Chapter 10 of Louis Lambert is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of Louis Lambert is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever. "Then you have not heard his story?" said he. "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad." "Lambert! Mad!" cried I in dismay.
Chapter 10 of Louis Lambert is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
From this reading “Mad!" cried I in dismay.”
comparative of “gloomy” — depressingly dark
From this reading “I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.”
a female heir
From this reading “"My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."”
a cgs unit of illumination equal to the brightness of a perfectly diffusing surface that emits or reflects one lumen per square centimeter
From this reading “"Lambert!”
a son of your brother or sister
From this reading “"My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."”
superlative of “rich” — possessing material wealth
From this reading “"My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."”
the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed
From this reading “"My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."”
Having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in character or magic.
From this reading “I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.”
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.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Mad!" cried I in dismay.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."
the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
From this reading Mad!" cried I in dismay.
at any time
From this reading I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.
comparative of “gloomy” — depressingly dark
From this reading I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Then you have not heard his story?" said he.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.
a female heir
From this reading "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Then you have not heard his story?" said he.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.
a cgs unit of illumination equal to the brightness of a perfectly diffusing surface that emits or reflects one lumen per square centimeter
From this reading "Lambert!
roused to anger
From this reading "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.
joined in matrimony
From this reading "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.
a son of your brother or sister
From this reading "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Then you have not heard his story?" said he.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."
superlative of “rich” — possessing material wealth
From this reading "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Then you have not heard his story?" said he.
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 "Then you have not heard his story?" said he.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Then you have not heard his story?" said he.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."
the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed
From this reading "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "My poor nephew was to be married to the richest heiress in Blois; but the day before his wedding he went mad."
at the time that
From this reading I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.
Having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in character or magic.
From this reading I told him my name; when he heard it, the worthy man grew gloomier than ever.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Then you have not heard his story?" said he.
Chapter 10 of Louis Lambert by Honoré de Balzac holds 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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.
Chapter 10 holds 151 sentences of Louis Lambert, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of Louis Lambert by Honoré de Balzac exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 10 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 Louis Lambert by Honoré de Balzac on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1633 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1943 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1943, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 136 minutes of reading across 327 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Louis Lambert section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Louis Lambert 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 Louis Lambert, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
