Chapter 1 of Aloys is here in full — 205 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Aloys is here in full — 205 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
He appeared in glory and sank without a trace. Why? How? For the first time anywhere, here is the startling inside story. He had flared up more brightly than anyone in memory.
Chapter 1 of Aloys is here in full — 205 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 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.
any person at all
From this reading “He had flared up more brightly than anyone in memory.”
at or in or to any place
From this reading “For the first time anywhere, here is the startling inside story.”
with brightness
From this reading “He had flared up more brightly than anyone in memory.”
past form of “flare” — burn brightly
From this reading “He had flared up more brightly than anyone in memory.”
a state of high honor
From this reading “He appeared in glory and sank without a trace.”
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading “He appeared in glory and sank without a trace.”
so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm
From this reading “For the first time anywhere, here is the startling inside story.”
a just detectable amount
From this reading “He appeared in glory and sank without a trace.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “For the first time anywhere, here is the startling inside story.”
In this reading “He appeared in glory and sank without a trace.”
In this reading “He appeared in glory and sank without a trace.”
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 He appeared in glory and sank without a trace.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He appeared in glory and sank without a trace.
any person at all
From this reading He had flared up more brightly than anyone in memory.
at or in or to any place
From this reading For the first time anywhere, here is the startling inside story.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading He appeared in glory and sank without a trace.
with brightness
From this reading He had flared up more brightly than anyone in memory.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading For the first time anywhere, here is the startling inside story.
past form of “flare” — burn brightly
From this reading He had flared up more brightly than anyone in memory.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For the first time anywhere, here is the startling inside story.
a state of high honor
From this reading He appeared in glory and sank without a trace.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had flared up more brightly than anyone in memory.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He appeared in glory and sank without a trace.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading For the first time anywhere, here is the startling inside story.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He appeared in glory and sank without a trace.
relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
From this reading For the first time anywhere, here is the startling inside story.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For the first time anywhere, here is the startling inside story.
The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.
From this reading He had flared up more brightly than anyone in memory.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading He had flared up more brightly than anyone in memory.
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading He appeared in glory and sank without a trace.
so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm
From this reading For the first time anywhere, here is the startling inside story.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading For the first time anywhere, here is the startling inside story.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He had flared up more brightly than anyone in memory.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For the first time anywhere, here is the startling inside story.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading For the first time anywhere, here is the startling inside story.
a just detectable amount
From this reading He appeared in glory and sank without a trace.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He had flared up more brightly than anyone in memory.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why?
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading He appeared in glory and sank without a trace.
Chapter 1 of Aloys by R. A. Lafferty holds 205 sentences, grouped into 41 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 1 holds 205 sentences of Aloys, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Aloys by R. A. Lafferty exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 205 sentences, grouped into 41 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 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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 1 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 Aloys by R. A. Lafferty on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 205 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51596 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #51596, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 17 minutes of reading across 41 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Aloys section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Aloys 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 Aloys, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
