Chapter 1 of The Great American Novel is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Great American Novel is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
If there is progress then there is a novel. Without progress there is nothing. Everything exists from the beginning. I existed in the beginning. I was a slobbering infant.
Chapter 1 of The Great American Novel is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading “Everything exists from the beginning.”
all things; all of a situation
From this reading “Everything exists from the beginning.”
past form of “exist” — have an existence, be extant
From this reading “I existed in the beginning.”
third-person singular of “exist” — have an existence, be extant
From this reading “Everything exists from the beginning.”
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading “I was a slobbering infant.”
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading “If there is progress then there is a novel.”
gradual improvement or growth or development
From this reading “If there is progress then there is a novel.”
-ing form of “slobber” — let saliva drivel from the mouth
From this reading “I was a slobbering infant.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “Everything exists from the beginning.”
In this reading “I existed in the beginning.”
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 If there is progress then there is a novel.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading Everything exists from the beginning.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading Everything exists from the beginning.
past form of “exist” — have an existence, be extant
From this reading I existed in the beginning.
third-person singular of “exist” — have an existence, be extant
From this reading Everything exists from the beginning.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Everything exists from the beginning.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I existed in the beginning.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If there is progress then there is a novel.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I existed in the beginning.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading I was a slobbering infant.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading If there is progress then there is a novel.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Without progress there is nothing.
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading If there is progress then there is a novel.
gradual improvement or growth or development
From this reading If there is progress then there is a novel.
-ing form of “slobber” — let saliva drivel from the mouth
From this reading I was a slobbering infant.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Everything exists from the beginning.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading If there is progress then there is a novel.
in or at that place or location
From this reading If there is progress then there is a novel.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was a slobbering infant.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Without progress there is nothing.
Chapter 1 of The Great American Novel by William Carlos Williams holds 138 sentences, grouped into 28 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 138 sentences of The Great American Novel, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Great American Novel by William Carlos Williams exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 138 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 28 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 Great American Novel by William Carlos Williams on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1885 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #63888 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #63888, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 157 minutes of reading across 377 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Great American Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of The Great American Novel 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 Great American Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
