The Spider
The Spider by Fergus Hume is available here as the complete text, split into 1307 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
The Spider by Fergus Hume. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #55831.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
The Spider
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 1298 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
- Chapter I
- Chapter II A Confidential Communication
- Chapter III How the Trap Was Set
- Chapter IV Who Was Caught in the Trap
- Chapter V After the Tragedy
- Chapter VI Two Conversations
- Chapter VII Lady Corsoon's Appeal
- Chapter VIII The Grief of Ida
- Chapter IX Witchcraft
- Chapter X Mystery
- Chapter XI The Needle in the Haystack
- Chapter XII A Tempting Offer
- Chapter XIII The Bazaar
- Chapter XIV Run to Earth
- Chapter XV FACE To FACE
- Chapter XVI The Search
- Chapter XVII In the Train
- Chapter XVIII At Bowderstyke
- Chapter XIX A Bold Offer
- Chapter XX Gerby Hall
- Chapter XXI Justice
- Chapter XXII The End of It All
This edition of The Spider by Fergus Hume carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #55831, divided into 22 chapters and 1307 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 Spider in full?
The complete text of The Spider is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #55831 and divided into 1307 sections.
This page carries the whole of The Spider by Fergus Hume, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #55831, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 6535 sentences across 22 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 Spider divided for reading?
The Spider is presented in 22 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting The Spider as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 1307 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 22 chapters.
Can I hear The Spider read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of The Spider can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of The Spider 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 Spider
Common questions about reading The Spider by Fergus Hume on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Spider?
Yes. All 6535 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55831 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Spider is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #55831, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Spider take to read?
About 544 minutes of reading across 1307 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Spider section by section
How to work through The Spider section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 22 chapters of The Spider 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 Spider
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Spider, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Spider
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Spider; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Fergus
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Spider; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Author
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Spider; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Mystery
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Spider; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.