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Louis Lambert
Louis Lambert

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Louis Lambert is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Louis Lambert
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Why, then, yesterday, did I fail to read your soul?
Did you wish to hide the cause of your grief?
However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.
That man is not of our heaven.
"Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?
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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.

Louis Lambert

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Louis Lambert is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Why, then, yesterday, did I fail to read your soul?
/waɪ ðen ˈjestərdeɪ dɪd aɪ feɪl tuː red jɔːr soʊl/
Line 2
Did you wish to hide the cause of your grief?
/dɪd juː wɪʃ tuː haɪd ðə kɑːz ʌv jɔːr ɡriːf/
Line 3
However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.
/ˌhaʊˈevər aɪ ˈfænsid aɪ kʊd fiːl ðæt juː wɜːr ˈɑːrɡjuːɪŋ ɪn maɪ ˈfeɪvər ðoʊ ɪn veɪn wɪð ðæt ˈdredfəl ˈsæləmən huː ˈfriːzɪz maɪ blʌd/
Line 4
That man is not of our heaven.
/ðæt mæn ɪz nɑːt ʌv ˈaʊər ˈhevən/
Line 5
"Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?
/waɪ duː juː ˌɪnˈsɪst ðæt ˈaʊər ˈhæpinəs wɪtʃ hæz noʊ rɪˈzembləns tuː ðæt ʌv ˈʌðər ˈpiːpəl ʃʊd kənˈfɔːrm tuː ðə lɔːz ʌv ðə wɜːrld/

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.

arguing noun US /ˈɑːrɡjuːɪŋ/

a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement

From this reading “However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.”

conform verb US /kənˈfɔːrm/

be similar, be in line with

From this reading “"Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?”

fancied adjective US /ˈfænsid/

formed or conceived by the imagination

From this reading “However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.”

favor verb US /ˈfeɪvər/

promote over another

From this reading “However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.”

freezes noun US /ˈfriːzɪz/

plural of “freeze” — the withdrawal of heat to change something from a liquid to a solid

From this reading “However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.”

insist verb US /ˌɪnˈsɪst/

be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge

From this reading “"Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?”

resemblance noun US /rɪˈzembləns/

similarity in appearance or external or superficial details

From this reading “"Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?”

Salomon noun US /ˈsæləmən/

American financier and American Revolutionary War patriot who helped fund the army during the American Revolution (1740?-1785)

From this reading “However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.”

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.

arguingnounUS /ˈɑːrɡjuːɪŋ/

a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

bloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading Did you wish to hide the cause of your grief?

conformverbUS /kənˈfɔːrm/

be similar, be in line with

From this reading "Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading "Why, then, yesterday, did I fail to read your soul?

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?

dreadfuladjectiveUS /ˈdredfəl/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

failverbUS /feɪl/

fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading "Why, then, yesterday, did I fail to read your soul?

fanciedadjectiveUS /ˈfænsid/

formed or conceived by the imagination

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

favorverbUS /ˈfeɪvər/

promote over another

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

freezesnounUS /ˈfriːzɪz/

plural of “freeze” — the withdrawal of heat to change something from a liquid to a solid

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

griefnounUS /ɡriːf/

intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)

From this reading Did you wish to hide the cause of your grief?

happinessnounUS /ˈhæpinəs/

state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy

From this reading "Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading "Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?

heavennounUS /ˈhevən/

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading That man is not of our heaven.

hideverbUS /haɪd/

prevent from being seen or discovered

From this reading Did you wish to hide the cause of your grief?

HoweveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "Why, then, yesterday, did I fail to read your soul?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

insistverbUS /ˌɪnˈsɪst/

be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge

From this reading "Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading That man is not of our heaven.

lawsnounUS /lɔːz/

the first of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures comprising the first five books of the Hebrew Bible considered as a unit

From this reading "Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading That man is not of our heaven.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading That man is not of our heaven.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Did you wish to hide the cause of your grief?

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading "Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading That man is not of our heaven.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading "Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading "Why, then, yesterday, did I fail to read your soul?

resemblancenounUS /rɪˈzembləns/

similarity in appearance or external or superficial details

From this reading "Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?

SalomonnounUS /ˈsæləmən/

American financier and American Revolutionary War patriot who helped fund the army during the American Revolution (1740?-1785)

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading "Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading "Why, then, yesterday, did I fail to read your soul?

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Did you wish to hide the cause of your grief?

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading "Why, then, yesterday, did I fail to read your soul?

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Why, then, yesterday, did I fail to read your soul?

vainadjectiveUS /veɪn/

characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading "Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading "Why, then, yesterday, did I fail to read your soul?

wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading Did you wish to hide the cause of your grief?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading However, I fancied I could feel that you were arguing in my favor, though in vain, with that dreadful Salomon, who freezes my blood.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading "Why do you insist that our happiness, which has no resemblance to that of other people, should conform to the laws of the world?

yesterdaynounUS /ˈjestərdeɪ/

the day immediately before today

From this reading "Why, then, yesterday, did I fail to read your soul?

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Did you wish to hide the cause of your grief?

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Why, then, yesterday, did I fail to read your soul?

Chapter 9 of Louis Lambert by Honoré de Balzac holds 136 sentences, grouped into 28 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 9 of Louis Lambert contain?

Chapter 9 holds 136 sentences of Louis Lambert, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Louis Lambert by Honoré de Balzac exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 136 sentences, grouped into 28 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 9 of Louis Lambert?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 9 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Louis Lambert

Common questions about reading Louis Lambert by Honoré de Balzac on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Louis Lambert?

Yes. All 1633 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1943 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Louis Lambert is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1943, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Louis Lambert take to read?

About 136 minutes of reading across 327 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Louis Lambert section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of Louis Lambert 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 Louis Lambert

Words and structures a reader meets early in Louis Lambert, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Translated
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Louis Lambert; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clara
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Louis Lambert; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
James
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Louis Lambert; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Waring
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Louis Lambert; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.