Chapter I
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of My Literary Passions is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MY LITERARY PASSIONS By William Dean Howells BIBLIOGRAPHICAL. I. THE BOOKCASE AT HOME II.
My Literary Passions
Chapter I · Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of My Literary Passions is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
MY
LITERARY
PASSIONS
By
William
Dean
Howells
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL.
I.
THE
BOOKCASE
AT
HOME
II.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
My Literary Passions
Chapter I · Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of My Literary Passions is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
MY
LITERARY
PASSIONS
/maɪ ˈlɪtəreri ˈpæʃənz/
Line 2
By
William
Dean
Howells
Line 3
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL.
/ˌbɪbliɑːˈɡrɑːfɪkəl/
Line 4
I.
/aɪ/
Line 5
THE
BOOKCASE
AT
HOME
II.
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.
bibliographical
adjective
US /ˌbɪbliɑːˈɡrɑːfɪkəl/
relating to or dealing with bibliography
From this reading “BIBLIOGRAPHICAL.”
bookcase
noun
US /ˈbʊkkeɪs/
a piece of furniture with shelves for storing books
From this reading “THE BOOKCASE AT HOME II.”
Dean
noun
US /diːn/
an administrator in charge of a division of a university or college
From this reading “By William Dean Howells”
home
noun
US /hoʊm/
where you live at a particular time
From this reading “THE BOOKCASE AT HOME II.”
Howells
noun
US /ˈhaʊəlz/
United States writer and editor (1837-1920)
From this reading “By William Dean Howells”
literary
adjective
US /ˈlɪtəreri/
of or relating to or characteristic of literature
From this reading “MY LITERARY PASSIONS”
passions
noun
US /ˈpæʃənz/
plural of “passion” — a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading “MY LITERARY PASSIONS”
All words in this reading · 14
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.
ATprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE BOOKCASE AT HOME II.
BIBLIOGRAPHICALadjectiveUS /ˌbɪbliɑːˈɡrɑːfɪkəl/
relating to or dealing with bibliography
From this reading BIBLIOGRAPHICAL.
BOOKCASEnounUS /ˈbʊkkeɪs/
a piece of furniture with shelves for storing books
From this reading THE BOOKCASE AT HOME II.
ByprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By William Dean Howells
DeannounUS /diːn/
an administrator in charge of a division of a university or college
From this reading By William Dean Howells
HOMEnounUS /hoʊm/
where you live at a particular time
From this reading THE BOOKCASE AT HOME II.
HowellsnounUS /ˈhaʊəlz/
United States writer and editor (1837-1920)
From this reading By William Dean Howells
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I.
IInoun
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading THE BOOKCASE AT HOME II.
LITERARYadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəreri/
of or relating to or characteristic of literature
From this reading MY LITERARY PASSIONS
MYdeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading MY LITERARY PASSIONS
PASSIONSnounUS /ˈpæʃənz/
plural of “passion” — a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading MY LITERARY PASSIONS
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BOOKCASE AT HOME II.
William
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By William Dean Howells
Chapter 1 of My Literary Passions by William Dean Howells holds 125 sentences, grouped into 25 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.
What does chapter 1 of My Literary Passions contain?
Chapter 1 holds 125 sentences of My Literary Passions, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of My Literary Passions by William Dean Howells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 125 sentences, grouped into 25 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 1 of My Literary Passions?
Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 25 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 1 be read aloud to me?
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 My Literary Passions
Common questions about reading My Literary Passions by William Dean Howells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of My Literary Passions?
Yes. All 1668 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3378 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of My Literary Passions is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #3378, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does My Literary Passions take to read?
About 139 minutes of reading across 334 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read My Literary Passions section by section
How to work through My Literary Passions section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Vocabulary met early in My Literary Passions
Words and structures a reader meets early in My Literary Passions, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Literary
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of My Literary Passions; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Passions
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of My Literary Passions; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- William
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of My Literary Passions; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Howells
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of My Literary Passions; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.