Chapter 9 of Look Back on Happiness 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 Look Back on Happiness is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards. "Anyhow, it was lucky for the girl with the baby," she said. "And for the baby itself," I said. "Yes. But what an idea!
Chapter 9 of Look Back on Happiness 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.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading “Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.”
used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
From this reading “"Anyhow, it was lucky for the girl with the baby," she said.”
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading “"Anyhow, it was lucky for the girl with the baby," she said.”
true confidential information
From this reading “Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.”
-ing form of “discuss” — to consider or examine in speech or writing
From this reading “Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.”
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading “Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.”
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading “Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.”
occurring by chance
From this reading “"Anyhow, it was lucky for the girl with the baby," she said.”
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.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading But what an idea!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And for the baby itself," I said.
used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
From this reading "Anyhow, it was lucky for the girl with the baby," she said.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading "Anyhow, it was lucky for the girl with the baby," she said.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But what an idea!
true confidential information
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
-ing form of “discuss” — to consider or examine in speech or writing
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Anyhow, it was lucky for the girl with the baby," she said.
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
a young female
From this reading "Anyhow, it was lucky for the girl with the baby," she said.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "And for the baby itself," I said.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading But what an idea!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Anyhow, it was lucky for the girl with the baby," she said.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading "And for the baby itself," I said.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
occurring by chance
From this reading "Anyhow, it was lucky for the girl with the baby," she said.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Anyhow, it was lucky for the girl with the baby," she said.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Anyhow, it was lucky for the girl with the baby," she said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Anyhow, it was lucky for the girl with the baby," she said.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But what an idea!
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Later we were discussing Miss Torsen's story; she had forgotten one or two details which she filled in afterwards.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Anyhow, it was lucky for the girl with the baby," she said.
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes.
Chapter 9 of Look Back on Happiness by Knut Hamsun 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 Look Back on Happiness, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Look Back on Happiness by Knut Hamsun 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 Look Back on Happiness by Knut Hamsun on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4574 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8445 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #8445, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 381 minutes of reading across 915 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Look Back on Happiness section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Look Back on Happiness 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 Look Back on Happiness, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
