Chapter 1 of Ethan Frome is here in full — 441 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Ethan Frome is here in full — 441 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice. He was evidently surprised and slightly aggrieved at his own ignorance. “Does that sort of thing interest you?” I asked. “It used to.”
Chapter 1 of Ethan Frome is here in full — 441 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 22/88 · 5 reading units · Lines 106–110
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.
past form of “aggrieve” — infringe on the rights of
From this reading “He was evidently surprised and slightly aggrieved at his own ignorance.”
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading “He was evidently surprised and slightly aggrieved at his own ignorance.”
the lack of knowledge or education
From this reading “He was evidently surprised and slightly aggrieved at his own ignorance.”
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading “I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.”
a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
From this reading “I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.”
to a small degree or extent
From this reading “He was evidently surprised and slightly aggrieved at his own ignorance.”
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading “He was evidently surprised and slightly aggrieved at his own ignorance.”
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading “I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.”
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.
past form of “aggrieve” — infringe on the rights of
From this reading He was evidently surprised and slightly aggrieved at his own ignorance.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was evidently surprised and slightly aggrieved at his own ignorance.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I asked.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Does that sort of thing interest you?”
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading He was evidently surprised and slightly aggrieved at his own ignorance.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was evidently surprised and slightly aggrieved at his own ignorance.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.
the lack of knowledge or education
From this reading He was evidently surprised and slightly aggrieved at his own ignorance.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading “Does that sort of thing interest you?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It used to.”
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.
a brief written record
From this reading I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading He was evidently surprised and slightly aggrieved at his own ignorance.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.
a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
From this reading I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading He was evidently surprised and slightly aggrieved at his own ignorance.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading “Does that sort of thing interest you?”
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading He was evidently surprised and slightly aggrieved at his own ignorance.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Does that sort of thing interest you?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.
a special situation
From this reading “Does that sort of thing interest you?”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “It used to.”
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading “It used to.”
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was evidently surprised and slightly aggrieved at his own ignorance.
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.
the words that are spoken
From this reading I wondered less at his words than at the queer note of resentment in his voice.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Does that sort of thing interest you?”
Chapter 1 of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton holds 441 sentences, grouped into 89 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 441 sentences of Ethan Frome, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 441 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1758 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4517 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4517, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 146 minutes of reading across 352 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ethan Frome section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of Ethan Frome 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 Ethan Frome, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
