Chapter 1 of Nonsense Novels is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Nonsense Novels is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman. “Great Heaven!” The Countess of Dashleigh dashed into the room. Her face was wild. Her tiara was in disorder.
Chapter 1 of Nonsense Novels is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 40/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 196–200
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.
female equivalent of a count or earl
From this reading “The Countess of Dashleigh dashed into the room.”
having gaps or spaces
From this reading “The Countess of Dashleigh dashed into the room.”
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading “Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.”
a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning
From this reading “Her tiara was in disorder.”
discontinued temporarily
From this reading “Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.”
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.”
a jeweled headdress worn by women on formal occasions
From this reading “Her tiara was in disorder.”
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading “Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.
female equivalent of a count or earl
From this reading The Countess of Dashleigh dashed into the room.
having gaps or spaces
From this reading The Countess of Dashleigh dashed into the room.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Countess of Dashleigh dashed into the room.
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.
a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning
From this reading Her tiara was in disorder.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Her face was wild.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading “Great Heaven!”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her face was wild.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Her tiara was in disorder.
discontinued temporarily
From this reading Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The Countess of Dashleigh dashed into the room.
a particular point in time
From this reading Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The Countess of Dashleigh dashed into the room.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.
a jeweled headdress worn by women on formal occasions
From this reading Her tiara was in disorder.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading Her face was wild.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Can you wonder that—” At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a woman.
Chapter 1 of Nonsense Novels by Stephen Leacock holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 1 holds 398 sentences of Nonsense Novels, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Nonsense Novels by Stephen Leacock exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 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.
Common questions about reading Nonsense Novels by Stephen Leacock on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2415 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4682 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4682, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 201 minutes of reading across 483 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Nonsense Novels section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of Nonsense Novels 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 Nonsense Novels, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
