The White Blackbird
The White Blackbird by Robert Aitken is available here as the complete text, split into 1098 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
The White Blackbird by Robert Aitken. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #39066.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
The White Blackbird
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 1087 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
- Chapter I
- Chapter II
- Chapter III
- Chapter IV
- Chapter V
- Chapter VI
- Chapter VII
- Chapter VIII
- Chapter IX
- Chapter X
- Chapter XI
- Chapter XII
- Chapter XIII
- Chapter XIV
- Chapter XV
- Chapter XVI
- Chapter XVII
- Chapter XVIII
- Chapter XIX
- Chapter XX
- Chapter XXI
- Chapter XXII
- Chapter XXIII
- Chapter XXIV
- Chapter XXV
- Chapter XXVI
- Chapter XXVII
- Chapter XXVIII
- Chapter XXIX
- Chapter XXX
- Chapter XXXI
This edition of The White Blackbird by Robert Aitken carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #39066, divided into 31 chapters and 1098 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 White Blackbird in full?
The complete text of The White Blackbird is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #39066 and divided into 1098 sections.
This page carries the whole of The White Blackbird by Robert Aitken, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #39066, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 5490 sentences across 31 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 White Blackbird divided for reading?
The White Blackbird is presented in 31 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting The White Blackbird as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 1098 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 31 chapters.
Can I hear The White Blackbird read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of The White Blackbird can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of The White Blackbird 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 White Blackbird
Common questions about reading The White Blackbird by Robert Aitken on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The White Blackbird?
Yes. All 5490 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39066 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The White Blackbird is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #39066, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The White Blackbird take to read?
About 457 minutes of reading across 1098 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The White Blackbird section by section
How to work through The White Blackbird section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 31 chapters of The White Blackbird 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 White Blackbird
Words and structures a reader meets early in The White Blackbird, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Colonial
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The White Blackbird; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Press
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The White Blackbird; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Simonds
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The White Blackbird; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Boston
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The White Blackbird; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.