Project Gutenberg Library B1 C1

The Mayor of Casterbridge

The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy is available here as the complete public-domain text, split into 1342 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.

Thomas Hardy36 chapters

The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy. Complete public-domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #143.

36 chaptersComplete chronicle

Five linesIn each reading

US EnglishNarration and vocabulary

Open Chapter I

This edition of The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #143, divided into 36 chapters and 1342 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 Mayor of Casterbridge in full?

The complete text of The Mayor of Casterbridge is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #143 and divided into 1342 sections.

This page carries the whole of The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #143, a public-domain edition, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 6709 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 Mayor of Casterbridge divided for reading?

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

Rather than presenting The Mayor of Casterbridge as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 1342 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 Mayor of Casterbridge read aloud?

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

Every sentence of The Mayor of Casterbridge 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 Mayor of Casterbridge

Common questions about reading The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Mayor of Casterbridge?

Yes. All 6709 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #143 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Mayor of Casterbridge is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #143, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Mayor of Casterbridge take to read?

About 559 minutes of reading across 1342 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Mayor of Casterbridge section by section

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

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Choose one of the 36 chapters of The Mayor of Casterbridge to begin.
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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Mayor of Casterbridge

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

Cover: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mayor of Casterbridge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mayor: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mayor of Casterbridge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Casterbridge: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mayor of Casterbridge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Death: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mayor of Casterbridge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

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 Mayor of Casterbridge

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

0 of 1357 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.

The Mayor of Casterbridge

Where can I read The Mayor of Casterbridge in full?

How is The Mayor of Casterbridge divided for reading?

Can I hear The Mayor of Casterbridge read aloud?

Questions about reading The Mayor of Casterbridge

How to read The Mayor of Casterbridge section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The Mayor of Casterbridge