Chapter 40 of Somehow Good is here in full — 386 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XL
Chapter 40 of Somehow Good is here in full — 386 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
WAS IT THE LITTLE GALVANIC BATTERY? THE LAST CHAPTER RETOLD BY THE PRESS. A PROPER RAILING. BUT THEY _WEREN'T_ DROWNED. WHAT'S THE FUSS?
Chapter 40 of Somehow Good is here in full — 386 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/77 · 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.
group of guns or missile launchers operated together at one place
From this reading “WAS IT THE LITTLE GALVANIC BATTERY?”
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading “THE LAST CHAPTER RETOLD BY THE PRESS.”
past form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading “BUT THEY _WEREN'T_ DROWNED.”
worry unnecessarily or excessively
From this reading “WHAT'S THE FUSS?”
pertaining to or producing electric current by chemical action
From this reading “WAS IT THE LITTLE GALVANIC BATTERY?”
exert pressure or force to or upon
From this reading “THE LAST CHAPTER RETOLD BY THE PRESS.”
marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness
From this reading “A PROPER RAILING.”
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading “A PROPER RAILING.”
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 PROPER RAILING.
group of guns or missile launchers operated together at one place
From this reading WAS IT THE LITTLE GALVANIC BATTERY?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading BUT THEY _WEREN'T_ DROWNED.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading THE LAST CHAPTER RETOLD BY THE PRESS.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading THE LAST CHAPTER RETOLD BY THE PRESS.
past form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading BUT THEY _WEREN'T_ DROWNED.
worry unnecessarily or excessively
From this reading WHAT'S THE FUSS?
pertaining to or producing electric current by chemical action
From this reading WAS IT THE LITTLE GALVANIC BATTERY?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading WAS IT THE LITTLE GALVANIC BATTERY?
immediately past
From this reading THE LAST CHAPTER RETOLD BY THE PRESS.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading WAS IT THE LITTLE GALVANIC BATTERY?
exert pressure or force to or upon
From this reading THE LAST CHAPTER RETOLD BY THE PRESS.
marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness
From this reading A PROPER RAILING.
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading A PROPER RAILING.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE LAST CHAPTER RETOLD BY THE PRESS.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WAS IT THE LITTLE GALVANIC BATTERY?
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading BUT THEY _WEREN'T_ DROWNED.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading WAS IT THE LITTLE GALVANIC BATTERY?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BUT THEY _WEREN'T_ DROWNED.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WHAT'S THE FUSS?
Chapter 40 of Somehow Good by William De Morgan holds 386 sentences, grouped into 78 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 40 holds 386 sentences of Somehow Good, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 40 of Somehow Good by William De Morgan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 386 sentences, grouped into 78 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 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 78 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 40 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.
