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Prester John
Prester John

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Prester John is here in full — 222 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Prester John
Context Illustration Reading 1/44 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I mind as if it were yesterday my first sight of the man.
Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.
But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.
The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.
Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.
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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.

Prester John

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Prester John is here in full — 222 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I mind as if it were yesterday my first sight of the man.
Line 2
Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.
Line 3
But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.
Line 4
The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.
Line 5
Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

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.

Burn verb US /bɜːrn/

To consume or be consumed by fire.

From this reading “Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.”

Mind noun US /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading “I mind as if it were yesterday my first sight of the man.”

Waking adjective US /ˈweɪ.kɪŋ/

Risen from sleep; conscious.

From this reading “Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.”

All words in this reading · 97

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 But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

above

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

adjacent

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

and

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

as

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

From this reading I mind as if it were yesterday my first sight of the man.

at

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

battlement

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

bay

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

big

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

breaking

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

burnverbUS /bɜːrn/

To consume or be consumed by fire.

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

But

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

Caple

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

cliffs

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

coast

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

cold

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

destiny

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

disturb

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

due

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

edge

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

either

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

enclose

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

face

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

father

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

few

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

first

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

From this reading I mind as if it were yesterday my first sight of the man.

fitful

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

from

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

got

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

grue

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

haunt

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

hillside

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

horns

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

hours

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

how

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

I

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

From this reading I mind as if it were yesterday my first sight of the man.

if

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

From this reading I mind as if it were yesterday my first sight of the man.

in

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

it

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

From this reading I mind as if it were yesterday my first sight of the man.

its

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

Kirkcaple

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

knew

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

lads

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

land

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

lies

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

Little

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

looks

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

makes

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

man

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

From this reading I mind as if it were yesterday my first sight of the man.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading I mind as if it were yesterday my first sight of the man.

minister

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

moment

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

moonlight

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

more

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

my

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

From this reading I mind as if it were yesterday my first sight of the man.

North

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

of

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

From this reading I mind as if it were yesterday my first sight of the man.

often

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

on

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

or

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

out

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

parish

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

pass

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

play

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

Portincross

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

red

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

Round

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

Sabbath

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

Sea

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

seen

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

shows

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

side

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

sight

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

From this reading I mind as if it were yesterday my first sight of the man.

sleep

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

squarely

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

stark

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

surely

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

terror

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

than

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

that

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

the

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

From this reading I mind as if it were yesterday my first sight of the man.

their

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

through

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

time

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

to

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

town

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

From this reading The town of Kirkcaple, of which and its adjacent parish of Portincross my father was the minister, lies on a hillside above the little bay of Caple, and looks squarely out on the North Sea.

truant

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

two

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

wakingadjectiveUS /ˈweɪ.kɪŋ/

Risen from sleep; conscious.

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

was

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

water's

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

From this reading Round the horns of land which enclose the bay the coast shows on either side a battlement of stark red cliffs through which a burn or two makes a pass to the water’s edge.

were

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

From this reading I mind as if it were yesterday my first sight of the man.

which

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

with

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

would

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

From this reading Little I knew at the time how big the moment was with destiny, or how often that face seen in the fitful moonlight would haunt my sleep and disturb my waking hours.

yesterday

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

From this reading I mind as if it were yesterday my first sight of the man.

yet

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

From this reading But I mind yet the cold grue of terror I got from it, a terror which was surely more than the due of a few truant lads breaking the Sabbath with their play.

Chapter 1 of Prester John by John Buchan holds 222 sentences, grouped into 45 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 1 of Prester John contain?

Chapter 1 holds 222 sentences of Prester John, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Prester John by John Buchan exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 222 sentences, grouped into 45 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 Prester John?

Work through the 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 45 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 Prester John

Common questions about reading Prester John by John Buchan on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Prester John?

Yes. All 4582 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #611 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Prester John is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #611, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Prester John take to read?

About 381 minutes of reading across 917 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Prester John section by section

How to work through Prester John section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of Prester John 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 Prester John

Words and structures a reader meets early in Prester John, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Yesterday
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Prester John; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Prester John; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sight
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Prester John; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Prester John; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.