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Heart of Darkness
Heart of Darkness

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Heart of Darkness is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Heart of Darkness
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Instead of going up, I turned and descended to the left.
My idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before I climbed the hill.
You know I am not particularly tender; I’ve had to strike and to fend off.
I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimesthat’s only one way of resistingwithout counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.
I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove menmen, I tell you.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Heart of Darkness

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Heart of Darkness is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Instead of going up, I turned and descended to the left.
Line 2
My idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before I climbed the hill.
Line 3
You know I am not particularly tender; I’ve had to strike and to fend off.
Line 4
I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimesthat’s only one way of resistingwithout counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.
Line 5
I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove menmen, I tell you.

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.

Exact adjective US /ɪɡˈzækt/

Strictly particular and correct.

From this reading “I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.”

All words in this reading · 74

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.

according

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

all

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

am

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

From this reading You know I am not particularly tender; I’ve had to strike and to fend off.

and

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

From this reading “Instead of going up, I turned and descended to the left.

as

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

attack

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

before

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

From this reading My idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before I climbed the hill.

blundered

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

but

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

by

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

chain-gang

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

From this reading My idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before I climbed the hill.

climbed

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

From this reading My idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before I climbed the hill.

cost

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

counting

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

demands

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

descended

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

From this reading “Instead of going up, I turned and descended to the left.

desire

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

devil

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

devils

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

drove

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

exactadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzækt/

Strictly particular and correct.

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

fend

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

From this reading You know I am not particularly tender; I’ve had to strike and to fend off.

get

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

From this reading My idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before I climbed the hill.

going

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

From this reading “Instead of going up, I turned and descended to the left.

greed

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

had

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

From this reading You know I am not particularly tender; I’ve had to strike and to fend off.

hill

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

From this reading My idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before I climbed the hill.

hot

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

I

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

From this reading “Instead of going up, I turned and descended to the left.

I've

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

From this reading You know I am not particularly tender; I’ve had to strike and to fend off.

idea

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

From this reading My idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before I climbed the hill.

Instead

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

From this reading “Instead of going up, I turned and descended to the left.

into

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

know

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

From this reading You know I am not particularly tender; I’ve had to strike and to fend off.

left

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

From this reading “Instead of going up, I turned and descended to the left.

let

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

From this reading My idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before I climbed the hill.

life

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

lusty

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

men

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

My

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

From this reading My idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before I climbed the hill.

not

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

From this reading You know I am not particularly tender; I’ve had to strike and to fend off.

of

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

From this reading “Instead of going up, I turned and descended to the left.

off

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

From this reading You know I am not particularly tender; I’ve had to strike and to fend off.

one

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

only

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

out

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

From this reading My idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before I climbed the hill.

particularly

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

From this reading You know I am not particularly tender; I’ve had to strike and to fend off.

red-eyed

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

resist

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

resisting

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

seen

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

sight

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

From this reading My idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before I climbed the hill.

sometimes

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

sort

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

stars

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

strike

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

From this reading You know I am not particularly tender; I’ve had to strike and to fend off.

strong

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

such

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

swayed

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

tell

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

tender

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

From this reading You know I am not particularly tender; I’ve had to strike and to fend off.

that

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

From this reading My idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before I climbed the hill.

that's

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

the

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

From this reading “Instead of going up, I turned and descended to the left.

these

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

to

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

From this reading “Instead of going up, I turned and descended to the left.

turned

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

From this reading “Instead of going up, I turned and descended to the left.

up

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

From this reading “Instead of going up, I turned and descended to the left.

violence

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

was

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

From this reading My idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before I climbed the hill.

way

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

were

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

From this reading I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.

without

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

From this reading I’ve had to resist and to attack sometimes—that’s only one way of resisting—without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into.

You

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

From this reading You know I am not particularly tender; I’ve had to strike and to fend off.

Chapter 3 of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad holds 203 sentences, grouped into 41 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 3 of Heart of Darkness contain?

Chapter 3 holds 203 sentences of Heart of Darkness, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 3 of Heart of Darkness?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Heart of Darkness

Common questions about reading Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Heart of Darkness?

Yes. All 2390 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #219 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Heart of Darkness is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #219, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Heart of Darkness take to read?

About 199 minutes of reading across 478 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Heart of Darkness section by section

How to work through Heart of Darkness section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of Heart of Darkness 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 Heart of Darkness

Words and structures a reader meets early in Heart of Darkness, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Nellie
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Heart of Darkness; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cruising
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Heart of Darkness; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Swung
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Heart of Darkness; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Anchor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Heart of Darkness; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.