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The Brothers Karamazov
The Brothers Karamazov

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Brothers Karamazov is here in full — 740 sentences across 148 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/148 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.
For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.
Alyosha had not been able to find him the morning before, and Ivan had not succeeded in meeting him at the tavern on the same day.
The people at his lodgings, by his orders, concealed his movements.
He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Brothers Karamazov

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Brothers Karamazov is here in full — 740 sentences across 148 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/148 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.
Line 2
For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.
/fɔːr ðə læst tuː deɪz hiː hæd bɪn ɪn sʌtʃ æn ˌɪnkənˈsiːvəbəl steɪt ʌv maɪnd ðæt hiː maɪt ˈiːzəli hæv ˈfɑːlən ɪl wɪð breɪn ˈfiːvər æz hiː sed hɪmˈself ˈæftərwərdz/
Line 3
Alyosha had not been able to find him the morning before, and Ivan had not succeeded in meeting him at the tavern on the same day.
Line 4
The people at his lodgings, by his orders, concealed his movements.
/ðə ˈpiːpəl æt hɪz ˈlɑːdʒɪŋz baɪ hɪz ˈɔːrdərz kənˈsiːld hɪz ˈmuːvmənts/
Line 5
He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

Learner Dictionary

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.

activity noun US /ækˈtɪvəti/

any specific behavior

From this reading “Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.”

dash verb US /dæʃ/

run or move very quickly or hastily

From this reading “He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.”

feverish adjective US /ˈfiːvərɪʃ/

marked by intense agitation or emotion

From this reading “Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.”

greetings noun US /ˈɡriːtɪŋz/

plural of “greeting” — (usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)

From this reading “Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.”

inconceivable adjective US /ˌɪnkənˈsiːvəbəl/

totally unlikely

From this reading “For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.”

literally adverb US /ˈlɪtərəli/

in a literal sense

From this reading “He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.”

tavern noun US /ˈtævərn/

a building with a bar that is licensed to sell alcoholic drinks

From this reading “Alyosha had not been able to find him the morning before, and Ivan had not succeeded in meeting him at the tavern on the same day.”

urgent adjective US /ˈɜːrdʒənt/

compelling immediate action

From this reading “He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.”

All words in this reading · 105

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

ableadjectiveUS /ˈeɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading Alyosha had not been able to find him the morning before, and Ivan had not succeeded in meeting him at the tavern on the same day.

activitynounUS /ækˈtɪvəti/

any specific behavior

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

afterwardsadverbUS /ˈæftərwərdz/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

agitationnounUS /ˌædʒəˈteɪʃən/

a mental state of extreme emotional disturbance

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

Alyosha

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

From this reading Alyosha had not been able to find him the morning before, and Ivan had not succeeded in meeting him at the tavern on the same day.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Alyosha had not been able to find him the morning before, and Ivan had not succeeded in meeting him at the tavern on the same day.

biddingnounUS /ˈbɪdɪŋ/

an authoritative direction or instruction to do something

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

brainnounUS /breɪn/

that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The people at his lodgings, by his orders, concealed his movements.

concealedadjectiveUS /kənˈsiːld/

not accessible to view

From this reading The people at his lodgings, by his orders, concealed his movements.

conditionnounUS /kənˈdɪʃən/

a state at a particular time

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

dashverbUS /dæʃ/

run or move very quickly or hastily

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Alyosha had not been able to find him the morning before, and Ivan had not succeeded in meeting him at the tavern on the same day.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

destinynounUS /ˈdestəni/

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

directionsnounUS /dərˈekʃənz/

plural of “direction” — a line leading to a place or point

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

Dmitri

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

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

easilyadverbUS /ˈiːzəli/

with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

expressedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsprest/

communicated in words

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

fevernounUS /ˈfiːvər/

a rise in the temperature of the body; frequently a symptom of infection

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

feverishadjectiveUS /ˈfiːvərɪʃ/

marked by intense agitation or emotion

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Alyosha had not been able to find him the morning before, and Ivan had not succeeded in meeting him at the tavern on the same day.

flyingadjectiveUS /ˈflaɪɪŋ/

moving swiftly

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

greetingsnounUS /ˈɡriːtɪŋz/

plural of “greeting” — (usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

Grushenka

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

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The people at his lodgings, by his orders, concealed his movements.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

illadjectiveUS /ɪl/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

inconceivableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnkənˈsiːvəbəl/

totally unlikely

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

Ivan

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

From this reading Alyosha had not been able to find him the morning before, and Ivan had not succeeded in meeting him at the tavern on the same day.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

Kuzma

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

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

literallyadverbUS /ˈlɪtərəli/

in a literal sense

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

lodgingsnounUS /ˈlɑːdʒɪŋz/

temporary living quarters

From this reading The people at his lodgings, by his orders, concealed his movements.

loseverbUS /luːz/

fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

meetingnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/

a formally arranged gathering

From this reading Alyosha had not been able to find him the morning before, and Ivan had not succeeded in meeting him at the tavern on the same day.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Alyosha had not been able to find him the morning before, and Ivan had not succeeded in meeting him at the tavern on the same day.

movementsnounUS /ˈmuːvmənts/

plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location

From this reading The people at his lodgings, by his orders, concealed his movements.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Alyosha had not been able to find him the morning before, and Ivan had not succeeded in meeting him at the tavern on the same day.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Alyosha had not been able to find him the morning before, and Ivan had not succeeded in meeting him at the tavern on the same day.

ordersnounUS /ˈɔːrdərz/

plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading The people at his lodgings, by his orders, concealed his movements.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading The people at his lodgings, by his orders, concealed his movements.

rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

rushingnounUS /ˈrʌʃɪŋ/

(American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running into the line

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading Alyosha had not been able to find him the morning before, and Ivan had not succeeded in meeting him at the tavern on the same day.

Samsonov

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

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

spentadjectiveUS /spent/

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

strugglingadjectiveUS /ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ/

engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

succeededverbUS /səkˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading Alyosha had not been able to find him the morning before, and Ivan had not succeeded in meeting him at the tavern on the same day.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

tavernnounUS /ˈtævərn/

a building with a bar that is licensed to sell alcoholic drinks

From this reading Alyosha had not been able to find him the morning before, and Ivan had not succeeded in meeting him at the tavern on the same day.

terribleadjectiveUS /ˈterəbəl/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

tryingadjectiveUS /ˈtraɪɪŋ/

hard to endure

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

urgentadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrdʒənt/

compelling immediate action

From this reading He had spent those two days literally rushing in all directions, “struggling with his destiny and trying to save himself,” as he expressed it himself afterwards, and for some hours he even made a dash out of the town on urgent business, terrible as it was to him to lose sight of Grushenka for a moment.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Kuzma Samsonov But Dmitri, to whom Grushenka, flying away to a new life, had left her last greetings, bidding him remember the hour of her love for ever, knew nothing of what had happened to her, and was at that moment in a condition of feverish agitation and activity.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading For the last two days he had been in such an inconceivable state of mind that he might easily have fallen ill with brain fever, as he said himself afterwards.

Chapter 20 of The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky holds 740 sentences, grouped into 148 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.

What does chapter 20 of The Brothers Karamazov contain?

Chapter 20 holds 740 sentences of The Brothers Karamazov, unabridged, divided into 148 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 740 sentences, grouped into 148 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 20 of The Brothers Karamazov?

Work through the 148 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 148 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 Brothers Karamazov

Common questions about reading The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Brothers Karamazov?

Yes. All 23728 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28054 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Brothers Karamazov is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #28054, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Brothers Karamazov take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 4746 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Brothers Karamazov section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Brothers Karamazov 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 Brothers Karamazov

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

Alexey
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brothers Karamazov; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fyodorovitch
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brothers Karamazov; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Karamazov
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brothers Karamazov; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Third
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brothers Karamazov; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.