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Of Human Bondage
Of Human Bondage

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Of Human Bondage is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Of Human Bondage
Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Hayward thought that Philip choked a sob, and he looked at him with astonishment.
What’s the matter with you?”
Nothing.
I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”
You used to be so matter of fact.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Of Human Bondage

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Of Human Bondage is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Hayward thought that Philip choked a sob, and he looked at him with astonishment.
Line 2
What’s the matter with you?”
Line 3
Nothing.
Line 4
I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”
Line 5
You used to be so matter of fact.

All words in this reading · 37

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.

a

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hayward thought that Philip choked a sob, and he looked at him with astonishment.

and

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hayward thought that Philip choked a sob, and he looked at him with astonishment.

astonishment

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hayward thought that Philip choked a sob, and he looked at him with astonishment.

at

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hayward thought that Philip choked a sob, and he looked at him with astonishment.

be

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”

beauty

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”

been

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”

but

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”

choked

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hayward thought that Philip choked a sob, and he looked at him with astonishment.

damned

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”

emotional

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”

fact

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “You used to be so matter of fact.

for

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”

Hayward

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hayward thought that Philip choked a sob, and he looked at him with astonishment.

he

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hayward thought that Philip choked a sob, and he looked at him with astonishment.

him

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hayward thought that Philip choked a sob, and he looked at him with astonishment.

I'm

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”

I've

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”

looked

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hayward thought that Philip choked a sob, and he looked at him with astonishment.

matter

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “What’s the matter with you?”

months

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”

Nothing

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “Nothing.

of

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “You used to be so matter of fact.

Philip

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hayward thought that Philip choked a sob, and he looked at him with astonishment.

six

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”

so

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”

sob

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hayward thought that Philip choked a sob, and he looked at him with astonishment.

sorry

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”

starved

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”

that

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hayward thought that Philip choked a sob, and he looked at him with astonishment.

the

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “What’s the matter with you?”

thought

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hayward thought that Philip choked a sob, and he looked at him with astonishment.

to

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I’m sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I’ve been starved for beauty.”

used

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “You used to be so matter of fact.

What's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “What’s the matter with you?”

with

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hayward thought that Philip choked a sob, and he looked at him with astonishment.

you

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “What’s the matter with you?”

Chapter 21 of Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham holds 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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.

What does chapter 21 of Of Human Bondage contain?

Chapter 21 holds 402 sentences of Of Human Bondage, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 21 of Of Human Bondage?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Of Human Bondage

Common questions about reading Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Of Human Bondage?

Yes. All 16284 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #351 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Of Human Bondage is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #351, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Of Human Bondage take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 3257 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Of Human Bondage section by section

How to work through Of Human Bondage section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Of Human Bondage to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Of Human Bondage

Words and structures a reader meets early in Of Human Bondage, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Broke
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Of Human Bondage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clouds
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Of Human Bondage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Heavily
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Of Human Bondage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rawness
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Of Human Bondage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.