Chapter 5 of Of All Things is here in full — 393 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Of All Things is here in full — 393 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work. It lacks coherence. It lacks stability. Perhaps this is because of the nature of the book itself. Perhaps it is because the author knew too well his Dunsany.
Chapter 5 of Of All Things is here in full — 393 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/78 · 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.
grow by addition
From this reading “The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.”
harsh or corrosive in tone
From this reading “The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.”
the state of cohering or sticking together
From this reading “It lacks coherence.”
a graphic or vivid verbal description
From this reading “The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.”
plural of “lack” — the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
From this reading “It lacks coherence.”
the quality or attribute of being firm and steadfast
From this reading “It lacks stability.”
plural of “virtue” — the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong
From this reading “The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.”
superlative of “weak” — wanting in physical strength
From this reading “The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.”
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 “The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.”
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.
grow by addition
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
harsh or corrosive in tone
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading Perhaps it is because the author knew too well his Dunsany.
for the reason that
From this reading Perhaps this is because of the nature of the book itself.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading Perhaps this is because of the nature of the book itself.
plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
the state of cohering or sticking together
From this reading It lacks coherence.
a graphic or vivid verbal description
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps it is because the author knew too well his Dunsany.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Perhaps it is because the author knew too well his Dunsany.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Perhaps this is because of the nature of the book itself.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Perhaps it is because the author knew too well his Dunsany.
plural of “lack” — the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
From this reading It lacks coherence.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading Perhaps this is because of the nature of the book itself.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
by chance
From this reading Perhaps this is because of the nature of the book itself.
plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal)
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
the quality or attribute of being firm and steadfast
From this reading It lacks stability.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Perhaps this is because of the nature of the book itself.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Perhaps it is because the author knew too well his Dunsany.
plural of “virtue” — the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
evoking lifelike images within the mind
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
superlative of “weak” — wanting in physical strength
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Perhaps it is because the author knew too well his Dunsany.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading The plot, in spite of whatever virtues may accrue to it from the acid delineation of the characters and the vivid action pictures, is the weakest part of the work.
Chapter 5 of Of All Things by Robert Benchley holds 393 sentences, grouped into 79 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 5 holds 393 sentences of Of All Things, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Of All Things by Robert Benchley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 393 sentences, grouped into 79 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 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 79 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 5 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 Of All Things by Robert Benchley on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2054 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37660 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #37660, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 171 minutes of reading across 411 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Of All Things section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of Of All Things 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 Of All Things, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
