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Reluctant Genius
Reluctant Genius

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Reluctant Genius is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Reluctant Genius
Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.
But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.
But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.
"So pretty," she sighed.
She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.
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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.

Reluctant Genius

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Reluctant Genius is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.
Line 2
But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.
Line 3
But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.
Line 4
"So pretty," she sighed.
/soʊ ˈprɪti ʃiː saɪd/
Line 5
She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.

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.

absorbing adjective US /əbˈzɔːrbɪŋ/

capable of arousing and holding the attention

From this reading “She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.”

chastising verb US /tʃæˈstaɪzɪŋ/

-ing form of “chastise” — censure severely

From this reading “But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.”

daffodils noun US /ˈdæfədɪlz/

plural of “daffodil” — any of numerous varieties of Narcissus plants having showy often yellow flowers with a trumpet-shaped central crown

From this reading “But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.”

inherent adjective US /ɪnˈhɪrənt/

existing as an essential constituent or characteristic

From this reading “_It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.”

ionosphere noun US /ˌaɪˈɑːnɔːsfiːr/

the outer region of the Earth's atmosphere; contains a high concentration of free electrons

From this reading “But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.”

rippled adjective US /ˈrɪpəld/

uneven by virtue of having wrinkles or waves

From this reading “But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.”

slime verb US /slaɪm/

cover or stain with slime

From this reading “_It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.”

unified adjective US /ˈjuːnəfaɪd/

formed or united into a whole

From this reading “She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.”

All words in this reading · 74

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.

absorbingadjectiveUS /əbˈzɔːrbɪŋ/

capable of arousing and holding the attention

From this reading She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.

airyadjectiveUS /ˈeri/

open to or abounding in fresh air

From this reading But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.

becameverbUS /bɪˈkeɪm/

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

bredverbUS /bred/

inflected form of “breed” — call forth

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

Buos

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

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

chastisingverbUS /tʃæˈstaɪzɪŋ/

-ing form of “chastise” — censure severely

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

clumpnounUS /klʌmp/

a grouping of a number of similar things

From this reading But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.

completedadjectiveUS /kəmˈpliːtəd/

successfully completed or brought to an end

From this reading But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.

crawledverbUS /krɔːld/

past form of “crawl” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

creaturenounUS /ˈkriːtʃər/

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.

criticismnounUS /ˈkrɪtɪsɪzəm/

disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings

From this reading But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.

daffodilsnounUS /ˈdæfədɪlz/

plural of “daffodil” — any of numerous varieties of Narcissus plants having showy often yellow flowers with a trumpet-shaped central crown

From this reading But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.

dawnnounUS /dɔːn/

the first light of day

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

descentnounUS /dɪˈsent/

An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.

From this reading But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.

flowernounUS /ˈflaʊər/

a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.

flungverbUS /flʌŋ/

inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness

From this reading She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.

formlessadjective

having no definite form or distinct shape

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

greatnessnounUS /ˈɡreɪtnəs/

the property possessed by something or someone of outstanding importance or eminence

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

greennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

ignoredadjectiveUS /ˌɪɡˈnɔːrd/

disregarded

From this reading But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.

incorporealadjective

without material form or substance

From this reading She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.

inherentadjectiveUS /ɪnˈhɪrənt/

existing as an essential constituent or characteristic

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

ionospherenounUS /ˌaɪˈɑːnɔːsfiːr/

the outer region of the Earth's atmosphere; contains a high concentration of free electrons

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

Laloi

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

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

LifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.

MannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

planetnounUS /ˈplænət/

(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading "So pretty," she sighed.

rippledadjectiveUS /ˈrɪpəld/

uneven by virtue of having wrinkles or waves

From this reading But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

scentnounUS /sɛnt/

A distinctive smell or aroma.

From this reading She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.

sea-bottoms

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

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.

sighedverbUS /saɪd/

past form of “sigh” — heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily

From this reading "So pretty," she sighed.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.

slimeverbUS /slaɪm/

cover or stain with slime

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "So pretty," she sighed.

spedverbUS /sped/

inflected form of “speed” — move hurridly

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

substancenounUS /ˈsʌbstəns/

the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists

From this reading She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

unifiedadjectiveUS /ˈjuːnəfaɪd/

formed or united into a whole

From this reading She flung her incorporeal substance around each flower, absorbing their unified beauty of scent, sight, and feel.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading _It is said that Life crawled up from the slime of the sea-bottoms and became Man because of inherent greatness bred into him before the dawn of time.

urgeverbUS /ɜːrdʒ/

force or impel in an indicated direction

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading But perhaps this urge was not as formless as we think._ Buos was chastising Laloi as they sped through the ionosphere of the green planet.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.

zephyr-like

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

From this reading But like the airy creature she was, Laloi ignored the criticism and rippled zephyr-like through a clump of daffodils when they completed their descent.

Chapter 1 of Reluctant Genius by Henry Slesar holds 97 sentences, grouped into 20 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 1 of Reluctant Genius contain?

Chapter 1 holds 97 sentences of Reluctant Genius, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Reluctant Genius by Henry Slesar exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 97 sentences, grouped into 20 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 Reluctant Genius?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 Reluctant Genius

Common questions about reading Reluctant Genius by Henry Slesar on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Reluctant Genius?

Yes. All 97 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28030 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Reluctant Genius is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #28030, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Reluctant Genius take to read?

About 8 minutes of reading across 20 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Reluctant Genius section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Reluctant Genius

Words and structures a reader meets early in Reluctant Genius, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Crawled
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Reluctant Genius; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Slime
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Reluctant Genius; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sea-bottoms
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Reluctant Genius; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Became
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Reluctant Genius; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.