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The Inevitable
The Inevitable

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The Inevitable is here in full — 52 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Inevitable
Context Illustration Reading 1/10 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.
Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.
Rome was quiet: Roman society had fled; the tourists had migrated.
They saw nobody and their days glided past.
He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Inevitable

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The Inevitable is here in full — 52 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/10 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.
/ɪn ðoʊz hɑːt meɪ deɪz ðə bɪɡ ˈstuːdioʊ ˈfeɪsɪŋ nɔːrθ wɑːz kuːl waɪl ðə taʊn ˈaʊtˈsaɪd wɑːz ˈskɔːrtʃɪŋ/
Line 2
Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.
Line 3
Rome was quiet: Roman society had fled; the tourists had migrated.
/roʊm wɑːz ˈkwaɪət ˈroʊmən səˈsaɪəti hæd fled ðə ˈtʊrəsts hæd ˈmaɪɡreɪtɪd/
Line 4
They saw nobody and their days glided past.
/ðeɪ sɔː ˈnoʊbɑːdiː ənd ðer deɪz ˈɡlaɪdɪd pæst/
Line 5
He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

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.

Banners noun US /ˈbænərz/

plural of “banner” — long strip of cloth or paper used for decoration or advertising

From this reading “He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.”

diligently adverb US /ˈdɪlədʒəntli/

with diligence; in a diligent manner

From this reading “He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.”

International adjective US /ˌɪntərˈnæʃənəl/

concerning or belonging to all or at least two or more nations

From this reading “He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.”

migrated verb US /ˈmaɪɡreɪtɪd/

past form of “migrate” — move from one country or region to another and settle there

From this reading “Rome was quiet: Roman society had fled; the tourists had migrated.”

nightfall noun US /ˈnaɪtfɔːl/

the time of day immediately following sunset

From this reading “Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.”

scorching adjective US /ˈskɔːrtʃɪŋ/

hot and dry enough to burn or parch a surface

From this reading “In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.”

tourists noun US /ˈtʊrəsts/

plural of “tourist” — someone who travels for pleasure

From this reading “Rome was quiet: Roman society had fled; the tourists had migrated.”

waists noun US /weɪsts/

plural of “waist” — the narrowing of the body between the ribs and hips

From this reading “He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

glided past verb + noun counted as “glide past”

In this reading “They saw nobody and their days glided past.”

before nightfall preposition + noun

In this reading “Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.”

in front preposition + noun

at or in the front

In this reading “He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.”

go out verb + adjective

move out of or depart from

In this reading “Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.”

last days adjective + noun

In this reading “He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.”

think of verb + particle

keep in mind for attention or consideration

In this reading “Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.”

sit in verb + particle

attend as a visitor

In this reading “He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.”

All words in this reading · 78

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/

weapons considered collectively

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

BannersnounUS /ˈbænərz/

plural of “banner” — long strip of cloth or paper used for decoration or advertising

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.

cooladjectiveUS /kuːl/

neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat

From this reading In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.

Cornélie

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

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

diligentlyadverbUS /ˈdɪlədʒəntli/

with diligence; in a diligent manner

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

diningnounUS /ˈdaɪnɪŋ/

the act of eating dinner

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

drawingnounUS /ˈdrɔːɪŋ/

an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

Duco

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

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

ExhibitionnounUS /ˌeksəˈbɪʃən/

the act of exhibiting

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

facingnounUS /ˈfeɪsɪŋ/

a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening

From this reading In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.

finishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪnɪʃt/

(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

fledverbUS /fled/

inflected form of “flee” — run away quickly

From this reading Rome was quiet: Roman society had fled; the tourists had migrated.

frontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

glidedverbUS /ˈɡlaɪdɪd/

past form of “glide” — move smoothly and effortlessly

From this reading They saw nobody and their days glided past.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Rome was quiet: Roman society had fled; the tourists had migrated.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

From this reading In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.

InternationaladjectiveUS /ˌɪntərˈnæʃənəl/

concerning or belonging to all or at least two or more nations

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

Knightsbridge

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

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.

migratedverbUS /ˈmaɪɡreɪtɪd/

past form of “migrate” — move from one country or region to another and settle there

From this reading Rome was quiet: Roman society had fled; the tourists had migrated.

nightfallnounUS /ˈnaɪtfɔːl/

the time of day immediately following sunset

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

nobodypronounUS /ˈnoʊbɑːdiː/

no person; not anyone

From this reading They saw nobody and their days glided past.

northnounUS /nɔːrθ/

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

From this reading In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

other's

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

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading They saw nobody and their days glided past.

proudlyadverbUS /ˈpraʊdli/

with pride; in a proud manner

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading Rome was quiet: Roman society had fled; the tourists had migrated.

RomanadjectiveUS /ˈroʊmən/

relating to or characteristic of people of Rome

From this reading Rome was quiet: Roman society had fled; the tourists had migrated.

RomenounUS /roʊm/

capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire

From this reading Rome was quiet: Roman society had fled; the tourists had migrated.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading They saw nobody and their days glided past.

scorchingadjectiveUS /ˈskɔːrtʃɪŋ/

hot and dry enough to burn or parch a surface

From this reading In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

shoulderverbUS /ˈʃoʊldər/

lift onto one's shoulders

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

sitverbUS /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

smilingnounUS /ˈsmaɪlɪŋ/

a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

societynounUS /səˈsaɪəti/

an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization

From this reading Rome was quiet: Roman society had fled; the tourists had migrated.

somewhereadverbUS /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

studionounUS /ˈstuːdioʊ/

workplace for the teaching or practice of an art

From this reading In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They saw nobody and their days glided past.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They saw nobody and their days glided past.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

touristsnounUS /ˈtʊrəsts/

plural of “tourist” — someone who travels for pleasure

From this reading Rome was quiet: Roman society had fled; the tourists had migrated.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

waistsnounUS /weɪsts/

plural of “waist” — the narrowing of the body between the ribs and hips

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Duco and Cornélie did not go out before nightfall, when it was time to think of dining somewhere.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading In those hot May days, the big studio facing north was cool while the town outside was scorching.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

workedverbUS /wɜːrkt/

past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading He worked diligently; The Banners was finished: the two of them, with their arms around each other's waists and her head on his shoulder, would sit in front of it, proudly smiling, during the last days before the drawing was to be sent to the International Exhibition in Knightsbridge.

Chapter 23 of The Inevitable by Louis Couperus holds 52 sentences, grouped into 11 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 23 of The Inevitable contain?

Chapter 23 holds 52 sentences of The Inevitable, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of The Inevitable by Louis Couperus exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 52 sentences, grouped into 11 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 23 of The Inevitable?

Work through the 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 11 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 23 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Inevitable

Common questions about reading The Inevitable by Louis Couperus on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Inevitable?

Yes. All 5806 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43005 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Inevitable is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #43005, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Inevitable take to read?

About 483 minutes of reading across 1162 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Inevitable section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Inevitable to begin.

  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 Inevitable

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Inevitable, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Company
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Inevitable; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Marchesa
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Inevitable; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Belloni's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Inevitable; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Boarding-house
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Inevitable; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.