Chapter 21 of The Awkward Age is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXI
Chapter 21 of The Awkward Age is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Oh Nanda has often wired to HIM,” her father returned. “Then she ought to be ashamed of herself. But how,” said Mrs. Brook, “do you know?” “Oh I know when we’re in a thing like this.” “Yet you complain of her want of intimacy with you!
Chapter 21 of The Awkward Age is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
feeling shame or guilt or embarrassment or remorse
From this reading ““Then she ought to be ashamed of herself.”
a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)
From this reading “But how,” said Mrs. Brook, “do you know?””
express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness
From this reading ““Yet you complain of her want of intimacy with you!”
close or warm friendship
From this reading ““Yet you complain of her want of intimacy with you!”
many times at short intervals
From this reading ““Oh Nanda has often wired to HIM,” her father returned.”
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading ““Then she ought to be ashamed of herself.”
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading ““Oh Nanda has often wired to HIM,” her father returned.”
equipped with wire or wires especially for electric or telephone service
From this reading ““Oh Nanda has often wired to HIM,” her father 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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Oh I know when we’re in a thing like this.”
feeling shame or guilt or embarrassment or remorse
From this reading “Then she ought to be ashamed of herself.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Then she ought to be ashamed of herself.
a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)
From this reading But how,” said Mrs. Brook, “do you know?”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But how,” said Mrs. Brook, “do you know?”
express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness
From this reading “Yet you complain of her want of intimacy with you!
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading But how,” said Mrs. Brook, “do you know?”
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading “Oh Nanda has often wired to HIM,” her father returned.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Oh Nanda has often wired to HIM,” her father returned.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “Oh Nanda has often wired to HIM,” her father returned.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading “Then she ought to be ashamed of herself.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Oh Nanda has often wired to HIM,” her father returned.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But how,” said Mrs. Brook, “do you know?”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Oh I know when we’re in a thing like this.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Oh I know when we’re in a thing like this.”
close or warm friendship
From this reading “Yet you complain of her want of intimacy with you!
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading But how,” said Mrs. Brook, “do you know?”
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “Oh I know when we’re in a thing like this.”
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading But how,” said Mrs. Brook, “do you know?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh Nanda has often wired to HIM,” her father returned.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Then she ought to be ashamed of herself.
many times at short intervals
From this reading “Oh Nanda has often wired to HIM,” her father returned.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh Nanda has often wired to HIM,” her father returned.
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading “Then she ought to be ashamed of herself.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading “Oh Nanda has often wired to HIM,” her father returned.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading But how,” said Mrs. Brook, “do you know?”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Then she ought to be ashamed of herself.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Then she ought to be ashamed of herself.
a special situation
From this reading “Oh I know when we’re in a thing like this.”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Oh I know when we’re in a thing like this.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Oh Nanda has often wired to HIM,” her father returned.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “Yet you complain of her want of intimacy with you!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh I know when we’re in a thing like this.”
at the time that
From this reading “Oh I know when we’re in a thing like this.”
equipped with wire or wires especially for electric or telephone service
From this reading “Oh Nanda has often wired to HIM,” her father returned.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “Yet you complain of her want of intimacy with you!
but in spite of that
From this reading “Yet you complain of her want of intimacy with you!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading But how,” said Mrs. Brook, “do you know?”
Chapter 21 of The Awkward Age by Henry James holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 21 holds 410 sentences of The Awkward Age, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of The Awkward Age by Henry James exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 21 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.
