Chapter 6 of The Magic Skin is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of The Magic Skin is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“I say,” the would-be critic cried down the whole length of the table. “The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’” “You are a fool!” “And you are a rogue!” “Oh! oh!”
Chapter 6 of The Magic Skin is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 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 person who is professionally engaged in the analysis and interpretation of works of art
From this reading ““I say,” the would-be critic cried down the whole length of the table.”
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading ““The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’””
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading ““You are a fool!””
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading ““The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’””
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading ““I say,” the would-be critic cried down the whole length of the table.”
plural of “phrase” — an expression consisting of one or more words forming a grammatical constituent of a sentence
From this reading ““The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’””
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading ““And you are a rogue!””
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading ““The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’””
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 “The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “And you are a rogue!”
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “You are a fool!”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’”
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’”
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “I say,” the would-be critic cried down the whole length of the table.
a person who is professionally engaged in the analysis and interpretation of works of art
From this reading “I say,” the would-be critic cried down the whole length of the table.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading “I say,” the would-be critic cried down the whole length of the table.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading “The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’”
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “You are a fool!”
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’”
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading “The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I say,” the would-be critic cried down the whole length of the table.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading “I say,” the would-be critic cried down the whole length of the table.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading “The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “I say,” the would-be critic cried down the whole length of the table.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh! oh!”
plural of “phrase” — an expression consisting of one or more words forming a grammatical constituent of a sentence
From this reading “The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’”
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading “And you are a rogue!”
express in words
From this reading “I say,” the would-be critic cried down the whole length of the table.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading “I say,” the would-be critic cried down the whole length of the table.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I say,” the would-be critic cried down the whole length of the table.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’”
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading “I say,” the would-be critic cried down the whole length of the table.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading “The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’”
unfulfilled or frustrated in realizing an ambition
From this reading “I say,” the would-be critic cried down the whole length of the table.
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading “The phrases might have been drawn at hap-hazard from a hat, ‘twas a work written ‘down to Charenton.’”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You are a fool!”
Chapter 6 of The Magic Skin by Honoré de Balzac holds 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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.
Chapter 6 holds 161 sentences of The Magic Skin, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of The Magic Skin by Honoré de Balzac exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 33 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 6 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 Magic Skin by Honoré de Balzac on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4696 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1307 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1307, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 391 minutes of reading across 940 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Magic Skin section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of The Magic Skin 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 Magic Skin, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
