Project Gutenberg Library B1 C1

The Tragic Muse

The Tragic Muse by Henry James is available here as the complete text, split into 2284 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.

Henry James28 chapters

The Tragic Muse by Henry James. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #20085.

28 chaptersComplete chronicle

Five linesIn each reading

US EnglishNarration and vocabulary

Open Chapter I

Academic course · 28 chapters

Course Syllabus

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

The Tragic Muse

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

0 of 2274 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.

This edition of The Tragic Muse by Henry James carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #20085, divided into 28 chapters and 2284 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 Tragic Muse in full?

The complete text of The Tragic Muse is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #20085 and divided into 2284 sections.

This page carries the whole of The Tragic Muse by Henry James, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #20085, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 11417 sentences across 28 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 Tragic Muse divided for reading?

The Tragic Muse is presented in 28 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.

Rather than presenting The Tragic Muse as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 2284 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 28 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 Tragic Muse read aloud?

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

Every sentence of The Tragic Muse 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 Tragic Muse

Common questions about reading The Tragic Muse by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Tragic Muse?

Yes. All 11417 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20085 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Tragic Muse is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #20085, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Tragic Muse take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2284 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Tragic Muse section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Tragic Muse 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 Tragic Muse

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

Macmillan: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Tragic Muse; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Limited: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Tragic Muse; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Martin's: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Tragic Muse; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Street: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Tragic Muse; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

The Tragic Muse

Where can I read The Tragic Muse in full?

How is The Tragic Muse divided for reading?

Can I hear The Tragic Muse read aloud?

Questions about reading The Tragic Muse

How to read The Tragic Muse section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The Tragic Muse