Chapter 1 of Strange Stories is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Strange Stories is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE PICCADILLY NOVELS. _POPULAR STORIES BY THE BEST AUTHORS._ Many of them Illustrated. Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s. 6d. each. By MRS.
Chapter 1 of Strange Stories is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
plural of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading “_POPULAR STORIES BY THE BEST AUTHORS._ Many of them Illustrated.”
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading “Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.”
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading “Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.”
more than is needed, desired, or required
From this reading “Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.”
past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of
From this reading “_POPULAR STORIES BY THE BEST AUTHORS._ Many of them Illustrated.”
plural of “novel” — an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading “THE PICCADILLY NOVELS.”
regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public
plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading “_POPULAR STORIES BY THE BEST AUTHORS._ Many of them Illustrated.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 6d. each.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
plural of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading _POPULAR STORIES BY THE BEST AUTHORS._ Many of them Illustrated.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading _POPULAR STORIES BY THE BEST AUTHORS._ Many of them Illustrated.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading _POPULAR STORIES BY THE BEST AUTHORS._ Many of them Illustrated.
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets
From this reading 6d. each.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading 6d. each.
more than is needed, desired, or required
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of
From this reading _POPULAR STORIES BY THE BEST AUTHORS._ Many of them Illustrated.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading _POPULAR STORIES BY THE BEST AUTHORS._ Many of them Illustrated.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading By MRS.
plural of “novel” — an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading THE PICCADILLY NOVELS.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _POPULAR STORIES BY THE BEST AUTHORS._ Many of them Illustrated.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PICCADILLY NOVELS.
regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public
From this reading _POPULAR STORIES BY THE BEST AUTHORS._ Many of them Illustrated.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading _POPULAR STORIES BY THE BEST AUTHORS._ Many of them Illustrated.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PICCADILLY NOVELS.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading _POPULAR STORIES BY THE BEST AUTHORS._ Many of them Illustrated.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
Chapter 1 of Strange Stories by Grant Allen holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 418 sentences of Strange Stories, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Strange Stories by Grant Allen exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 Strange Stories by Grant Allen on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5337 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38575 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #38575, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 444 minutes of reading across 1068 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Strange Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of Strange Stories 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 Strange Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
