Chapter 8 of Frenzied Fiction is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Frenzied Fiction is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
This is the rock on which we were wrecked. Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening. Yet that is, it seems, the only way to begin. Asparagus demands a preparation of four years. To fit oneself to grow strawberries requires three years.
Chapter 8 of Frenzied Fiction is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
plant whose succulent young shoots are cooked and eaten as a vegetable
From this reading “Asparagus demands a preparation of four years.”
plural of “demand” — an urgent or peremptory request
From this reading “Asparagus demands a preparation of four years.”
the cultivation of plants
From this reading “Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.”
the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose
From this reading “Asparagus demands a preparation of four years.”
third-person singular of “require” — require as useful, just, or proper
From this reading “To fit oneself to grow strawberries requires three years.”
use up a period of time in a specific way
From this reading “Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.”
plural of “strawberry” — sweet fleshy red fruit
From this reading “To fit oneself to grow strawberries requires three years.”
destroyed in an accident
From this reading “This is the rock on which we were wrecked.”
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 Asparagus demands a preparation of four years.
plant whose succulent young shoots are cooked and eaten as a vegetable
From this reading Asparagus demands a preparation of four years.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.
plural of “demand” — an urgent or peremptory request
From this reading Asparagus demands a preparation of four years.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading To fit oneself to grow strawberries requires three years.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Asparagus demands a preparation of four years.
the cultivation of plants
From this reading Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading To fit oneself to grow strawberries requires three years.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This is the rock on which we were wrecked.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Yet that is, it seems, the only way to begin.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.
the force of workers available
From this reading Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading This is the rock on which we were wrecked.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To fit oneself to grow strawberries requires three years.
and nothing more
From this reading Yet that is, it seems, the only way to begin.
the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose
From this reading Asparagus demands a preparation of four years.
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.
third-person singular of “require” — require as useful, just, or proper
From this reading To fit oneself to grow strawberries requires three years.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading This is the rock on which we were wrecked.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Yet that is, it seems, the only way to begin.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.
use up a period of time in a specific way
From this reading Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.
plural of “strawberry” — sweet fleshy red fruit
From this reading To fit oneself to grow strawberries requires three years.
of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement but without being abundant
From this reading Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Yet that is, it seems, the only way to begin.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading This is the rock on which we were wrecked.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This is the rock on which we were wrecked.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading To fit oneself to grow strawberries requires three years.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Yet that is, it seems, the only way to begin.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading This is the rock on which we were wrecked.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading This is the rock on which we were wrecked.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading This is the rock on which we were wrecked.
destroyed in an accident
From this reading This is the rock on which we were wrecked.
a late time of life
From this reading Few of us were men of sufficient means to spend several years in quiet thought waiting to begin gardening.
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet that is, it seems, the only way to begin.
Chapter 8 of Frenzied Fiction by Stephen Leacock holds 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 8 holds 417 sentences of Frenzied Fiction, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Frenzied Fiction by Stephen Leacock exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 8 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 Frenzied Fiction by Stephen Leacock on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3767 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8457 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #8457, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 313 minutes of reading across 754 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Frenzied Fiction section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Frenzied Fiction 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 Frenzied Fiction, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
