Chapter 2 of Sarrasine is here in full — 188 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Sarrasine is here in full — 188 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“You are mad, madame,” I said to her. “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault? Why does Madame de Lanty allow ghosts to wander round her house?” “Nonsense,” I replied; “you are doing just what fools do. You mistake a little old man for a spectre.”
Chapter 2 of Sarrasine is here in full — 188 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/37 · 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.
a feeling of delighted approval and liking
From this reading ““But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?”
plural of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading ““Nonsense,” I replied; “you are doing just what fools do.”
plural of “ghost” — a mental representation of some haunting experience
From this reading “Why does Madame de Lanty allow ghosts to wander round her house?””
possessive form of “moment” — a particular point in time
a message that seems to convey no meaning
From this reading ““Nonsense,” I replied; “you are doing just what fools do.”
past form of “rejoin” — join again
From this reading ““But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?”
a ghostly appearing figure
From this reading “You mistake a little old man for a spectre.””
move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading “Why does Madame de Lanty allow ghosts to wander round her house?””
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 “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
a feeling of delighted approval and liking
From this reading “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
later than; following
From this reading “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading Why does Madame de Lanty allow ghosts to wander round her house?”
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “You are mad, madame,” I said to her.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading Why does Madame de Lanty allow ghosts to wander round her house?”
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Nonsense,” I replied; “you are doing just what fools do.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Why does Madame de Lanty allow ghosts to wander round her house?”
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading “Nonsense,” I replied; “you are doing just what fools do.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
plural of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “Nonsense,” I replied; “you are doing just what fools do.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading You mistake a little old man for a spectre.”
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
plural of “ghost” — a mental representation of some haunting experience
From this reading Why does Madame de Lanty allow ghosts to wander round her house?”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “You are mad, madame,” I said to her.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Why does Madame de Lanty allow ghosts to wander round her house?”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “You are mad, madame,” I said to her.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
and nothing more
From this reading “Nonsense,” I replied; “you are doing just what fools do.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why does Madame de Lanty allow ghosts to wander round her house?”
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading You mistake a little old man for a spectre.”
roused to anger
From this reading “You are mad, madame,” I said to her.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading “You are mad, madame,” I said to her.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading You mistake a little old man for a spectre.”
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading You mistake a little old man for a spectre.”
possessive form of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
a message that seems to convey no meaning
From this reading “Nonsense,” I replied; “you are doing just what fools do.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading You mistake a little old man for a spectre.”
past form of “rejoin” — join again
From this reading “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “Nonsense,” I replied; “you are doing just what fools do.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Why does Madame de Lanty allow ghosts to wander round her house?”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “You are mad, madame,” I said to her.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
a ghostly appearing figure
From this reading You mistake a little old man for a spectre.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “You are mad, madame,” I said to her.
move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading Why does Madame de Lanty allow ghosts to wander round her house?”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “Nonsense,” I replied; “you are doing just what fools do.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading “But,” she rejoined, after a moment’s silence, during which I gazed at her in admiration, “is it my fault?
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why does Madame de Lanty allow ghosts to wander round her house?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You are mad, madame,” I said to her.
Chapter 2 of Sarrasine by Honoré de Balzac holds 188 sentences, grouped into 38 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 2 holds 188 sentences of Sarrasine, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Sarrasine by Honoré de Balzac exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 188 sentences, grouped into 38 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 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 38 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 2 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 Sarrasine by Honoré de Balzac on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 694 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1826 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1826, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 57 minutes of reading across 139 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Sarrasine section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of Sarrasine 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 Sarrasine, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
