Chapter 1 of Dream World is here in full — 217 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Dream World is here in full — 217 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
It was the awfullest dream in the world, no doubt about it. In fact, it seemed to be the only dream there was! He was a morning type, so it was unusual that he should feel depressed in the morning. He tried to account for it, and could not. He was a healthy man, so he ate a healthy breakfast.
Chapter 1 of Dream World is here in full — 217 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/43 · 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 record or narrative description of past events
From this reading “He tried to account for it, and could not.”
goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment
From this reading “He was a healthy man, so he ate a healthy breakfast.”
eat an early morning meal
From this reading “He was a healthy man, so he ate a healthy breakfast.”
lower than previously
From this reading “He was a morning type, so it was unusual that he should feel depressed in the morning.”
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading “It was the awfullest dream in the world, no doubt about it.”
having or indicating good health in body or mind; free from infirmity or disease
From this reading “He was a healthy man, so he ate a healthy breakfast.”
a subdivision of a particular kind of thing
From this reading “He was a morning type, so it was unusual that he should feel depressed in the morning.”
not usual or common or ordinary
From this reading “He was a morning type, so it was unusual that he should feel depressed in the morning.”
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 reality or actuality
In this reading “In fact, it seemed to be the only dream there was!”
In this reading “It was the awfullest dream in the world, no doubt about it.”
In this reading “He was a healthy man, so he ate a healthy breakfast.”
In this reading “He was a morning type, so it was unusual that he should feel depressed in the morning.”
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 was a morning type, so it was unusual that he should feel depressed in the morning.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It was the awfullest dream in the world, no doubt about it.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading He tried to account for it, and could not.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He tried to account for it, and could not.
goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment
From this reading He was a healthy man, so he ate a healthy breakfast.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the awfullest dream in the world, no doubt about it.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading In fact, it seemed to be the only dream there was!
eat an early morning meal
From this reading He was a healthy man, so he ate a healthy breakfast.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He tried to account for it, and could not.
lower than previously
From this reading He was a morning type, so it was unusual that he should feel depressed in the morning.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading It was the awfullest dream in the world, no doubt about it.
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading It was the awfullest dream in the world, no doubt about it.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading In fact, it seemed to be the only dream there was!
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading He was a morning type, so it was unusual that he should feel depressed in the morning.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He tried to account for it, and could not.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was a morning type, so it was unusual that he should feel depressed in the morning.
having or indicating good health in body or mind; free from infirmity or disease
From this reading He was a healthy man, so he ate a healthy breakfast.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was the awfullest dream in the world, no doubt about it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the awfullest dream in the world, no doubt about it.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He was a healthy man, so he ate a healthy breakfast.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading He was a morning type, so it was unusual that he should feel depressed in the morning.
not any; not one
From this reading It was the awfullest dream in the world, no doubt about it.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He tried to account for it, and could not.
and nothing more
From this reading In fact, it seemed to be the only dream there was!
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading In fact, it seemed to be the only dream there was!
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading He was a morning type, so it was unusual that he should feel depressed in the morning.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He was a morning type, so it was unusual that he should feel depressed in the morning.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He was a morning type, so it was unusual that he should feel depressed in the morning.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was the awfullest dream in the world, no doubt about it.
in or at that place or location
From this reading In fact, it seemed to be the only dream there was!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In fact, it seemed to be the only dream there was!
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading He tried to account for it, and could not.
a subdivision of a particular kind of thing
From this reading He was a morning type, so it was unusual that he should feel depressed in the morning.
not usual or common or ordinary
From this reading He was a morning type, so it was unusual that he should feel depressed in the morning.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the awfullest dream in the world, no doubt about it.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading It was the awfullest dream in the world, no doubt about it.
Chapter 1 of Dream World by R. A. Lafferty holds 217 sentences, grouped into 44 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 217 sentences of Dream World, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Dream World by R. A. Lafferty exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 217 sentences, grouped into 44 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 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 44 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 Dream World by R. A. Lafferty on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 217 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51668 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #51668, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 18 minutes of reading across 44 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Dream World section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Dream World 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 Dream World, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
