Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
John Barleycorn
John Barleycorn

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of John Barleycorn is here in full — 75 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Chapter 13 of John Barleycorn by Jack London holds 75 sentences, grouped into 15 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 13 of John Barleycorn contain?

Chapter 13 holds 75 sentences of John Barleycorn, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of John Barleycorn by Jack London exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 75 sentences, grouped into 15 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 13 of John Barleycorn?

Work through the 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 15 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 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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 John Barleycorn

Common questions about reading John Barleycorn by Jack London on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of John Barleycorn?

Yes. All 3960 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #318 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of John Barleycorn is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #318, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does John Barleycorn take to read?

About 330 minutes of reading across 792 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read John Barleycorn section by section

How to work through John Barleycorn section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of John Barleycorn 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 John Barleycorn

Words and structures a reader meets early in John Barleycorn, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Election
A word that appears in the opening chapter of John Barleycorn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
California
A word that appears in the opening chapter of John Barleycorn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Afternoon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of John Barleycorn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ridden
A word that appears in the opening chapter of John Barleycorn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cover illustration for John Barleycorn
Context Illustration Reading 1/15 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.
And wherever I ranged, the way lay along alcohol-drenched roads.
Men still congregated in saloons.
They were the poor-man's clubs, and they were the only clubs to which I had access.
I could get acquainted in saloons.
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.

John Barleycorn

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of John Barleycorn is here in full — 75 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.
Line 2
And wherever I ranged, the way lay along alcohol-drenched roads.
Line 3
Men still congregated in saloons.
Line 4
They were the poor-man's clubs, and they were the only clubs to which I had access.
Line 5
I could get acquainted in saloons.
All words in this reading · 46

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

access

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

From this reading They were the poor-man's clubs, and they were the only clubs to which I had access.

acquainted

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

From this reading I could get acquainted in saloons.

afield

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

alcohol-drenched

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

From this reading And wherever I ranged, the way lay along alcohol-drenched roads.

along

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

From this reading And wherever I ranged, the way lay along alcohol-drenched roads.

and

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

back

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

Barleycorn

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

Benicia

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

clubs

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

From this reading They were the poor-man's clubs, and they were the only clubs to which I had access.

come

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

congregated

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

From this reading Men still congregated in saloons.

could

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

From this reading I could get acquainted in saloons.

find

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

from

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

get

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

From this reading I could get acquainted in saloons.

got

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

had

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

I

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

in

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

John

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

lay

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

From this reading And wherever I ranged, the way lay along alcohol-drenched roads.

left

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

life

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

me

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

Men

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

From this reading Men still congregated in saloons.

nearly

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

of

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

only

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

From this reading They were the poor-man's clubs, and they were the only clubs to which I had access.

poor-man's

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

From this reading They were the poor-man's clubs, and they were the only clubs to which I had access.

pursuit

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

ranged

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

roads

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

From this reading And wherever I ranged, the way lay along alcohol-drenched roads.

saloons

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

From this reading Men still congregated in saloons.

So

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

still

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

From this reading Men still congregated in saloons.

the

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

They

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

From this reading They were the poor-man's clubs, and they were the only clubs to which I had access.

to

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

way

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

From this reading And wherever I ranged, the way lay along alcohol-drenched roads.

were

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

From this reading They were the poor-man's clubs, and they were the only clubs to which I had access.

where

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

wherever

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

From this reading And wherever I ranged, the way lay along alcohol-drenched roads.

which

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

From this reading They were the poor-man's clubs, and they were the only clubs to which I had access.

whisper

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.

wider

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

From this reading So I left Benicia, where John Barleycorn had nearly got me, and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.