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Problematic Characters: A Novel
Problematic Characters: A Novel

Chapter XXXIX

Chapter 39 of Problematic Characters: A Novel is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Problematic Characters: A Novel
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.
He had tried to forget himself while nursing his dear patient.
Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.
"Now all is right again," he said; "now she knows how she stands.
Now they cannot hurt her any more, for now she is forewarned.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Problematic Characters: A Novel

Chapter XXXIX

Chapter 39 of Problematic Characters: A Novel is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.
/ˈɔːzwɔːld hæd spent ˈnɪrli ðə hoʊl deɪ baɪ ˈbruːnoʊz ˈbedsaɪd ˈæftər hiː hæd rɪˈtɜːrnd frʌm hɪz ˈmemərəbəl ˈɪntərvjuː wɪð ˈhelən/
Line 2
He had tried to forget himself while nursing his dear patient.
/hiː hæd traɪd tuː fərˈɡet hɪmˈself waɪl ˈnɜːrsɪŋ hɪz dɪr ˈpeɪʃənt/
Line 3
Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.
/ˈbruːnoʊ hɪmˈself fərˈɡɑːt hɪz peɪn wen hiː hɜːrd ðæt ˈɔːzwɔːld hæd siːn ˈhelən ənd ˈɡɪvən hɜːr ðə ˈletər hiː wɑːz soʊ ˈhæpi hiː dɪd nɑːt ˈiːvɪn ˈnoʊtəs ˈɔːzwɔːldz peɪl feɪs ənd dɪˈstɜːrbd ˈmænər/
Line 4
"Now all is right again," he said; "now she knows how she stands.
Line 5
Now they cannot hurt her any more, for now she is forewarned.

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.

bedside noun US /ˈbedsaɪd/

space by the side of a bed (especially the bed of a sick or dying person)

From this reading “Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.”

Bruno noun US /ˈbruːnoʊ/

German pope from 1049 to 1054 whose papacy was the beginning of papal reforms in the 11th century (1002-1054)

From this reading “Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.”

Bruno's noun US /ˈbruːnoʊz/

possessive form of “bruno” — German pope from 1049 to 1054 whose papacy was the beginning of papal reforms in the 11th century (1002-1054)

From this reading “Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.”

forewarned verb US /fɔːrˈwɔːrnd/

past form of “forewarn” — warn in advance or beforehand; give an early warning

From this reading “Now they cannot hurt her any more, for now she is forewarned.”

memorable adjective US /ˈmemərəbəl/

worth remembering

From this reading “Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.”

nursing noun US /ˈnɜːrsɪŋ/

the work of caring for the sick or injured or infirm

From this reading “He had tried to forget himself while nursing his dear patient.”

Oswald noun US /ˈɔːzwɔːld/

United States assassin of President John F. Kennedy (1939-1963)

From this reading “Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.”

Oswald's noun US /ˈɔːzwɔːldz/

possessive form of “oswald” — United States assassin of President John F. Kennedy (1939-1963)

From this reading “Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

pale face adjective + noun

In this reading “Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.”

interview with verb + particle

In this reading “Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.”

whole day adjective + noun

In this reading “Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.”

returned from verb + particle counted as “return from”

In this reading “Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.”

All words in this reading · 67

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.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading "Now all is right again," he said; "now she knows how she stands.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading "Now all is right again," he said; "now she knows how she stands.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Now they cannot hurt her any more, for now she is forewarned.

bedsidenounUS /ˈbedsaɪd/

space by the side of a bed (especially the bed of a sick or dying person)

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

BrunonounUS /ˈbruːnoʊ/

German pope from 1049 to 1054 whose papacy was the beginning of papal reforms in the 11th century (1002-1054)

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

Bruno'snounUS /ˈbruːnoʊz/

possessive form of “bruno” — German pope from 1049 to 1054 whose papacy was the beginning of papal reforms in the 11th century (1002-1054)

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

cannot

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

From this reading Now they cannot hurt her any more, for now she is forewarned.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading He had tried to forget himself while nursing his dear patient.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

disturbedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɜːrbd/

having the place or position changed

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Now they cannot hurt her any more, for now she is forewarned.

forewarnedverbUS /fɔːrˈwɔːrnd/

past form of “forewarn” — warn in advance or beforehand; give an early warning

From this reading Now they cannot hurt her any more, for now she is forewarned.

forgetverbUS /fərˈɡet/

dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading He had tried to forget himself while nursing his dear patient.

forgotverbUS /fərˈɡɑːt/

inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

HelennounUS /ˈhelən/

(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He had tried to forget himself while nursing his dear patient.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

how

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

From this reading "Now all is right again," he said; "now she knows how she stands.

hurtverbUS /hɜːrt/

be the source of pain

From this reading Now they cannot hurt her any more, for now she is forewarned.

interviewverbUS /ˈɪntərvjuː/

conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "Now all is right again," he said; "now she knows how she stands.

knowsnounUS /noʊz/

plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people

From this reading "Now all is right again," he said; "now she knows how she stands.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

memorableadjectiveUS /ˈmemərəbəl/

worth remembering

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Now they cannot hurt her any more, for now she is forewarned.

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

noticenounUS /ˈnoʊtəs/

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading "Now all is right again," he said; "now she knows how she stands.

nursingnounUS /ˈnɜːrsɪŋ/

the work of caring for the sick or injured or infirm

From this reading He had tried to forget himself while nursing his dear patient.

OswaldnounUS /ˈɔːzwɔːld/

United States assassin of President John F. Kennedy (1939-1963)

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

Oswald'snounUS /ˈɔːzwɔːldz/

possessive form of “oswald” — United States assassin of President John F. Kennedy (1939-1963)

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

painnounUS /peɪn/

a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

paleadjectiveUS /peɪl/

very light colored; highly diluted with white

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

patientnounUS /ˈpeɪʃənt/

a person who requires medical care

From this reading He had tried to forget himself while nursing his dear patient.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading "Now all is right again," he said; "now she knows how she stands.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Now all is right again," he said; "now she knows how she stands.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Now all is right again," he said; "now she knows how she stands.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

spentadjectiveUS /spent/

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

standsnounUS /stændz/

plural of “stand” — a support or foundation

From this reading "Now all is right again," he said; "now she knows how she stands.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Now they cannot hurt her any more, for now she is forewarned.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading He had tried to forget himself while nursing his dear patient.

triedadjectiveUS /traɪd/

tested and proved useful or correct

From this reading He had tried to forget himself while nursing his dear patient.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Bruno himself forgot his pain when he heard that Oswald had seen Helen and given her the letter; he was so happy he did not even notice Oswald's pale face and disturbed manner.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading He had tried to forget himself while nursing his dear patient.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Oswald had spent nearly the whole day by Bruno's bedside after he had returned from his memorable interview with Helen.

Chapter 39 of Problematic Characters: A Novel by Friedrich Spielhagen holds 117 sentences, grouped into 24 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.

What does chapter 39 of Problematic Characters: A Novel contain?

Chapter 39 holds 117 sentences of Problematic Characters: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 39 of Problematic Characters: A Novel by Friedrich Spielhagen exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 117 sentences, grouped into 24 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 39 of Problematic Characters: A Novel?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 39 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 39 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 Problematic Characters: A Novel

Common questions about reading Problematic Characters: A Novel by Friedrich Spielhagen on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Problematic Characters: A Novel?

Yes. All 9955 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34748 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Problematic Characters: A Novel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #34748, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Problematic Characters: A Novel take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1991 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Problematic Characters: A Novel

Words and structures a reader meets early in Problematic Characters: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Diphthong
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Problematic Characters: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Represented
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Problematic Characters: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Spielhagen's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Problematic Characters: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Complete
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Problematic Characters: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.