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The House on the Borderland
The House on the Borderland

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The House on the Borderland is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The House on the Borderland
Context Illustration Reading 1/86 · 5 lines
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_From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.
Set out here, with Notes_.
Open the door, And listen!
Only the wind's muffled roar, And the glisten Of tears 'round the moon.
And, in fancy, the tread Of vanishing shoon-- Out in the night with the Dead.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The House on the Borderland

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The House on the Borderland is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/86 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.
Line 2
Set out here, with Notes_.
/set aʊt hiːr wɪð noʊts/
Line 3
Open the door, And listen!
/ˈoʊ.pən ðə dɔːr ənd ˈlɪsən/
Line 4
Only the wind's muffled roar, And the glisten Of tears 'round the moon.
/ˈoʊnli ðə wɪndz ˈmʌfəld rɔːr ənd ðə ˈɡlɪsən ʌv terz raʊnd ðə muːn/
Line 5
And, in fancy, the tread Of vanishing shoon-- Out in the night with the Dead.

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.

glisten verb US /ˈɡlɪsən/

be shiny, as if wet

From this reading “Only the wind's muffled roar, And the glisten Of tears 'round the moon.”

Ireland noun US /ˈaɪərlənd/

a republic consisting of 26 of 32 counties comprising the island of Ireland; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1921

From this reading “_From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.”

Manuscript noun US /ˈmæn.jə.skrɪpt/

A book, document, or piece of music written by hand rather than typed or printed.

From this reading “_From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.”

muffled adjective US /ˈmʌfəld/

being or made softer or less loud or clear

From this reading “Only the wind's muffled roar, And the glisten Of tears 'round the moon.”

Ruins noun US /ˈruːənz/

plural of “ruin” — an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction

From this reading “_From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.”

tread verb US /tred/

put down or press the foot, place the foot

From this reading “And, in fancy, the tread Of vanishing shoon-- Out in the night with the Dead.”

vanishing noun US /ˈvænɪʃɪŋ/

a sudden or mysterious disappearance

From this reading “And, in fancy, the tread Of vanishing shoon-- Out in the night with the Dead.”

wind's noun US /wɪndz/

possessive form of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading “Only the wind's muffled roar, And the glisten Of tears 'round the moon.”

All words in this reading · 43

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.

1877

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

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

Berreggnog

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

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

DeadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading And, in fancy, the tread Of vanishing shoon-- Out in the night with the Dead.

discoveredadjectiveUS /dɪˈskʌvərd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Open the door, And listen!

fancynounUS /ˈfænsi/

something many people believe that is false

From this reading And, in fancy, the tread Of vanishing shoon-- Out in the night with the Dead.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

glistenverbUS /ˈɡlɪsən/

be shiny, as if wet

From this reading Only the wind's muffled roar, And the glisten Of tears 'round the moon.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Set out here, with Notes_.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

IrelandnounUS /ˈaɪərlənd/

a republic consisting of 26 of 32 counties comprising the island of Ireland; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1921

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

Kraighten

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

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

lieverbUS /laɪ/

be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

listenverbUS /ˈlɪsən/

hear with intention

From this reading Open the door, And listen!

ManuscriptnounUS /ˈmæn.jə.skrɪpt/

A book, document, or piece of music written by hand rather than typed or printed.

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

Messrs

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

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

moonnounUS /muːn/

the natural satellite of the Earth

From this reading Only the wind's muffled roar, And the glisten Of tears 'round the moon.

muffledadjectiveUS /ˈmʌfəld/

being or made softer or less loud or clear

From this reading Only the wind's muffled roar, And the glisten Of tears 'round the moon.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading And, in fancy, the tread Of vanishing shoon-- Out in the night with the Dead.

NotesnounUS /noʊts/

plural of “note” — a brief written record

From this reading Set out here, with Notes_.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

OnlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Only the wind's muffled roar, And the glisten Of tears 'round the moon.

OpenverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading Open the door, And listen!

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Set out here, with Notes_.

roarverbUS /rɔːr/

make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles

From this reading Only the wind's muffled roar, And the glisten Of tears 'round the moon.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading Only the wind's muffled roar, And the glisten Of tears 'round the moon.

RuinsnounUS /ˈruːənz/

plural of “ruin” — an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

SetverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Set out here, with Notes_.

shoon

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

From this reading And, in fancy, the tread Of vanishing shoon-- Out in the night with the Dead.

SouthnounUS /saʊθ/

the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

tearsnounUS /terz/

the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)

From this reading Only the wind's muffled roar, And the glisten Of tears 'round the moon.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

Tonnison

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

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

treadverbUS /tred/

put down or press the foot, place the foot

From this reading And, in fancy, the tread Of vanishing shoon-- Out in the night with the Dead.

vanishingnounUS /ˈvænɪʃɪŋ/

a sudden or mysterious disappearance

From this reading And, in fancy, the tread Of vanishing shoon-- Out in the night with the Dead.

VillagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

WestnounUS /west/

the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America

From this reading _From the Manuscript discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland.

wind'snounUS /wɪndz/

possessive form of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading Only the wind's muffled roar, And the glisten Of tears 'round the moon.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Set out here, with Notes_.

Chapter 1 of The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson holds 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 1 of The House on the Borderland contain?

Chapter 1 holds 430 sentences of The House on the Borderland, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 1 of The House on the Borderland?

Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 86 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The House on the Borderland

Common questions about reading The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The House on the Borderland?

Yes. All 2947 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10002 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The House on the Borderland is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #10002, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The House on the Borderland take to read?

About 245 minutes of reading across 590 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The House on the Borderland section by section

How to work through The House on the Borderland section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 House on the Borderland

Words and structures a reader meets early in The House on the Borderland, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Manuscript
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House on the Borderland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Discovered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House on the Borderland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Messrs
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House on the Borderland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tonnison
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House on the Borderland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.