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Claude's Confession
Claude's Confession

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of Claude's Confession is here in full — 62 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Claude's Confession
Context Illustration Reading 1/12 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?
Well, all is over: I have belied my youth; I am the fiancé of vice.
The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.
When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.
This pale and stained spectre will be a participant in all my love affairs.
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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.

Claude's Confession

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of Claude's Confession is here in full — 62 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?
Line 2
Well, all is over: I have belied my youth; I am the fiancé of vice.
Line 3
The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.
/ðə riˈmembrəns ʌv maɪ fɜːrst ˈaʊər ʌv lʌv ɪz ˈkloʊsli baʊnd tuː ðæt ʌv æn ˈɪnfəməs den ʌv ə kaʊtʃ ˈoʊvər wɪtʃ streɪndʒ ˈkɪsəz floʊt/
Line 4
When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.
Line 5
This pale and stained spectre will be a participant in all my love affairs.
/ðɪs peɪl ənd steɪnd ˈspektər wɪl biː ə pɑːrˈtɪsəpənt ɪn ɔːl maɪ lʌv əˈferz/

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.

belied verb US /bɪˈlaɪd/

past form of “belie” — be in contradiction with

From this reading “Well, all is over: I have belied my youth; I am the fiancé of vice.”

brunette noun US /bruːˈnet/

a person with dark (brown) hair

From this reading “PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?”

cynical adjective US /ˈsɪnɪkəl/

believing the worst of human nature and motives; having a sneering disbelief in e.g. selflessness of others

From this reading “When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.”

evoke verb US /ɪˈvoʊk/

call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)

From this reading “When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.”

infamous adjective US /ˈɪnfəməs/

known widely and usually unfavorably

From this reading “The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.”

participant noun US /pɑːrˈtɪsəpənt/

someone who takes part in an activity

From this reading “This pale and stained spectre will be a participant in all my love affairs.”

spectre noun US /ˈspektər/

a ghostly appearing figure

From this reading “This pale and stained spectre will be a participant in all my love affairs.”

suffice verb US /səˈfaɪs/

be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity

From this reading “PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?”

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.

love affairs noun + noun

In this reading “This pale and stained spectre will be a participant in all my love affairs.”

suffice for verb + particle

In this reading “PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?”

All words in this reading · 78

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 PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

affairsnounUS /əˈferz/

matters of personal concern

From this reading This pale and stained spectre will be a participant in all my love affairs.

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 Well, all is over: I have belied my youth; I am the fiancé of vice.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading Well, all is over: I have belied my youth; I am the fiancé of vice.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

ariseverbUS /ərˈaɪz/

come into existence; take on form or shape

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/

weapons considered collectively

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

awaking

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

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading This pale and stained spectre will be a participant in all my love affairs.

beliedverbUS /bɪˈlaɪd/

past form of “belie” — be in contradiction with

From this reading Well, all is over: I have belied my youth; I am the fiancé of vice.

boundadjectiveUS /baʊnd/

confined by bonds

From this reading The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.

BrothersnounUS /ˈbrʌðərz/

plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

brunettenounUS /bruːˈnet/

a person with dark (brown) hair

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

closelyadverbUS /ˈkloʊsli/

in a close relation or position in time or space

From this reading The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.

cloudsnounUS /klaʊdz/

plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

couchnounUS /kaʊtʃ/

an upholstered seat for more than one person

From this reading The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.

cynicaladjectiveUS /ˈsɪnɪkəl/

believing the worst of human nature and motives; having a sneering disbelief in e.g. selflessness of others

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

dennounUS /den/

the habitation of wild animals

From this reading The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

evokeverbUS /ɪˈvoʊk/

call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

fiancé

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

From this reading Well, all is over: I have belied my youth; I am the fiancé of vice.

fiancée

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

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.

floatverbUS /floʊt/

be in motion due to some air or water current

From this reading The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

glanceverbUS /ɡlæns/

throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

half-clad

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

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

harvestnounUS /ˈhɑːrvəst/

the yield from plants in a single growing season

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Well, all is over: I have belied my youth; I am the fiancé of vice.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Well, all is over: I have belied my youth; I am the fiancé of vice.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading This pale and stained spectre will be a participant in all my love affairs.

infamousadjectiveUS /ˈɪnfəməs/

known widely and usually unfavorably

From this reading The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

kissesnounUS /ˈkɪsəz/

plural of “kiss” — the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)

From this reading The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.

lakesnounUS /leɪks/

plural of “lake” — a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Well, all is over: I have belied my youth; I am the fiancé of vice.

nightsnounUS /naɪts/

Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Well, all is over: I have belied my youth; I am the fiancé of vice.

paleadjectiveUS /peɪl/

very light colored; highly diluted with white

From this reading This pale and stained spectre will be a participant in all my love affairs.

PAQUERETTE

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

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

participantnounUS /pɑːrˈtɪsəpənt/

someone who takes part in an activity

From this reading This pale and stained spectre will be a participant in all my love affairs.

puttingnounUS /ˈpʌtɪŋ/

hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

queennounUS /kwiːn/

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

remembrancenounUS /riˈmembrəns/

the ability to recall past occurrences

From this reading The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

spectrenounUS /ˈspektər/

a ghostly appearing figure

From this reading This pale and stained spectre will be a participant in all my love affairs.

stainedadjectiveUS /steɪnd/

marked or dyed or discolored with foreign matter

From this reading This pale and stained spectre will be a participant in all my love affairs.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.

sufficeverbUS /səˈfaɪs/

be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

sweetheartnounUS /ˈswiːthɑːrt/

a person loved by another person

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This pale and stained spectre will be a participant in all my love affairs.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

vicenounUS /vaɪs/

moral weakness

From this reading Well, all is over: I have belied my youth; I am the fiancé of vice.

WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Well, all is over: I have belied my youth; I am the fiancé of vice.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When, during the May nights, I shall evoke my fiancée, I shall see arise a half-clad, cynical girl, awaking and putting out her arms towards me.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The remembrance of my first hour of love is closely bound to that of an infamous den, of a couch over which strange kisses float.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading PAQUERETTE Brothers, where is the sweetheart, queen of the lakes and clouds, or the harvest brunette whose glance is so deep as to suffice for a life of love?

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading This pale and stained spectre will be a participant in all my love affairs.

youthnounUS /juːθ/

a young person (especially a young man or boy)

From this reading Well, all is over: I have belied my youth; I am the fiancé of vice.

Chapter 5 of Claude's Confession by Émile Zola holds 62 sentences, grouped into 13 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 Claude's Confession contain?

Chapter 5 holds 62 sentences of Claude's Confession, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Claude's Confession by Émile Zola exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 62 sentences, grouped into 13 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 Claude's Confession?

Work through the 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 13 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 Claude's Confession

Common questions about reading Claude's Confession by Émile Zola on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Claude's Confession?

Yes. All 3129 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #63819 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Claude's Confession is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #63819, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Claude's Confession take to read?

About 260 minutes of reading across 626 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Claude's Confession section by section

How to work through Claude's Confession section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 29 chapters of Claude's Confession to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Claude's Confession

Words and structures a reader meets early in Claude's Confession, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Claude's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Claude's Confession; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Confession
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Claude's Confession; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Claude's Confession; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
L'assommoir
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Claude's Confession; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.