Bolanyo

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of Bolanyo is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Opie Percival Read • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

A MOMENT OF FORGIVENESS.

Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.

He said that the boilers of the Red Fox had blown off the end of our season, and had shattered the greatest dramatic combination that ever looked with horror at a piece of paper in the hand of a village sheriff.

"And the poor old elephant is flat on his back," I said.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter V Reading 1/30

Bolanyo

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of Bolanyo is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

A MOMENT OF FORGIVENESS.

/ə ˈmoʊmənt ʌv fərˈɡɪvnəs/

Line 2

Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

Line 3

With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.

/wɪð ˈdʒenjəwən əˈfekʃən hiː tʊk maɪ hænd ənd ɔːl ðə ˈenməti aɪ hæd held əˈɡenst hɪm wɑːz ɡɔːn ɪn ə ˈmoʊmənt/

Line 4

/hiː sed ðæt ðə ˈbɔɪlərz ʌv ðə red fɑːks hæd bloʊn ɔːf ðə end ʌv ˈaʊər ˈsiːzən ənd hæd ˈʃætərd ðə ˈɡreɪtəst drəˈmætɪk ˌkɑːmbəˈneɪʃən ðæt ˈevər lʊkt wɪð ˈhɔːrər æt ə piːs ʌv ˈpeɪpər ɪn ðə hænd ʌv ə ˈvɪlədʒ ˈʃerəf/

Line 5

"And the poor old elephant is flat on his back," I said.

/ənd ðə puːr oʊld ˈeləfənt ɪz flæt ɑːn hɪz bæk aɪ sed/

Learner Dictionary

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.

boilers noun US /ˈbɔɪlərz/

plural of “boiler” — sealed vessel where water is converted to steam

From this reading “He said that the boilers of the Red Fox had blown off the end of our season, and had shattered the greatest dramatic combination that ever looked with horror at a piece of paper in the hand of a village sheriff.”

combination noun US /ˌkɑːmbəˈneɪʃən/

a collection of things that have been combined; an assemblage of separate parts or qualities

elephant noun US /ˈeləfənt/

five-toed pachyderm

From this reading “"And the poor old elephant is flat on his back," I said.”

enmity noun US /ˈenməti/

a state of deep-seated ill-will

From this reading “With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.”

forgiveness noun US /fərˈɡɪvnəs/

compassionate feelings that support a willingness to forgive

From this reading “A MOMENT OF FORGIVENESS.”

shattered adjective US /ˈʃætərd/

ruined or disrupted

sheriff noun US /ˈʃerəf/

the principal law-enforcement officer in a county

whimper verb US /ˈwɪmpər/

cry weakly or softly

From this reading “Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

genuine affection adjective + noun

In this reading “With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.”

Red Fox noun + noun

weedy annual with spikes of silver-white flowers

In this reading “He said that the boilers of the Red Fox had blown off the end of our season, and had shattered the greatest dramatic combination that ever looked with horror at a piece of paper in the hand of a village sheriff.”

for a moment preposition + article + noun counted as “for … moment”

temporarily

In this reading “Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.”

with horror preposition + noun

in the afternoon preposition + article + noun counted as “in … afternoon”

In this reading “Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.”

in a moment preposition + article + noun counted as “in … moment”

In this reading “With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.”

All words in this reading · 70

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A MOMENT OF FORGIVENESS.

affectionnounUS /əˈfekʃən/

a positive feeling of liking

From this reading With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He said that the boilers of the Red Fox had blown off the end of our season, and had shattered the greatest dramatic combination that ever looked with horror at a piece of paper in the hand of a village sheriff.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading "And the poor old elephant is flat on his back," I said.

blownadjectiveUS /bloʊn/

being moved or acted upon by moving air or vapor

boilersnounUS /ˈbɔɪlərz/

plural of “boiler” — sealed vessel where water is converted to steam

bruskadjective

marked by rude or peremptory shortness

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

combinationnounUS /ˌkɑːmbəˈneɪʃən/

a collection of things that have been combined; an assemblage of separate parts or qualities

coververbUS /ˈkʌvər/

provide with a covering or cause to be covered

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

Culpepper

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

dramaticadjectiveUS /drəˈmætɪk/

suitable to or characteristic of drama

elephantnounUS /ˈeləfənt/

five-toed pachyderm

From this reading "And the poor old elephant is flat on his back," I said.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

enmitynounUS /ˈenməti/

a state of deep-seated ill-will

From this reading With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

flatadjectiveUS /flæt/

having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another

From this reading "And the poor old elephant is flat on his back," I said.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

FORGIVENESSnounUS /fərˈɡɪvnəs/

compassionate feelings that support a willingness to forgive

From this reading A MOMENT OF FORGIVENESS.

FoxnounUS /fɑːks/

alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs

genuineadjectiveUS /ˈdʒenjəwən/

not fake or counterfeit

From this reading With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.

greatestadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtəst/

highest in quality

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

horrornounUS /ˈhɔːrər/

intense and profound fear

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "And the poor old elephant is flat on his back," I said.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

lyingnounUS /ˈlaɪɪŋ/

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

MOMENTnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading A MOMENT OF FORGIVENESS.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A MOMENT OF FORGIVENESS.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading "And the poor old elephant is flat on his back," I said.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "And the poor old elephant is flat on his back," I said.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

piecenounUS /piːs/

a separate part of a whole

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading "And the poor old elephant is flat on his back," I said.

RednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

seasonnounUS /ˈsiːzən/

a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field

shatteredadjectiveUS /ˈʃætərd/

ruined or disrupted

sheriffnounUS /ˈʃerəf/

the principal law-enforcement officer in a county

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

tiedadjectiveUS /taɪd/

bound or secured closely

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading With genuine affection he took my hand, and all the enmity I had held against him was gone in a moment.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

villagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/

a community of people smaller than a town

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

whimperverbUS /ˈwɪmpər/

cry weakly or softly

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Culpepper called in the afternoon, and when he saw me lying there with my head tied up, he was brusk for a moment to cover the whimper in his voice.

Chapter 5 of Bolanyo by Opie Percival Read holds 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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.

What does chapter 5 of Bolanyo contain?

Chapter 5 holds 152 sentences of Bolanyo, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Bolanyo by Opie Percival Read exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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.

How do I study chapter 5 of Bolanyo?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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.

Can chapter 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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.

Questions about reading Bolanyo

Common questions about reading Bolanyo by Opie Percival Read on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Bolanyo?

Yes. All 3449 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38826 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Bolanyo is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #38826, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Bolanyo take to read?

About 287 minutes of reading across 690 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Bolanyo section by section

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

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Vocabulary met early in Bolanyo

Words and structures a reader meets early in Bolanyo, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Decorations: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bolanyo; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Charles: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bolanyo; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Francis: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bolanyo; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Browne: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bolanyo; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter V

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