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The Aspern Papers
The Aspern Papers

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Aspern Papers is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Aspern Papers
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.
And I not only spent time, but (hang it! as I said) I spent money.
As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.
I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.
I had to be consistent, to keep my promise that I would smother the house in flowers.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Aspern Papers

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Aspern Papers is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.
Line 2
And I not only spent time, but (hang it! as I said) I spent money.
Line 3
As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.
Line 4
I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.
Line 5
I had to be consistent, to keep my promise that I would smother the house in flowers.

All words in this reading · 75

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.

a

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

And

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And I not only spent time, but (hang it! as I said) I spent money.

arranged

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

as

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

be

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had to be consistent, to keep my promise that I would smother the house in flowers.

better

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.

but

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And I not only spent time, but (hang it! as I said) I spent money.

characteristic

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.

clever

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

consistent

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had to be consistent, to keep my promise that I would smother the house in flowers.

could

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

do

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.

expert

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

flowers

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had to be consistent, to keep my promise that I would smother the house in flowers.

for

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

garden

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

give

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

given

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

got

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

had

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

hang

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And I not only spent time, but (hang it! as I said) I spent money.

having

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

horticultural

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

house

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had to be consistent, to keep my promise that I would smother the house in flowers.

I

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

in

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

it

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And I not only spent time, but (hang it! as I said) I spent money.

its

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.

justify

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

keep

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had to be consistent, to keep my promise that I would smother the house in flowers.

liked

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.

made

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

matter

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

money

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And I not only spent time, but (hang it! as I said) I spent money.

much

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

my

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

not

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And I not only spent time, but (hang it! as I said) I spent money.

of

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

only

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And I not only spent time, but (hang it! as I said) I spent money.

order

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

originally

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

passion

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

personally

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.

picture

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

place

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

point

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

possible

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

promise

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had to be consistent, to keep my promise that I would smother the house in flowers.

proper

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

put

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

rooms

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

rough

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.

said

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And I not only spent time, but (hang it! as I said) I spent money.

shabbiness

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.

smother

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had to be consistent, to keep my promise that I would smother the house in flowers.

soon

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

sorry

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.

spending

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

spent

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And I not only spent time, but (hang it! as I said) I spent money.

surveyed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

sweet

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.

tangle

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.

terms

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

that

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had to be consistent, to keep my promise that I would smother the house in flowers.

the

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

this

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.

thought

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

time

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

to

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I made a point of spending as much time as possible in the garden, to justify the picture I had originally given of my horticultural passion.

Venetian

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.

was

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.

weeds

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.

wild

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was sorry to do this, for personally I liked it better as it was, with its weeds and its wild, rough tangle, its sweet, characteristic Venetian shabbiness.

with

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as I had got my rooms arranged and could give the proper thought to the matter I surveyed the place with a clever expert and made terms for having it put in order.

would

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had to be consistent, to keep my promise that I would smother the house in flowers.

Chapter 4 of The Aspern Papers by Henry James holds 175 sentences, grouped into 35 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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.

What does chapter 4 of The Aspern Papers contain?

Chapter 4 holds 175 sentences of The Aspern Papers, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Aspern Papers by Henry James exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 175 sentences, grouped into 35 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.

How do I study chapter 4 of The Aspern Papers?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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.

Can chapter 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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.

Questions about reading The Aspern Papers

Common questions about reading The Aspern Papers by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Aspern Papers?

Yes. All 1965 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #211 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Aspern Papers is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #211, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Aspern Papers take to read?

About 163 minutes of reading across 393 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Aspern Papers section by section

How to work through The Aspern Papers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Aspern Papers to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Aspern Papers

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Aspern Papers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Macmillan
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Aspern Papers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Taken
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Aspern Papers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Prest
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Aspern Papers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Confidence
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Aspern Papers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.