Chapter 9 of Frenzied Fiction is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Frenzied Fiction is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
We entered. But how changed the place seemed. Our feet echoed on the flagstones of the deserted rotunda. At the office desk sat a clerk, silent and melancholy, reading the Bible. He put a marker in the book and closed it, murmuring “Leviticus Two.”
Chapter 9 of Frenzied Fiction is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 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.
the sacred writings of the Christian religions
From this reading “At the office desk sat a clerk, silent and melancholy, reading the Bible.”
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading “Our feet echoed on the flagstones of the deserted rotunda.”
past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate
From this reading “Our feet echoed on the flagstones of the deserted rotunda.”
plural of “flagstone” — stratified stone that splits into pieces suitable as paving stones
From this reading “Our feet echoed on the flagstones of the deserted rotunda.”
the third book of the Old Testament; contains Levitical law and ritual precedents
From this reading “He put a marker in the book and closed it, murmuring “Leviticus Two.””
some conspicuous object used to distinguish or mark something
From this reading “He put a marker in the book and closed it, murmuring “Leviticus Two.””
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading “He put a marker in the book and closed it, murmuring “Leviticus Two.””
a building having a circular plan and a dome
From this reading “Our feet echoed on the flagstones of the deserted rotunda.”
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 At the office desk sat a clerk, silent and melancholy, reading the Bible.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At the office desk sat a clerk, silent and melancholy, reading the Bible.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the office desk sat a clerk, silent and melancholy, reading the Bible.
the sacred writings of the Christian religions
From this reading At the office desk sat a clerk, silent and melancholy, reading the Bible.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading He put a marker in the book and closed it, murmuring “Leviticus Two.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But how changed the place seemed.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading But how changed the place seemed.
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading At the office desk sat a clerk, silent and melancholy, reading the Bible.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading He put a marker in the book and closed it, murmuring “Leviticus Two.”
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading Our feet echoed on the flagstones of the deserted rotunda.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading At the office desk sat a clerk, silent and melancholy, reading the Bible.
past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate
From this reading Our feet echoed on the flagstones of the deserted rotunda.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading We entered.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Our feet echoed on the flagstones of the deserted rotunda.
plural of “flagstone” — stratified stone that splits into pieces suitable as paving stones
From this reading Our feet echoed on the flagstones of the deserted rotunda.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He put a marker in the book and closed it, murmuring “Leviticus Two.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But how changed the place seemed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He put a marker in the book and closed it, murmuring “Leviticus Two.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He put a marker in the book and closed it, murmuring “Leviticus Two.”
the third book of the Old Testament; contains Levitical law and ritual precedents
From this reading He put a marker in the book and closed it, murmuring “Leviticus Two.”
some conspicuous object used to distinguish or mark something
From this reading He put a marker in the book and closed it, murmuring “Leviticus Two.”
a feeling of thoughtful sadness
From this reading At the office desk sat a clerk, silent and melancholy, reading the Bible.
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading He put a marker in the book and closed it, murmuring “Leviticus Two.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Our feet echoed on the flagstones of the deserted rotunda.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading At the office desk sat a clerk, silent and melancholy, reading the Bible.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Our feet echoed on the flagstones of the deserted rotunda.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Our feet echoed on the flagstones of the deserted rotunda.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading But how changed the place seemed.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading He put a marker in the book and closed it, murmuring “Leviticus Two.”
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading At the office desk sat a clerk, silent and melancholy, reading the Bible.
a building having a circular plan and a dome
From this reading Our feet echoed on the flagstones of the deserted rotunda.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading At the office desk sat a clerk, silent and melancholy, reading the Bible.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading But how changed the place seemed.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading At the office desk sat a clerk, silent and melancholy, reading the Bible.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But how changed the place seemed.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading He put a marker in the book and closed it, murmuring “Leviticus Two.”
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We entered.
Chapter 9 of Frenzied Fiction by Stephen Leacock holds 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 415 sentences of Frenzied Fiction, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Frenzied Fiction by Stephen Leacock exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 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.
