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Look Back on Happiness
Look Back on Happiness

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Look Back on Happiness is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Look Back on Happiness
Context Illustration Reading 1/85 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Translated from the Norwegian By PAULA WIKING I have gone to the forest.
Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.
That is all.
I have not gone this time as a slave and a vagabond.
I have money enough and am overfed, stupefied with success and good fortune, if you understand that.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Look Back on Happiness

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Look Back on Happiness is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Translated from the Norwegian By PAULA WIKING I have gone to the forest.
Line 2
Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.
/nɑːt bɪˈkɔːz aɪ æm əˈfendəd əˈbaʊt ˈeniθɪŋ ɔːr ˈveri ənˈhæpi əˈbaʊt menz ˈiːvəl weɪz bʌt sɪns ðə ˈfɔːrəst wɪl nɑːt kʌm tuː miː aɪ mʌst ɡoʊ tuː ɪt/
Line 3
That is all.
/ðæt ɪz ɔːl/
Line 4
I have not gone this time as a slave and a vagabond.
/aɪ hæv nɑːt ɡɔːn ðɪs taɪm æz ə sleɪv ənd ə ˈvæɡəbɑːnd/
Line 5
I have money enough and am overfed, stupefied with success and good fortune, if you understand that.

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.

men's noun US /menz/

a public toilet for men

From this reading “Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.”

Norwegian noun US /ˌnɔːrˈwiːdʒən/

a native or inhabitant of Norway

From this reading “Translated from the Norwegian By PAULA WIKING I have gone to the forest.”

offended adjective US /əˈfendəd/

emotionally hurt or upset or annoyed

From this reading “Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.”

overfed adjective US /ˌoʊvərˈfed/

too well nourished

From this reading “I have money enough and am overfed, stupefied with success and good fortune, if you understand that.”

slave noun US /sleɪv/

a person who is owned by someone

From this reading “I have not gone this time as a slave and a vagabond.”

Translated verb US /trænzˈleɪtɪd/

past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language

From this reading “Translated from the Norwegian By PAULA WIKING I have gone to the forest.”

unhappy adjective US /ənˈhæpi/

experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent

From this reading “Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.”

vagabond noun US /ˈvæɡəbɑːnd/

anything that resembles a vagabond in having no fixed place

From this reading “I have not gone this time as a slave and a vagabond.”

All words in this reading · 53

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading I have not gone this time as a slave and a vagabond.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading That is all.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading I have not gone this time as a slave and a vagabond.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading I have not gone this time as a slave and a vagabond.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Translated from the Norwegian By PAULA WIKING I have gone to the forest.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading I have money enough and am overfed, stupefied with success and good fortune, if you understand that.

evilnounUS /ˈiːvəl/

morally objectionable behavior

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

forestnounUS /ˈfɔːrəst/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading Translated from the Norwegian By PAULA WIKING I have gone to the forest.

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading I have money enough and am overfed, stupefied with success and good fortune, if you understand that.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Translated from the Norwegian By PAULA WIKING I have gone to the forest.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading Translated from the Norwegian By PAULA WIKING I have gone to the forest.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading I have money enough and am overfed, stupefied with success and good fortune, if you understand that.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Translated from the Norwegian By PAULA WIKING I have gone to the forest.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Translated from the Norwegian By PAULA WIKING I have gone to the forest.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading I have money enough and am overfed, stupefied with success and good fortune, if you understand that.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading That is all.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

men'snounUS /menz/

a public toilet for men

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading I have money enough and am overfed, stupefied with success and good fortune, if you understand that.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

NorwegiannounUS /ˌnɔːrˈwiːdʒən/

a native or inhabitant of Norway

From this reading Translated from the Norwegian By PAULA WIKING I have gone to the forest.

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

offendedadjectiveUS /əˈfendəd/

emotionally hurt or upset or annoyed

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

overfedadjectiveUS /ˌoʊvərˈfed/

too well nourished

From this reading I have money enough and am overfed, stupefied with success and good fortune, if you understand that.

PAULA

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

From this reading Translated from the Norwegian By PAULA WIKING I have gone to the forest.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

slavenounUS /sleɪv/

a person who is owned by someone

From this reading I have not gone this time as a slave and a vagabond.

stupefiedadjective

as if struck dumb with astonishment and surprise

From this reading I have money enough and am overfed, stupefied with success and good fortune, if you understand that.

successnounUS /səkˈses/

an event that accomplishes its intended purpose

From this reading I have money enough and am overfed, stupefied with success and good fortune, if you understand that.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That is all.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Translated from the Norwegian By PAULA WIKING I have gone to the forest.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading I have not gone this time as a slave and a vagabond.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading I have not gone this time as a slave and a vagabond.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Translated from the Norwegian By PAULA WIKING I have gone to the forest.

TranslatedverbUS /trænzˈleɪtɪd/

past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language

From this reading Translated from the Norwegian By PAULA WIKING I have gone to the forest.

understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading I have money enough and am overfed, stupefied with success and good fortune, if you understand that.

unhappyadjectiveUS /ənˈhæpi/

experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

vagabondnounUS /ˈvæɡəbɑːnd/

anything that resembles a vagabond in having no fixed place

From this reading I have not gone this time as a slave and a vagabond.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

waysnounUS /weɪz/

structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

WIKING

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

From this reading Translated from the Norwegian By PAULA WIKING I have gone to the forest.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Not because I am offended about anything, or very unhappy about men's evil ways; but since the forest will not come to me, I must go to it.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I have money enough and am overfed, stupefied with success and good fortune, if you understand that.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I have money enough and am overfed, stupefied with success and good fortune, if you understand that.

Chapter 1 of Look Back on Happiness by Knut Hamsun holds 429 sentences, grouped into 86 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.

What does chapter 1 of Look Back on Happiness contain?

Chapter 1 holds 429 sentences of Look Back on Happiness, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Look Back on Happiness by Knut Hamsun exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 429 sentences, grouped into 86 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 1 of Look Back on Happiness?

Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 86 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Look Back on Happiness

Common questions about reading Look Back on Happiness by Knut Hamsun on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Look Back on Happiness?

Yes. All 4574 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8445 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Look Back on Happiness is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #8445, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Look Back on Happiness take to read?

About 381 minutes of reading across 915 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Look Back on Happiness section by section

How to work through Look Back on Happiness section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of Look Back on Happiness 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 Look Back on Happiness

Words and structures a reader meets early in Look Back on Happiness, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Translated
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Look Back on Happiness; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Norwegian
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Look Back on Happiness; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Paula
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Look Back on Happiness; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wiking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Look Back on Happiness; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.