The Old Wives' Tale
The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett is available here as the complete public-domain text, split into 3022 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett. Complete public-domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #5247.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
The Old Wives' Tale
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 3013 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
- Chapter I Chapter 1
- Chapter II Chapter 2
- Chapter III Chapter 3
- Chapter IV Chapter 4
- Chapter V Chapter 5
- Chapter VI Chapter 6
- Chapter VII Chapter 7
- Chapter VIII Chapter 8
- Chapter IX Chapter 9
- Chapter X Chapter 10
- Chapter XI Chapter 11
- Chapter XII Chapter 12
- Chapter XIII Chapter 13
- Chapter XIV Chapter 14
- Chapter XV Chapter 15
- Chapter XVI Chapter 16
- Chapter XVII Chapter 17
- Chapter XVIII Chapter 18
- Chapter XIX Chapter 19
- Chapter XX Chapter 20
- Chapter XXI Chapter 21
- Chapter XXII Chapter 22
- Chapter XXIII Chapter 23
- Chapter XXIV Chapter 24
- Chapter XXV Chapter 25
- Chapter XXVI Chapter 26
This edition of The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #5247, divided into 26 chapters and 3022 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 Old Wives' Tale in full?
The complete text of The Old Wives' Tale is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #5247 and divided into 3022 sections.
This page carries the whole of The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #5247, a public-domain edition, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 15110 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 Old Wives' Tale divided for reading?
The Old Wives' Tale is presented in 26 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting The Old Wives' Tale as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 3022 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 Old Wives' Tale read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of The Old Wives' Tale can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of The Old Wives' Tale 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 Old Wives' Tale
Common questions about reading The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Old Wives' Tale?
Yes. All 15110 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5247 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Old Wives' Tale is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #5247, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Old Wives' Tale take to read?
About 600 minutes of reading across 3022 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Old Wives' Tale section by section
How to work through The Old Wives' Tale section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 26 chapters of The Old Wives' Tale 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 Old Wives' Tale
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Old Wives' Tale, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Girls
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Old Wives' Tale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Unlighted
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Old Wives' Tale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Stone
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Old Wives' Tale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Staircase
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Old Wives' Tale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.