Chapter 1 of Sight Unseen is here in full — 236 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Sight Unseen is here in full — 236 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him. Disagreed violently. I wanted to call him on the telephone and tell him that he was a fool. I felt old, although I am only fifty-three, old and bitter, and tired. With the fall of twilight, things changed somewhat.
Chapter 1 of Sight Unseen is here in full — 236 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 13/47 · 5 reading units · Lines 61–65
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.
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading “I felt old, although I am only fifty-three, old and bitter, and tired.”
past form of “disagree” — be of different opinions
From this reading “I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.”
United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)
From this reading “I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.”
a new appraisal or evaluation
From this reading “I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.”
possessive form of “robinson” — English chemist noted for his studies of molecular structures in plants (1886-1975)
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading “I wanted to call him on the telephone and tell him that he was a fool.”
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading “With the fall of twilight, things changed somewhat.”
in a violent manner
From this reading “Disagreed violently.”
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 I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading I felt old, although I am only fifty-three, old and bitter, and tired.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I felt old, although I am only fifty-three, old and bitter, and tired.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading I felt old, although I am only fifty-three, old and bitter, and tired.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading I wanted to call him on the telephone and tell him that he was a fool.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading With the fall of twilight, things changed somewhat.
past form of “disagree” — be of different opinions
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading With the fall of twilight, things changed somewhat.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading I felt old, although I am only fifty-three, old and bitter, and tired.
being three more than fifty
From this reading I felt old, although I am only fifty-three, old and bitter, and tired.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading I wanted to call him on the telephone and tell him that he was a fool.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I wanted to call him on the telephone and tell him that he was a fool.
United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading I felt old, although I am only fifty-three, old and bitter, and tired.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I wanted to call him on the telephone and tell him that he was a fool.
and nothing more
From this reading I felt old, although I am only fifty-three, old and bitter, and tired.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
a new appraisal or evaluation
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
possessive form of “robinson” — English chemist noted for his studies of molecular structures in plants (1886-1975)
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading With the fall of twilight, things changed somewhat.
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading I wanted to call him on the telephone and tell him that he was a fool.
express in words
From this reading I wanted to call him on the telephone and tell him that he was a fool.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I wanted to call him on the telephone and tell him that he was a fool.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading With the fall of twilight, things changed somewhat.
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading I felt old, although I am only fifty-three, old and bitter, and tired.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I wanted to call him on the telephone and tell him that he was a fool.
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading With the fall of twilight, things changed somewhat.
in a violent manner
From this reading Disagreed violently.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading I wanted to call him on the telephone and tell him that he was a fool.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I wanted to call him on the telephone and tell him that he was a fool.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I read in the morning paper Herbert Robinson’s review of a book I had liked, and disagreed with him.
Chapter 1 of Sight Unseen by Mary Roberts Rinehart holds 236 sentences, grouped into 48 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 1 holds 236 sentences of Sight Unseen, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Sight Unseen by Mary Roberts Rinehart exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 236 sentences, grouped into 48 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 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 48 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 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.
Common questions about reading Sight Unseen by Mary Roberts Rinehart on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2646 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1960 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1960, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 220 minutes of reading across 530 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Sight Unseen section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Sight Unseen 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 Sight Unseen, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
