Chapter 18 of The Awkward Age is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of The Awkward Age is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Oh he never complains.” “No, no--it isn’t in him. But it’s just that,” said Vanderbank, “that makes one feel so base. I’ve been ferociously busy.” “He knows that--he likes it,” Nanda returned.
Chapter 18 of The Awkward Age is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
installation from which a military force initiates operations
From this reading “But it’s just that,” said Vanderbank, “that makes one feel so base.”
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading “I’ve been ferociously busy.””
third-person singular of “complain” — express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness
From this reading ““Oh he never complains.””
in a physically fierce manner
From this reading “I’ve been ferociously busy.””
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading ““He knows that--he likes it,” Nanda returned.”
plural of “like” — a similar kind
From this reading ““He knows that--he likes it,” Nanda returned.”
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading “But it’s just that,” said Vanderbank, “that makes one feel so base.”
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading ““He knows that--he likes it,” Nanda returned.”
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.
installation from which a military force initiates operations
From this reading But it’s just that,” said Vanderbank, “that makes one feel so base.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading I’ve been ferociously busy.”
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading I’ve been ferociously busy.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it’s just that,” said Vanderbank, “that makes one feel so base.
third-person singular of “complain” — express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness
From this reading “Oh he never complains.”
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading But it’s just that,” said Vanderbank, “that makes one feel so base.
in a physically fierce manner
From this reading I’ve been ferociously busy.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Oh he never complains.”
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “No, no--it isn’t in him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I’ve been ferociously busy.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “No, no--it isn’t in him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “No, no--it isn’t in him.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “No, no--it isn’t in him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But it’s just that,” said Vanderbank, “that makes one feel so base.
and nothing more
From this reading But it’s just that,” said Vanderbank, “that makes one feel so base.
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading “He knows that--he likes it,” Nanda returned.
plural of “like” — a similar kind
From this reading “He knows that--he likes it,” Nanda returned.
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading But it’s just that,” said Vanderbank, “that makes one feel so base.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “He knows that--he likes it,” Nanda returned.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading “Oh he never complains.”
not any; not one
From this reading “No, no--it isn’t in him.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh he never complains.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading But it’s just that,” said Vanderbank, “that makes one feel so base.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading “He knows that--he likes it,” Nanda returned.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading But it’s just that,” said Vanderbank, “that makes one feel so base.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But it’s just that,” said Vanderbank, “that makes one feel so base.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But it’s just that,” said Vanderbank, “that makes one feel so base.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But it’s just that,” said Vanderbank, “that makes one feel so base.
Chapter 18 of The Awkward Age by Henry James holds 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 18 holds 404 sentences of The Awkward Age, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of The Awkward Age by Henry James exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 18 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 Awkward Age by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 10141 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7433 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #7433, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2029 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Awkward Age section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of The Awkward Age 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 Awkward Age, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
