Chapter 39 of Somehow Good is here in full — 525 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXIX
Chapter 39 of Somehow Good is here in full — 525 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN ERRAND IN VAIN, AND HOW DR. CONRAD CAME TO KNOW. CONCERNING LLOYD'S COFFEEHOUSE, AND THE BATTLE OF CAMPERDOWN. MARSHALL HALL'S SYSTEM AND SILVESTER'S. SOCIAL DISADVANTAGES. A CHAT WITH A CENTENARIAN, AND HOW ROSALIND CAME TO KNOW.
Chapter 39 of Somehow Good is here in full — 525 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/105 · 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.
someone who is at least 100 years old
From this reading “A CHAT WITH A CENTENARIAN, AND HOW ROSALIND CAME TO KNOW.”
talk socially without exchanging too much information
From this reading “A CHAT WITH A CENTENARIAN, AND HOW ROSALIND CAME TO KNOW.”
a small restaurant where drinks and snacks are sold
From this reading “CONCERNING LLOYD'S COFFEEHOUSE, AND THE BATTLE OF CAMPERDOWN.”
English novelist (born in Poland) noted for sea stories and for his narrative technique (1857-1924)
From this reading “CONRAD CAME TO KNOW.”
plural of “disadvantage” — the quality of having an inferior or less favorable position
From this reading “MARSHALL HALL'S SYSTEM AND SILVESTER'S. SOCIAL DISADVANTAGES.”
possessive form of “hall” — an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading “MARSHALL HALL'S SYSTEM AND SILVESTER'S. SOCIAL DISADVANTAGES.”
possessive form of “lloyd” — United States comic actor in silent films; he used physical danger as a source of comedy (1893-1971)
From this reading “CONCERNING LLOYD'S COFFEEHOUSE, AND THE BATTLE OF CAMPERDOWN.”
United States actor (1914-1998)
From this reading “MARSHALL HALL'S SYSTEM AND SILVESTER'S. SOCIAL DISADVANTAGES.”
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 A CHAT WITH A CENTENARIAN, AND HOW ROSALIND CAME TO KNOW.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN ERRAND IN VAIN, AND HOW DR.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading AN ERRAND IN VAIN, AND HOW DR.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading CONCERNING LLOYD'S COFFEEHOUSE, AND THE BATTLE OF CAMPERDOWN.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading CONRAD CAME TO KNOW.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CONCERNING LLOYD'S COFFEEHOUSE, AND THE BATTLE OF CAMPERDOWN.
someone who is at least 100 years old
From this reading A CHAT WITH A CENTENARIAN, AND HOW ROSALIND CAME TO KNOW.
talk socially without exchanging too much information
From this reading A CHAT WITH A CENTENARIAN, AND HOW ROSALIND CAME TO KNOW.
a small restaurant where drinks and snacks are sold
From this reading CONCERNING LLOYD'S COFFEEHOUSE, AND THE BATTLE OF CAMPERDOWN.
-ing form of “concern” — be relevant to
From this reading CONCERNING LLOYD'S COFFEEHOUSE, AND THE BATTLE OF CAMPERDOWN.
English novelist (born in Poland) noted for sea stories and for his narrative technique (1857-1924)
From this reading CONRAD CAME TO KNOW.
plural of “disadvantage” — the quality of having an inferior or less favorable position
From this reading MARSHALL HALL'S SYSTEM AND SILVESTER'S. SOCIAL DISADVANTAGES.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN ERRAND IN VAIN, AND HOW DR.
a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading AN ERRAND IN VAIN, AND HOW DR.
possessive form of “hall” — an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading MARSHALL HALL'S SYSTEM AND SILVESTER'S. SOCIAL DISADVANTAGES.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN ERRAND IN VAIN, AND HOW DR.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading AN ERRAND IN VAIN, AND HOW DR.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading CONRAD CAME TO KNOW.
possessive form of “lloyd” — United States comic actor in silent films; he used physical danger as a source of comedy (1893-1971)
From this reading CONCERNING LLOYD'S COFFEEHOUSE, AND THE BATTLE OF CAMPERDOWN.
United States actor (1914-1998)
From this reading MARSHALL HALL'S SYSTEM AND SILVESTER'S. SOCIAL DISADVANTAGES.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading CONCERNING LLOYD'S COFFEEHOUSE, AND THE BATTLE OF CAMPERDOWN.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A CHAT WITH A CENTENARIAN, AND HOW ROSALIND CAME TO KNOW.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MARSHALL HALL'S SYSTEM AND SILVESTER'S. SOCIAL DISADVANTAGES.
relating to human society and its members
From this reading MARSHALL HALL'S SYSTEM AND SILVESTER'S. SOCIAL DISADVANTAGES.
instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity
From this reading MARSHALL HALL'S SYSTEM AND SILVESTER'S. SOCIAL DISADVANTAGES.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading CONCERNING LLOYD'S COFFEEHOUSE, AND THE BATTLE OF CAMPERDOWN.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading CONRAD CAME TO KNOW.
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading AN ERRAND IN VAIN, AND HOW DR.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A CHAT WITH A CENTENARIAN, AND HOW ROSALIND CAME TO KNOW.
Chapter 39 of Somehow Good by William De Morgan holds 525 sentences, grouped into 105 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 39 holds 525 sentences of Somehow Good, unabridged, divided into 105 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 39 of Somehow Good by William De Morgan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 525 sentences, grouped into 105 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 105 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 105 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 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.
Common questions about reading Somehow Good by William De Morgan on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 13473 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28345 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #28345, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2695 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Somehow Good section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Somehow Good 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 Somehow Good, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
