The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I)

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I) is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Henry James • Curated US English Learning Edition

Chapter 1 of The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I) by Henry James holds 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 Letters of Henry James (Vol. I) contain?

Chapter 1 holds 440 sentences of The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I), unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I) by Henry James exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 Letters of Henry James (Vol. I)?

Work through the 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 88 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 Letters of Henry James (Vol. I)

Common questions about reading The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I) by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I)?

Yes. All 5683 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38776 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #38776, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I) take to read?

About 473 minutes of reading across 1137 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I) section by section

How to work through The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I) to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I)

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Letters: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Alice: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
James: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mother: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Cover illustration for The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I)

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

LETTERS: To his Father 45 To W. D. Howells 47 To William James 50 To William James 52 To Miss Grace Norton 54 To Miss Grace Norton 56 To William James 59 To Miss Alice James 62 To William James 65 To his Mother 67 To Miss Grace Norton 69 To W. D. Howells 71 To Charles Eliot Norton 74 To his Mother 76 To Mrs. Fanny Kemble 78

To Miss Henrietta Reubell 90 To Charles Eliot Norton 91 To Mrs. John L. Gardner 92 To Miss Grace Norton 93 To William James 97 To George du Maurier 98 To Miss Grace Norton 100 To William James 102 To W. D. Howells 103 To John Addington Symonds 106 To Alphonse Daudet 108 To Robert Louis Stevenson 110 To William James 111 To Miss Grace Norton 113 To William James 115 To James Russell Lowell 118

To William James 119 To Charles Eliot Norton 122 To Miss Grace Norton 126 To Edmund Gosse 129 To Robert Louis Stevenson 130 To Robert Louis Stevenson 132 To W. D. Howells 134 To Robert Louis Stevenson 136 To William James 139 LETTERS: To Robert Louis Stevenson 152 To William James 154 To Robert Louis Stevenson 155 To Robert Louis Stevenson 158 To William James 161 To W. D. Howells 163 To Miss Alice James 166 To William James 170

To Edmund Gosse 172 To Mrs. Hugh Bell 173 To Robert Louis Stevenson 174 To William James 179 To Robert Louis Stevenson 181 To Charles Eliot Norton 183 To Edmund Gosse 185 To Mrs. Mahlon Sands 186 To Mrs. Humphry Ward 187 To Robert Louis Stevenson 188 To Robert Louis Stevenson 190 To the Countess of Jersey 192 To Charles Eliot Norton 193 To W. D. Howells 197 To Robert Louis Stevenson 199 To Mrs. Edmund

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter I Reading 1/88

The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I) Henry James

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I) is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

LETTERS: To Miss Alice James 15 To his Mother 19 To his Mother 21 To William James 24 To William James 26 To his Father 28 To Charles Eliot Norton 30 To his Parents 32 To W. D. Howells 33 To Miss Grace Norton 35 To his Mother 38 LETTERS: To his Father 45 To W. D. Howells 47 To William James 50 To William James 52 To Miss Grace Norton 54 To Miss Grace Norton 56 To William James 59 To Miss Alice James 62 To William James 65 To his Mother 67 To Miss Grace Norton 69 To W. D. Howells 71 To Charles Eliot Norton 74 To his Mother 76 To Mrs. Fanny Kemble 78 To Miss Henrietta Reubell 90 To Charles Eliot Norton 91 To Mrs. John L. Gardner 92 To Miss Grace Norton 93 To William James 97 To George du Maurier 98 To Miss Grace Norton 100 To William James 102 To W. D. Howells 103 To John Addington Symonds 106 To Alphonse Daudet 108 To Robert Louis Stevenson 110 To William James 111 To Miss Grace Norton 113 To William James 115 To James Russell Lowell 118 To William James 119 To Charles Eliot Norton 122 To Miss Grace Norton 126 To Edmund Gosse 129 To Robert Louis Stevenson 130 To Robert Louis Stevenson 132 To W. D. Howells 134 To Robert Louis Stevenson 136 To William James 139 LETTERS: To Robert Louis Stevenson 152 To William James 154 To Robert Louis Stevenson 155 To Robert Louis Stevenson 158 To William James 161 To W. D. Howells 163 To Miss Alice James 166 To William James 170 To Edmund Gosse 172 To Mrs. Hugh Bell 173 To Robert Louis Stevenson 174 To William James 179 To Robert Louis Stevenson 181 To Charles Eliot Norton 183 To Edmund Gosse 185 To Mrs. Mahlon Sands 186 To Mrs. Humphry Ward 187 To Robert Louis Stevenson 188 To Robert Louis Stevenson 190 To the Countess of Jersey 192 To Charles Eliot Norton 193 To W. D. Howells 197 To Robert Louis Stevenson 199 To Mrs. Edmund

The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I)

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I) is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/88 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

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All words in this reading · 123

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

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