Chapter 14 of Madame Bovary is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of Madame Bovary is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Thus we,” he said, “why did we come to know one another? What chance willed it? It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.” And he seized her hand; she did not withdraw it. “For good farming generally!” cried the president.
Chapter 14 of Madame Bovary is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 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 practice of cultivating the land or raising stock
From this reading ““For good farming generally!” cried the president.”
the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)
From this reading “It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.””
having no limits or boundaries in time or space or extent or magnitude
From this reading “It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.””
an executive officer of a firm or corporation
From this reading ““For good farming generally!” cried the president.”
plural of “stream” — a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading “It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.””
act in concert or unite in a common purpose or belief
From this reading “It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.””
past form of “will” — decree or ordain
From this reading “What chance willed it?”
pull back or move away or backward
From this reading “And he seized her hand; she did not withdraw it.”
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.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And he seized her hand; she did not withdraw it.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading “Thus we,” he said, “why did we come to know one another?
for the reason that
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading What chance willed it?
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Thus we,” he said, “why did we come to know one another?
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “For good farming generally!” cried the president.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “Thus we,” he said, “why did we come to know one another?
compelled forcibly by an outside agency
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
the practice of cultivating the land or raising stock
From this reading “For good farming generally!” cried the president.
the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “For good farming generally!” cried the president.
usually; as a rule
From this reading “For good farming generally!” cried the president.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “For good farming generally!” cried the president.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading And he seized her hand; she did not withdraw it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Thus we,” he said, “why did we come to know one another?
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading And he seized her hand; she did not withdraw it.
having no limits or boundaries in time or space or extent or magnitude
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading What chance willed it?
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “Thus we,” he said, “why did we come to know one another?
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading And he seized her hand; she did not withdraw it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “Thus we,” he said, “why did we come to know one another?
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
an executive officer of a firm or corporation
From this reading “For good farming generally!” cried the president.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Thus we,” he said, “why did we come to know one another?
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading And he seized her hand; she did not withdraw it.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And he seized her hand; she did not withdraw it.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
plural of “stream” — a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading “Thus we,” he said, “why did we come to know one another?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Thus we,” he said, “why did we come to know one another?
in the direction of
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
act in concert or unite in a common purpose or belief
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was because across the infinite, like two streams that flow but to unite; our special bents of mind had driven us towards each other.”
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “Thus we,” he said, “why did we come to know one another?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What chance willed it?
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Thus we,” he said, “why did we come to know one another?
past form of “will” — decree or ordain
From this reading What chance willed it?
pull back or move away or backward
From this reading And he seized her hand; she did not withdraw it.
Chapter 14 of Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert holds 175 sentences, grouped into 35 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 14 holds 175 sentences of Madame Bovary, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 175 sentences, grouped into 35 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 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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 14 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 Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6429 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2413 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2413, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 535 minutes of reading across 1286 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Madame Bovary section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 36 chapters of Madame Bovary 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 Madame Bovary, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
