Chapter 5 of Orientations is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Orientations is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
But the words lost themselves in the wind and night.... Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort. He clenched his fists and beat passionately against the cross. 'Oh, you are a cruel God! I hate you, I hate you!'
Chapter 5 of Orientations is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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.
closed or squeezed together tightly
From this reading “He clenched his fists and beat passionately against the cross.”
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading “'Oh, you are a cruel God!”
plural of “fist” — a hand with the fingers clenched in the palm (as for hitting)
From this reading “He clenched his fists and beat passionately against the cross.”
the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action
From this reading “I hate you, I hate you!'”
with passion
From this reading “He clenched his fists and beat passionately against the cross.”
a feeling of intense anger
From this reading “Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.”
get something; come into possession of
From this reading “Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.”
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading “Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.”
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 “Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.”
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 Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading He clenched his fists and beat passionately against the cross.
Having no one else present.
From this reading Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But the words lost themselves in the wind and night....
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading 'Oh, you are a cruel God!
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading He clenched his fists and beat passionately against the cross.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the words lost themselves in the wind and night....
closed or squeezed together tightly
From this reading He clenched his fists and beat passionately against the cross.
a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain
From this reading Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.
travel across or pass over
From this reading He clenched his fists and beat passionately against the cross.
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading 'Oh, you are a cruel God!
plural of “fist” — a hand with the fingers clenched in the palm (as for hitting)
From this reading He clenched his fists and beat passionately against the cross.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading 'Oh, you are a cruel God!
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.
the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action
From this reading I hate you, I hate you!'
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He clenched his fists and beat passionately against the cross.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I hate you, I hate you!'
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But the words lost themselves in the wind and night....
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading But the words lost themselves in the wind and night....
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading But the words lost themselves in the wind and night....
not any; not one
From this reading Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading 'Oh, you are a cruel God!
with passion
From this reading He clenched his fists and beat passionately against the cross.
a feeling of intense anger
From this reading Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.
get something; come into possession of
From this reading Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But the words lost themselves in the wind and night....
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading But the words lost themselves in the wind and night....
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then a great rage seized him that he alone should receive no comfort.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading But the words lost themselves in the wind and night....
the words that are spoken
From this reading But the words lost themselves in the wind and night....
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading 'Oh, you are a cruel God!
Chapter 5 of Orientations by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham holds 436 sentences, grouped into 88 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 436 sentences of Orientations, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Orientations by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 436 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 Orientations by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3005 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31308 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31308, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 250 minutes of reading across 601 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Orientations section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of Orientations 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 Orientations, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
