Chapter 9 of Chains 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 IX
Chapter 9 of Chains is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
And then later, with the same Edward taking it most casually and grandly and reading it. So she had been compelled to write him, had she? Oh, these dames! Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me. How can you?
Chapter 9 of Chains 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.
not methodically or according to plan
From this reading “And then later, with the same Edward taking it most casually and grandly and reading it.”
inflected form of “compel” — force somebody to do something
From this reading “So she had been compelled to write him, had she?”
(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something
From this reading “Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.”
plural of “dame” — informal terms for a (young) woman
From this reading “Oh, these dames!”
a special loved one
From this reading “Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.”
precise; explicit and clearly defined
From this reading “Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.”
in a grand manner
From this reading “And then later, with the same Edward taking it most casually and grandly and reading it.”
the swift release of a store of affective force
From this reading “Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.”
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.
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 Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
(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 Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And then later, with the same Edward taking it most casually and grandly and reading it.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading So she had been compelled to write him, had she?
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading How can you?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
not methodically or according to plan
From this reading And then later, with the same Edward taking it most casually and grandly and reading it.
inflected form of “compel” — force somebody to do something
From this reading So she had been compelled to write him, had she?
(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something
From this reading Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
plural of “dame” — informal terms for a (young) woman
From this reading Oh, these dames!
a special loved one
From this reading Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
precise; explicit and clearly defined
From this reading Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)
From this reading And then later, with the same Edward taking it most casually and grandly and reading it.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
in a grand manner
From this reading And then later, with the same Edward taking it most casually and grandly and reading it.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading So she had been compelled to write him, had she?
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading So she had been compelled to write him, had she?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How can you?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And then later, with the same Edward taking it most casually and grandly and reading it.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading And then later, with the same Edward taking it most casually and grandly and reading it.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
used to form the superlative
From this reading And then later, with the same Edward taking it most casually and grandly and reading it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Oh, these dames!
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading And then later, with the same Edward taking it most casually and grandly and reading it.
Identical; not different.
From this reading And then later, with the same Edward taking it most casually and grandly and reading it.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading So she had been compelled to write him, had she?
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So she had been compelled to write him, had she?
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading And then later, with the same Edward taking it most casually and grandly and reading it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And then later, with the same Edward taking it most casually and grandly and reading it.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And then later, with the same Edward taking it most casually and grandly and reading it.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Oh, these dames!
the swift release of a store of affective force
From this reading Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading So she had been compelled to write him, had she?
in the company of; together with
From this reading And then later, with the same Edward taking it most casually and grandly and reading it.
produce a literary work
From this reading So she had been compelled to write him, had she?
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Yet with a definite thrill from the contents for all of that, for it read: “Oh, Edward, darling, you can’t be so cruel to me.
Chapter 9 of Chains by Theodore Dreiser 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 9 holds 430 sentences of Chains, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Chains by Theodore Dreiser 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 9 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 Chains by Theodore Dreiser on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7555 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72326 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #72326, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1511 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Chains section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of Chains 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 Chains, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
