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Cover of The Empty Sack
Project Gutenberg Library B1C1

The Empty Sack

The Empty Sack by Basil King is available here as the complete text, split into 1403 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.

Basil King29 chapters

The Empty Sack by Basil King. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #37412.

29 chaptersComplete chronicle
Five linesIn each reading
US EnglishNarration and vocabulary
Open Chapter I

Academic course · 29 chapters

Course Syllabus

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

The Empty Sack

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

0 of 1390 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.

  1. Chapter I 22 readings five lines each Open chapter
  2. Chapter II 47 readings five lines each Open chapter
  3. Chapter III 42 readings five lines each Open chapter
  4. Chapter IV 36 readings five lines each Open chapter
  5. Chapter V 50 readings five lines each Open chapter
  6. Chapter VI 44 readings five lines each Open chapter
  7. Chapter VII 68 readings five lines each Open chapter
  8. Chapter VIII 53 readings five lines each Open chapter
  9. Chapter IX 40 readings five lines each Open chapter
  10. Chapter X 42 readings five lines each Open chapter
  11. Chapter XI 31 readings five lines each Open chapter
  12. Chapter XII 51 readings five lines each Open chapter
  13. Chapter XIII 38 readings five lines each Open chapter
  14. Chapter XIV 41 readings five lines each Open chapter
  15. Chapter XV 55 readings five lines each Open chapter
  16. Chapter XVI 53 readings five lines each Open chapter
  17. Chapter XVII 48 readings five lines each Open chapter
  18. Chapter XVIII 54 readings five lines each Open chapter
  19. Chapter XIX 43 readings five lines each Open chapter
  20. Chapter XX 65 readings five lines each Open chapter
  21. Chapter XXI 49 readings five lines each Open chapter
  22. Chapter XXII 28 readings five lines each Open chapter
  23. Chapter XXIII 77 readings five lines each Open chapter
  24. Chapter XXIV 47 readings five lines each Open chapter
  25. Chapter XXV 56 readings five lines each Open chapter
  26. Chapter XXVI 55 readings five lines each Open chapter
  27. Chapter XXVII 45 readings five lines each Open chapter
  28. Chapter XXVIII 90 readings five lines each Open chapter
  29. Chapter XXIX 20 readings five lines each Open chapter

This edition of The Empty Sack by Basil King carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #37412, divided into 29 chapters and 1403 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 The Empty Sack in full?

The complete text of The Empty Sack is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #37412 and divided into 1403 sections.

This page carries the whole of The Empty Sack by Basil King, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #37412, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 7013 sentences across 29 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 Empty Sack divided for reading?

The Empty Sack is presented in 29 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.

Rather than presenting The Empty Sack as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 1403 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 29 chapters.

Can I hear The Empty Sack read aloud?

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

Every sentence of The Empty Sack 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 Empty Sack

Common questions about reading The Empty Sack by Basil King on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Empty Sack?

Yes. All 7013 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37412 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Empty Sack is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37412, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Empty Sack take to read?

About 584 minutes of reading across 1403 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Empty Sack section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 29 chapters of The Empty Sack to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Empty Sack

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

Collingham
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Empty Sack; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Office
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Empty Sack; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Having
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Empty Sack; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Become
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Empty Sack; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.