Chapter 8 of A Son of the Sun is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of A Son of the Sun is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck. That he was a good player was clear. The cards were merely running against him. That he could not take his ill luck with equanimity was equally clear. He was guilty of sharp, ugly curses, and he snapped and growled at the imperturbable half-caste.
Chapter 8 of A Son of the Sun is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
a game played with playing cards
From this reading “The cards were merely running against him.”
plural of “curse” — profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading “He was guilty of sharp, ugly curses, and he snapped and growled at the imperturbable half-caste.”
a Protestant layman who assists the minister
From this reading “The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck.”
Mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.
From this reading “That he could not take his ill luck with equanimity was equally clear.”
past form of “growl” — to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds
From this reading “He was guilty of sharp, ugly curses, and he snapped and growled at the imperturbable half-caste.”
a person who participates in or is skilled at some game
From this reading “That he was a good player was clear.”
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading “He was guilty of sharp, ugly curses, and he snapped and growled at the imperturbable half-caste.”
displeasing to the senses
From this reading “He was guilty of sharp, ugly curses, and he snapped and growled at the imperturbable half-caste.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading That he was a good player was clear.
anew
From this reading The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The cards were merely running against him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He was guilty of sharp, ugly curses, and he snapped and growled at the imperturbable half-caste.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck.
a game played with playing cards
From this reading The cards were merely running against him.
rid of obstructions
From this reading That he was a good player was clear.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading That he could not take his ill luck with equanimity was equally clear.
plural of “curse” — profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading He was guilty of sharp, ugly curses, and he snapped and growled at the imperturbable half-caste.
a Protestant layman who assists the minister
From this reading The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck.
to the same degree (often followed by “as”)
From this reading That he could not take his ill luck with equanimity was equally clear.
Mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.
From this reading That he could not take his ill luck with equanimity was equally clear.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading That he was a good player was clear.
past form of “growl” — to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds
From this reading He was guilty of sharp, ugly curses, and he snapped and growled at the imperturbable half-caste.
responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act
From this reading He was guilty of sharp, ugly curses, and he snapped and growled at the imperturbable half-caste.
an offensive term for the offspring of parents of different racial groups or cultures
From this reading He was guilty of sharp, ugly curses, and he snapped and growled at the imperturbable half-caste.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading That he was a good player was clear.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The cards were merely running against him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading That he could not take his ill luck with equanimity was equally clear.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading That he could not take his ill luck with equanimity was equally clear.
not easily perturbed or excited or upset; marked by extreme calm and composure
From this reading He was guilty of sharp, ugly curses, and he snapped and growled at the imperturbable half-caste.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck.
the force of workers available
From this reading The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck.
and nothing more
From this reading The cards were merely running against him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading That he could not take his ill luck with equanimity was equally clear.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was guilty of sharp, ugly curses, and he snapped and growled at the imperturbable half-caste.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck.
(of games) engaged in
From this reading The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck.
a person who participates in or is skilled at some game
From this reading That he was a good player was clear.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading The cards were merely running against him.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading He was guilty of sharp, ugly curses, and he snapped and growled at the imperturbable half-caste.
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading He was guilty of sharp, ugly curses, and he snapped and growled at the imperturbable half-caste.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck.
carry out
From this reading That he could not take his ill luck with equanimity was equally clear.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That he was a good player was clear.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The other men stood or sat around the table, and Deacon played again in bad luck.
displeasing to the senses
From this reading He was guilty of sharp, ugly curses, and he snapped and growled at the imperturbable half-caste.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That he was a good player was clear.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The cards were merely running against him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading That he could not take his ill luck with equanimity was equally clear.
Chapter 8 of A Son of the Sun by Jack London holds 430 sentences, grouped into 86 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 8 holds 430 sentences of A Son of the Sun, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of A Son of the Sun by Jack London exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 430 sentences, grouped into 86 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading A Son of the Sun by Jack London on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4662 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21971 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21971, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 388 minutes of reading across 933 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Son of the Sun section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of A Son of the Sun to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Son of the Sun, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
