Chapter 12 of Messiah is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Messiah is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Clarissa seemed tired but fashionable in summer lace. She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly. “Recriminations?” I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity. I was prepared for anything, especially battle.
Chapter 12 of Messiah is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 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.
in a cheerful manner
From this reading “I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity.”
Mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.
From this reading “I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity.”
being or in accordance with current social fashions
From this reading “Clarissa seemed tired but fashionable in summer lace.”
spin, wind, or twist together
From this reading “Clarissa seemed tired but fashionable in summer lace.”
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading “She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly.”
an unrestrained expression of emotion
From this reading “I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity.”
plural of “recrimination” — mutual accusations
From this reading ““Recriminations?””
past form of “restore” — return to its original or usable and functioning condition
From this reading “I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity.”
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly.
any thing at all
From this reading I was prepared for anything, especially battle.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading I was prepared for anything, especially battle.
next to; at the side of
From this reading She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Clarissa seemed tired but fashionable in summer lace.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly.
in a cheerful manner
From this reading I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Clarissa seemed tired but fashionable in summer lace.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly.
Mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.
From this reading I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity.
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading I was prepared for anything, especially battle.
being or in accordance with current social fashions
From this reading Clarissa seemed tired but fashionable in summer lace.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I was prepared for anything, especially battle.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity.
a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease
From this reading I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity.
to a considerable degree
From this reading She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Clarissa seemed tired but fashionable in summer lace.
spin, wind, or twist together
From this reading Clarissa seemed tired but fashionable in summer lace.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly.
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly.
an unrestrained expression of emotion
From this reading I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity.
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity.
made ready or fit or suitable beforehand
From this reading I was prepared for anything, especially battle.
new
From this reading I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity.
plural of “recrimination” — mutual accusations
From this reading “Recriminations?”
past form of “restore” — return to its original or usable and functioning condition
From this reading I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Clarissa seemed tired but fashionable in summer lace.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading Clarissa seemed tired but fashionable in summer lace.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She sat down heavily in the chair beside my desk and looked at me oddly.
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading Clarissa seemed tired but fashionable in summer lace.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I asked cheerfully: the recent outburst had restored me to perfect health and equanimity.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was prepared for anything, especially battle.
Chapter 12 of Messiah by Gore Vidal holds 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 12 holds 417 sentences of Messiah, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Messiah by Gore Vidal exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 12 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 Messiah by Gore Vidal on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Messiah section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Messiah 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 Messiah, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
