crown of Life

The Crown of Life by George Gissing is available here as the complete public-domain text, split into 1588 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.

George Gissing36 chapters

The Crown of Life by George Gissing. Complete public-domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #4541.

36 chaptersComplete chronicle

Five linesIn each reading

US EnglishNarration and vocabulary

Open Chapter I

Academic course · 36 chapters

Course Syllabus

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

The Crown of Life

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

0 of 1574 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.

This edition of The Crown of Life by George Gissing carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #4541, divided into 36 chapters and 1588 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 Crown of Life in full?

The complete text of The Crown of Life is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #4541 and divided into 1588 sections.

This page carries the whole of The Crown of Life by George Gissing, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #4541, a public-domain edition, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 7937 sentences across 36 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 Crown of Life divided for reading?

The Crown of Life is presented in 36 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.

Rather than presenting The Crown of Life as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 1588 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 36 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 Crown of Life read aloud?

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

Every sentence of The Crown of Life 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 Crown of Life

Common questions about reading The Crown of Life by George Gissing on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Crown of Life?

Yes. All 7937 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4541 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Crown of Life is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4541, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Crown of Life take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1588 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Crown of Life section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 36 chapters of The Crown of Life 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 Crown of Life

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

Straying: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crown of Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kensington: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crown of Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gardens: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crown of Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pleasant: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crown of Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

The Crown of Life

Where can I read The Crown of Life in full?

How is The Crown of Life divided for reading?

Can I hear The Crown of Life read aloud?

Questions about reading The Crown of Life

How to read The Crown of Life section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The Crown of Life