Chapter 2 of The Author of Beltraffio is here in full — 181 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Author of Beltraffio is here in full — 181 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“He’s very fond of plums,” said his wife. “Ah well, then, I hope your crop will be better than you fear. It’s a lovely old place,” I continued. “The whole impression’s that of certain places he has described. Your house is like one of his pictures.”
Chapter 2 of The Author of Beltraffio is here in full — 181 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/36 · 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.
without stop or interruption
From this reading “It’s a lovely old place,” I continued.”
the yield from plants in a single growing season
From this reading ““Ah well, then, I hope your crop will be better than you fear.”
represented in words especially with sharpness and detail
From this reading ““The whole impression’s that of certain places he has described.”
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading ““He’s very fond of plums,” said his wife.”
appealing to the emotions as well as the eye
From this reading “It’s a lovely old place,” I continued.”
plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading “Your house is like one of his pictures.””
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading ““The whole impression’s that of certain places he has described.”
plural of “plum” — any of several trees producing edible oval fruit having a smooth skin and a single hard stone
From this reading ““He’s very fond of plums,” said his wife.”
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 It’s a lovely old place,” I continued.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ah well, then, I hope your crop will be better than you fear.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Ah well, then, I hope your crop will be better than you fear.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “Ah well, then, I hope your crop will be better than you fear.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading “The whole impression’s that of certain places he has described.
without stop or interruption
From this reading It’s a lovely old place,” I continued.
the yield from plants in a single growing season
From this reading “Ah well, then, I hope your crop will be better than you fear.
represented in words especially with sharpness and detail
From this reading “The whole impression’s that of certain places he has described.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading “Ah well, then, I hope your crop will be better than you fear.
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading “He’s very fond of plums,” said his wife.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “The whole impression’s that of certain places he has described.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “The whole impression’s that of certain places he has described.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “He’s very fond of plums,” said his wife.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “He’s very fond of plums,” said his wife.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading “Ah well, then, I hope your crop will be better than you fear.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Your house is like one of his pictures.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Ah well, then, I hope your crop will be better than you fear.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The whole impression’s that of certain places he has described.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Your house is like one of his pictures.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It’s a lovely old place,” I continued.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Your house is like one of his pictures.”
appealing to the emotions as well as the eye
From this reading It’s a lovely old place,” I continued.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “He’s very fond of plums,” said his wife.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading It’s a lovely old place,” I continued.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Your house is like one of his pictures.”
plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading Your house is like one of his pictures.”
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading It’s a lovely old place,” I continued.
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading “The whole impression’s that of certain places he has described.
plural of “plum” — any of several trees producing edible oval fruit having a smooth skin and a single hard stone
From this reading “He’s very fond of plums,” said his wife.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “He’s very fond of plums,” said his wife.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “Ah well, then, I hope your crop will be better than you fear.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “The whole impression’s that of certain places he has described.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “The whole impression’s that of certain places he has described.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Ah well, then, I hope your crop will be better than you fear.
precisely as stated
From this reading “He’s very fond of plums,” said his wife.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading “Ah well, then, I hope your crop will be better than you fear.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading “The whole impression’s that of certain places he has described.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading “He’s very fond of plums,” said his wife.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “Ah well, then, I hope your crop will be better than you fear.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Ah well, then, I hope your crop will be better than you fear.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Ah well, then, I hope your crop will be better than you fear.
Chapter 2 of The Author of Beltraffio by Henry James holds 181 sentences, grouped into 37 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.
Chapter 2 holds 181 sentences of The Author of Beltraffio, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Author of Beltraffio by Henry James exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 181 sentences, grouped into 37 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 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 37 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 2 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 The Author of Beltraffio by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 891 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3145 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3145, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 74 minutes of reading across 179 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Author of Beltraffio section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Author of Beltraffio 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 The Author of Beltraffio, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
