Chapter 1 of The Immortals is here in full — 513 sentences across 103 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Immortals is here in full — 513 sentences across 103 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Staghorn dared tug at the veil that hid the future. Maybe it wasn't a crime to look ... maybe it was just that the future was ugly! Dr. Clarence Peccary was an objective man. His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp. Millions.
Chapter 1 of The Immortals is here in full — 513 sentences across 103 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/102 · 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 closed carriage with four wheels and seats for four passengers
From this reading “Dr. Clarence Peccary was an objective man.”
without question and beyond doubt
From this reading “His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.”
becoming greater or larger
From this reading “His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.”
get involved, so as to alter or hinder an action, or through force or threat of force
From this reading “His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.”
the psychological state of being irritated or annoyed
From this reading “His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.”
plural of “million” — the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros
From this reading “Millions.”
undistorted by emotion or personal bias; based on observable phenomena
From this reading “Dr. Clarence Peccary was an objective man.”
pull hard
From this reading “Staghorn dared tug at the veil that hid the future.”
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 “His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.”
In this reading “Staghorn dared tug at the veil that hid the future.”
In this reading “His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.”
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 Maybe it wasn't a crime to look ... maybe it was just that the future was ugly!
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Dr. Clarence Peccary was an objective man.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Staghorn dared tug at the veil that hid the future.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
a closed carriage with four wheels and seats for four passengers
From this reading Dr. Clarence Peccary was an objective man.
motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act
From this reading Maybe it wasn't a crime to look ... maybe it was just that the future was ugly!
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading Staghorn dared tug at the veil that hid the future.
without question and beyond doubt
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dr. Clarence Peccary was an objective man.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
yet to be or coming
From this reading Staghorn dared tug at the veil that hid the future.
the act of departing
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
hold firmly
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
inflected form of “hide” — prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading Staghorn dared tug at the veil that hid the future.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
becoming greater or larger
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
get involved, so as to alter or hinder an action, or through force or threat of force
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
the psychological state of being irritated or annoyed
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Maybe it wasn't a crime to look ... maybe it was just that the future was ugly!
and nothing more
From this reading Maybe it wasn't a crime to look ... maybe it was just that the future was ugly!
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Maybe it wasn't a crime to look ... maybe it was just that the future was ugly!
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Dr. Clarence Peccary was an objective man.
by chance
From this reading Maybe it wasn't a crime to look ... maybe it was just that the future was ugly!
plural of “million” — the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros
From this reading Millions.
undistorted by emotion or personal bias; based on observable phenomena
From this reading Dr. Clarence Peccary was an objective man.
nocturnal gregarious pig-like wild animals of North America and South America
From this reading Dr. Clarence Peccary was an objective man.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Staghorn dared tug at the veil that hid the future.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Staghorn dared tug at the veil that hid the future.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Staghorn dared tug at the veil that hid the future.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Maybe it wasn't a crime to look ... maybe it was just that the future was ugly!
pull hard
From this reading Staghorn dared tug at the veil that hid the future.
displeasing to the senses
From this reading Maybe it wasn't a crime to look ... maybe it was just that the future was ugly!
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
a garment that covers the head and face
From this reading Staghorn dared tug at the veil that hid the future.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Maybe it wasn't a crime to look ... maybe it was just that the future was ugly!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Maybe it wasn't a crime to look ... maybe it was just that the future was ugly!
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading His increasing irritation was caused, he realized, by the fear that his conscience was going to intervene between him and the vast fortune that was definitely within his grasp.
Chapter 1 of The Immortals by David Duncan holds 513 sentences, grouped into 103 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 513 sentences of The Immortals, unabridged, divided into 103 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Immortals by David Duncan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 513 sentences, grouped into 103 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 103 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 103 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 Immortals by David Duncan on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1022 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51801 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #51801, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 85 minutes of reading across 205 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Immortals section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of The Immortals 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 Immortals, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
