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The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories
The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories

Chapter XXXIV · Chapter 34

Chapter 34 of The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories
Context Illustration Reading 1/13 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Polikey was a court manone of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).
He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.
The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.
A Russian stove stood in the centre, around which was a free passage.
Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known as Polikey’s corner.”
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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 Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories

Chapter XXXIV · Chapter 34

Chapter 34 of The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Polikey was a court manone of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).
Line 2
He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.
Line 3
The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.
Line 4
A Russian stove stood in the centre, around which was a free passage.
Line 5
Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known asPolikey’s corner.”

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.

Stood verb US /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading “A Russian stove stood in the centre, around which was a free passage.”

All words in this reading · 82

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.

a

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

From this reading Polikey was a court man—one of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).

all

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

From this reading Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known as “Polikey’s corner.”

and

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

around

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

From this reading A Russian stove stood in the centre, around which was a free passage.

as

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

be

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

belonging

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

From this reading Polikey was a court man—one of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).

boyarinia

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

From this reading Polikey was a court man—one of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).

built

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

by

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

centre

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

From this reading A Russian stove stood in the centre, around which was a free passage.

children

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

continued

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

corner

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

From this reading Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known as “Polikey’s corner.”

court

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

From this reading Polikey was a court man—one of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).

deceased

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

described

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

door

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

From this reading Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known as “Polikey’s corner.”

Each

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

From this reading Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known as “Polikey’s corner.”

estate

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

extent

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

From this reading Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known as “Polikey’s corner.”

feet

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

From this reading Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known as “Polikey’s corner.”

fenced

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

From this reading Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known as “Polikey’s corner.”

follows

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

four

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

free

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

From this reading A Russian stove stood in the centre, around which was a free passage.

He

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

held

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

his

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

house

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

household

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

From this reading Polikey was a court man—one of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).

in

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

inclosure

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

From this reading Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known as “Polikey’s corner.”

insignificant

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

interior

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

izba

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

known

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

From this reading Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known as “Polikey’s corner.”

lady

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

From this reading Polikey was a court man—one of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).

lived

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

man

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

From this reading Polikey was a court man—one of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).

may

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

nearest

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

From this reading Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known as “Polikey’s corner.”

nobility

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

From this reading Polikey was a court man—one of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).

nobleman

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

of

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

From this reading Polikey was a court man—one of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).

off

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

From this reading Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known as “Polikey’s corner.”

on

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

one

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

From this reading Polikey was a court man—one of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).

passage

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

From this reading A Russian stove stood in the centre, around which was a free passage.

Polikey

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

From this reading Polikey was a court man—one of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).

Polikey's

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

From this reading Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known as “Polikey’s corner.”

poor

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

position

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

rather

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

room

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

Russian

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

From this reading A Russian stove stood in the centre, around which was a free passage.

separate

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

From this reading Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known as “Polikey’s corner.”

servants

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

From this reading Polikey was a court man—one of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).

serve

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

several

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

From this reading Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known as “Polikey’s corner.”

small

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

smallest

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

From this reading Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the smallest of all) was known as “Polikey’s corner.”

square

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

staff

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

From this reading Polikey was a court man—one of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).

still

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

stone

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading A Russian stove stood in the centre, around which was a free passage.

stove

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

From this reading A Russian stove stood in the centre, around which was a free passage.

surrounding

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

ten

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

the

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

From this reading Polikey was a court man—one of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).

to

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

From this reading Polikey was a court man—one of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).

very

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

walls

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

was

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

From this reading Polikey was a court man—one of the staff of servants belonging to the court household of a _boyarinia_ (lady of the nobility).

were

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

which

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

From this reading A Russian stove stood in the centre, around which was a free passage.

whose

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

widow

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

wife

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

with

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

From this reading He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

yards

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

From this reading The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls surrounding the one _izba_ (room) were built of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

Chapter 34 of The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories by Leo, graf Tolstoy holds 66 sentences, grouped into 14 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 34 of The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories contain?

Chapter 34 holds 66 sentences of The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 34 of The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories by Leo, graf Tolstoy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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 34 of The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 34 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 34 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 Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories

Common questions about reading The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories by Leo, graf Tolstoy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories?

Yes. All 3753 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #689 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #689, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories take to read?

About 312 minutes of reading across 751 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories section by section

How to work through The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 38 chapters of The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories 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 Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Candle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Translator
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Preface
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Comparing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.