Chapter 23 of The Idol of Paris is here in full — 394 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of The Idol of Paris is here in full — 394 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
In the great hall of the Château a charming theatre had been built. Everything was ready for the rehearsal. An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants. The mechanism had been arranged by an eminent Parisian engineer. A curtain decorated by Maurice served as background.
Chapter 23 of The Idol of Paris is here in full — 394 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/78 · 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.
A large French country house or castle, often surrounded by expansive estates and private galleries.
From this reading “In the great hall of the Château a charming theatre had been built.”
plural of “frame” — the framework for a pair of eyeglasses
From this reading “An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.”
the atomic process that occurs during a chemical reaction
From this reading “The mechanism had been arranged by an eminent Parisian engineer.”
of or relating to or characteristic of Paris or its inhabitants
From this reading “The mechanism had been arranged by an eminent Parisian engineer.”
a practice session in preparation for a public performance (as of a play or speech or concert)
From this reading “Everything was ready for the rehearsal.”
-ing form of “revolve” — turn on or around an axis or a center
From this reading “An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.”
plural of “square” — (geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon
From this reading “An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.”
plural of “tableau” — a group of people attractively arranged (as if in a painting)
From this reading “An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.”
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 In the great hall of the Château a charming theatre had been built.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.
disposed or placed in a particular kind of order
From this reading The mechanism had been arranged by an eminent Parisian engineer.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.
a person's social heritage: previous experience or training
From this reading A curtain decorated by Maurice served as background.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading In the great hall of the Château a charming theatre had been built.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading In the great hall of the Château a charming theatre had been built.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The mechanism had been arranged by an eminent Parisian engineer.
pleasing or delighting
From this reading In the great hall of the Château a charming theatre had been built.
A large French country house or castle, often surrounded by expansive estates and private galleries.
From this reading In the great hall of the Château a charming theatre had been built.
hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading A curtain decorated by Maurice served as background.
provided with something intended to increase its beauty or distinction
From this reading A curtain decorated by Maurice served as background.
standing above others in quality or position
From this reading The mechanism had been arranged by an eminent Parisian engineer.
a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems
From this reading The mechanism had been arranged by an eminent Parisian engineer.
extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree
From this reading An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading Everything was ready for the rehearsal.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Everything was ready for the rehearsal.
plural of “frame” — the framework for a pair of eyeglasses
From this reading An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading In the great hall of the Château a charming theatre had been built.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In the great hall of the Château a charming theatre had been built.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading In the great hall of the Château a charming theatre had been built.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the great hall of the Château a charming theatre had been built.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A curtain decorated by Maurice served as background.
the atomic process that occurs during a chemical reaction
From this reading The mechanism had been arranged by an eminent Parisian engineer.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In the great hall of the Château a charming theatre had been built.
of or relating to or characteristic of Paris or its inhabitants
From this reading The mechanism had been arranged by an eminent Parisian engineer.
a raised horizontal surface
From this reading An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading Everything was ready for the rehearsal.
a practice session in preparation for a public performance (as of a play or speech or concert)
From this reading Everything was ready for the rehearsal.
-ing form of “revolve” — turn on or around an axis or a center
From this reading An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.
serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.
past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading A curtain decorated by Maurice served as background.
plural of “square” — (geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon
From this reading An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.
plural of “tableau” — a group of people attractively arranged (as if in a painting)
From this reading An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In the great hall of the Château a charming theatre had been built.
a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented
From this reading In the great hall of the Château a charming theatre had been built.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Everything was ready for the rehearsal.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.
made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood
From this reading An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading An enormous revolving platform held three wooden squares which would serve as frames for the tableaux vivants.
Chapter 23 of The Idol of Paris by Sarah Bernhardt holds 394 sentences, grouped into 79 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 23 holds 394 sentences of The Idol of Paris, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of The Idol of Paris by Sarah Bernhardt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 394 sentences, grouped into 79 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 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 79 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 23 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 Idol of Paris by Sarah Bernhardt on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4653 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7075 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #7075, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 387 minutes of reading across 931 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Idol of Paris section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of The Idol of Paris 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 Idol of Paris, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
