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The Marriage of Esther
The Marriage of Esther

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Marriage of Esther is here in full — 318 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Guy Boothby • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Marriage of Esther
Context Illustration Reading 1/63 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
DESTINY--AN ACCIDENT--AND A BETROTHAL.
Early as it was, Ellison discovered that Murkard was out before him.
Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.
It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.
Ellison alone was sad.
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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 Marriage of Esther

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Marriage of Esther is here in full — 318 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/63 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
DESTINY--AN ACCIDENT--AND A BETROTHAL.
Line 2
Early as it was, Ellison discovered that Murkard was out before him.
Line 3
Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.
/ˈpʊlɪŋ hɪmˈself təˈɡeðər æz wel æz hiː wɑːz ˈeɪbəl hiː tʊk hɪz ˈtaʊəl ənd went daʊn tuː ðə biːtʃ tuː beɪð/
Line 4
It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.
/ɪt wɑːz æn ˈekskwəzət ˈmɔːrnɪŋ ə freʃ briːz pleɪd əˈmʌŋ ðə pɑːmz ənd ʃrʌbz ðə bluː siː dænst ənd ˈɡlɪsənd ɪn ðə ˈsʌnʃaɪn ˈkɑːləmz ʌv ˈpeɪləst bluː smoʊk roʊz ˈkɜːrlɪŋ ənd ˈtwɪstɪŋ ˈɪntuː ðə swiːt ˈmɔːrnɪŋ er/
Line 5
Ellison alone was sad.
/ˈelɪsən əˈloʊn wɑːz sæd/

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.

bathe verb US /beɪð/

cleanse the entire body

From this reading “Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
curling noun US /ˈkɜːrlɪŋ/

a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target

From this reading “It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Ellison noun US /ˈelɪsən/

United States novelist who wrote about a young Black man and his struggles in American society (1914-1994)

From this reading “Early as it was, Ellison discovered that Murkard was out before him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
glistened verb US /ˈɡlɪsənd/

past form of “glisten” — be shiny, as if wet

From this reading “It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
palest adjective US /ˈpeɪləst/

superlative of “pale” — very light colored; highly diluted with white

From this reading “It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shrubs noun US /ʃrʌbz/

plural of “shrub” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading “It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
towel noun US /ˈtaʊəl/

a rectangular piece of absorbent cloth (or paper) for drying or wiping

From this reading “Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
twisting noun US /ˈtwɪstɪŋ/

the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean

From this reading “It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

fresh breeze adjective + noun

wind moving 19-24 knots; 5 on the Beaufort scale

In this reading “It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.”

1,176 times in 225,867 chapters
blue smoke adjective + noun

In this reading “It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.”

1,174 times in 225,867 chapters
smoke rose noun + noun

In this reading “It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.”

858 times in 225,867 chapters
blue sea adjective + noun

In this reading “It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.”

1,560 times in 225,867 chapters
went down verb + adjective counted as “go down”

move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

In this reading “Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.”

68,434 times in 225,867 chapters
among the palms preposition + article + noun counted as “among … palm”

In this reading “It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.”

167 times in 225,867 chapters
morning air noun + noun

In this reading “It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.”

2,138 times in 225,867 chapters
glistened in verb + particle counted as “glisten in”

In this reading “It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.”

1,145 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 58

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading DESTINY--AN ACCIDENT--AND A BETROTHAL.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ableadjectiveUS /ˈeɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ACCIDENTnounUS /ˈæksədənt/

an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury

From this reading DESTINY--AN ACCIDENT--AND A BETROTHAL.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Ellison alone was sad.

Velmora curated lexicon
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ANdeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading DESTINY--AN ACCIDENT--AND A BETROTHAL.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading DESTINY--AN ACCIDENT--AND A BETROTHAL.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Early as it was, Ellison discovered that Murkard was out before him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
batheverbUS /beɪð/

cleanse the entire body

From this reading Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beachnounUS /biːtʃ/

an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake

From this reading Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Early as it was, Ellison discovered that Murkard was out before him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BETROTHALnoun

a mutual promise to marry

From this reading DESTINY--AN ACCIDENT--AND A BETROTHAL.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
breezenounUS /briːz/

a slight wind (usually refreshing)

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
columnsnounUS /ˈkɑːləmz/

plural of “column” — a line of units following one after another

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
curlingnounUS /ˈkɜːrlɪŋ/

a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dancedverbUS /dænst/

past form of “dance” — move in a graceful and rhythmical way

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DESTINYnounUS /ˈdestəni/

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading DESTINY--AN ACCIDENT--AND A BETROTHAL.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
discoveredadjectiveUS /dɪˈskʌvərd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading Early as it was, Ellison discovered that Murkard was out before him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EarlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading Early as it was, Ellison discovered that Murkard was out before him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EllisonnounUS /ˈelɪsən/

United States novelist who wrote about a young Black man and his struggles in American society (1914-1994)

From this reading Early as it was, Ellison discovered that Murkard was out before him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
exquisiteadjectiveUS /ˈekskwəzət/

intense or sharp

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
glistenedverbUS /ˈɡlɪsənd/

past form of “glisten” — be shiny, as if wet

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Early as it was, Ellison discovered that Murkard was out before him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Early as it was, Ellison discovered that Murkard was out before him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Murkard

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

From this reading Early as it was, Ellison discovered that Murkard was out before him.

Pending verification
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Early as it was, Ellison discovered that Murkard was out before him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
palestadjectiveUS /ˈpeɪləst/

superlative of “pale” — very light colored; highly diluted with white

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
palmsnounUS /pɑːmz/

plural of “palm” — the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
playedadjectiveUS /pleɪd/

(of games) engaged in

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PullingnounUS /ˈpʊlɪŋ/

the act of pulling; applying force to move something toward or with you

From this reading Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rosenounUS /roʊz/

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sadadjectiveUS /sæd/

experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading Ellison alone was sad.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shrubsnounUS /ʃrʌbz/

plural of “shrub” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smokenounUS /smoʊk/

a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sunshinenounUS /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/

the rays of the sun

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Early as it was, Ellison discovered that Murkard was out before him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
towelnounUS /ˈtaʊəl/

a rectangular piece of absorbent cloth (or paper) for drying or wiping

From this reading Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
twistingnounUS /ˈtwɪstɪŋ/

the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean

From this reading It was an exquisite morning, a fresh breeze played among the palms and shrubs; the blue sea danced and glistened in the sunshine; columns of palest blue smoke rose, curling and twisting, into the sweet morning air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Early as it was, Ellison discovered that Murkard was out before him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Pulling himself together as well as he was able, he took his towel and went down to the beach to bathe.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 4 of The Marriage of Esther by Guy Boothby holds 318 sentences, grouped into 64 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 4 of The Marriage of Esther contain?

Chapter 4 holds 318 sentences of The Marriage of Esther, unabridged, divided into 64 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Marriage of Esther by Guy Boothby exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 318 sentences, grouped into 64 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 4 of The Marriage of Esther?

Work through the 64 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 64 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Marriage of Esther

Common questions about reading The Marriage of Esther by Guy Boothby on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Marriage of Esther?

Yes. All 4105 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39731 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Marriage of Esther is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #39731, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Marriage of Esther take to read?

About 342 minutes of reading across 821 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Marriage of Esther section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Marriage of Esther 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 Marriage of Esther

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

Boothby
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Marriage of Esther; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Marriage of Esther; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wallaby
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Marriage of Esther; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Scene
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Marriage of Esther; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.