Chapter 1 of The Dream is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Dream is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom. Then, opposite the saints, behold the evil spirits! “They often fly about us like insects, and fill the air without number. The air is also full of demons, as the rays of the sun are full of atoms. It is even like powder.”
Chapter 1 of The Dream is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 27/46 · 5 reading units · Lines 131–135
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.
plural of “atom” — (physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element
From this reading “The air is also full of demons, as the rays of the sun are full of atoms.”
plural of “demon” — an evil supernatural being
From this reading “The air is also full of demons, as the rays of the sun are full of atoms.”
plural of “insect” — small air-breathing arthropod
From this reading ““They often fly about us like insects, and fill the air without number.”
plural of “odour” — the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading “And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom.”
a solid substance in the form of tiny loose particles; a solid that has been pulverized
From this reading “It is even like powder.””
plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading “The air is also full of demons, as the rays of the sun are full of atoms.”
plural of “saint” — a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization
From this reading “Then, opposite the saints, behold the evil spirits!”
plural of “tomb” — a place for the burial of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone)
From this reading “And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “They often fly about us like insects, and fill the air without number.
later than; following
From this reading And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading “They often fly about us like insects, and fill the air without number.
in addition
From this reading The air is also full of demons, as the rays of the sun are full of atoms.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The air is also full of demons, as the rays of the sun are full of atoms.
plural of “atom” — (physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element
From this reading The air is also full of demons, as the rays of the sun are full of atoms.
see with attention
From this reading Then, opposite the saints, behold the evil spirits!
plural of “demon” — an evil supernatural being
From this reading The air is also full of demons, as the rays of the sun are full of atoms.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom.
divisible by two
From this reading It is even like powder.”
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading Then, opposite the saints, behold the evil spirits!
make full, also in a metaphorical sense
From this reading “They often fly about us like insects, and fill the air without number.
travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading “They often fly about us like insects, and fill the air without number.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading The air is also full of demons, as the rays of the sun are full of atoms.
plural of “hundred” — ten 10s
From this reading And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom.
plural of “insect” — small air-breathing arthropod
From this reading “They often fly about us like insects, and fill the air without number.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The air is also full of demons, as the rays of the sun are full of atoms.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is even like powder.”
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “They often fly about us like insects, and fill the air without number.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading “They often fly about us like insects, and fill the air without number.
plural of “odour” — the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom.
many times at short intervals
From this reading “They often fly about us like insects, and fill the air without number.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading Then, opposite the saints, behold the evil spirits!
a solid substance in the form of tiny loose particles; a solid that has been pulverized
From this reading It is even like powder.”
plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading The air is also full of demons, as the rays of the sun are full of atoms.
plural of “saint” — a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization
From this reading Then, opposite the saints, behold the evil spirits!
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading Then, opposite the saints, behold the evil spirits!
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The air is also full of demons, as the rays of the sun are full of atoms.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then, opposite the saints, behold the evil spirits!
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, opposite the saints, behold the evil spirits!
from that circumstance or source
From this reading And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “They often fly about us like insects, and fill the air without number.
plural of “tomb” — a place for the burial of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone)
From this reading And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “They often fly about us like insects, and fill the air without number.
at the time that
From this reading And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading “They often fly about us like insects, and fill the air without number.
a late time of life
From this reading And when their tombs are opened after hundreds of years, sweet odours escape therefrom.
Chapter 1 of The Dream by Émile Zola holds 231 sentences, grouped into 47 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 1 holds 231 sentences of The Dream, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Dream by Émile Zola exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 231 sentences, grouped into 47 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 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 47 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 1 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 Dream by Émile Zola on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4020 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9499 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9499, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 335 minutes of reading across 804 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Dream section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of The Dream 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 Dream, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
