Chapter 1 of The Dream is here in full — 219 sentences across 44 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 — 219 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I ran, and ran, and ran, and when night came it was so dark! Oh! how cold I was under the poor shelter of that great door! Oh dear! I was so cold, it seemed as if I were dead. But never mind now, for I did not once let go of my book, and here it is.”
Chapter 1 of The Dream is here in full — 219 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 35/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 171–175
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.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading “But never mind now, for I did not once let go of my book, and here it is.””
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading “Oh! how cold I was under the poor shelter of that great door!”
absence of light or illumination
From this reading “I ran, and ran, and ran, and when night came it was so dark!”
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading “I was so cold, it seemed as if I were dead.”
dearly loved
From this reading “Oh dear!”
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading “Oh! how cold I was under the poor shelter of that great door!”
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading “I ran, and ran, and ran, and when night came it was so dark!”
a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
From this reading “Oh! how cold I was under the poor shelter of that great door!”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I ran, and ran, and ran, and when night came it was so dark!
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I was so cold, it seemed as if I were dead.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading But never mind now, for I did not once let go of my book, and here it is.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But never mind now, for I did not once let go of my book, and here it is.”
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading I ran, and ran, and ran, and when night came it was so dark!
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading Oh! how cold I was under the poor shelter of that great door!
absence of light or illumination
From this reading I ran, and ran, and ran, and when night came it was so dark!
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading I was so cold, it seemed as if I were dead.
dearly loved
From this reading Oh dear!
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But never mind now, for I did not once let go of my book, and here it is.”
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Oh! how cold I was under the poor shelter of that great door!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But never mind now, for I did not once let go of my book, and here it is.”
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading But never mind now, for I did not once let go of my book, and here it is.”
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Oh! how cold I was under the poor shelter of that great door!
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading But never mind now, for I did not once let go of my book, and here it is.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh! how cold I was under the poor shelter of that great door!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I ran, and ran, and ran, and when night came it was so dark!
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading I was so cold, it seemed as if I were dead.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But never mind now, for I did not once let go of my book, and here it is.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I ran, and ran, and ran, and when night came it was so dark!
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading But never mind now, for I did not once let go of my book, and here it is.”
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading But never mind now, for I did not once let go of my book, and here it is.”
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading But never mind now, for I did not once let go of my book, and here it is.”
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading But never mind now, for I did not once let go of my book, and here it is.”
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading I ran, and ran, and ran, and when night came it was so dark!
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But never mind now, for I did not once let go of my book, and here it is.”
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading But never mind now, for I did not once let go of my book, and here it is.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Oh! how cold I was under the poor shelter of that great door!
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Oh! how cold I was under the poor shelter of that great door!
on one occasion
From this reading But never mind now, for I did not once let go of my book, and here it is.”
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading Oh! how cold I was under the poor shelter of that great door!
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading I ran, and ran, and ran, and when night came it was so dark!
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading I was so cold, it seemed as if I were dead.
a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
From this reading Oh! how cold I was under the poor shelter of that great door!
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I ran, and ran, and ran, and when night came it was so dark!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Oh! how cold I was under the poor shelter of that great door!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Oh! how cold I was under the poor shelter of that great door!
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Oh! how cold I was under the poor shelter of that great door!
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I ran, and ran, and ran, and when night came it was so dark!
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I was so cold, it seemed as if I were dead.
at the time that
From this reading I ran, and ran, and ran, and when night came it was so dark!
Chapter 1 of The Dream by Émile Zola holds 219 sentences, grouped into 44 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 219 sentences of The Dream, unabridged, divided into 44 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 219 sentences, grouped into 44 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 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 44 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.
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Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 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 0 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.
