Chapter 1 of The nigger of the "Narcissus" is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The nigger of the "Narcissus" is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Caps were rooted for amongst tumbled blankets. Some, yawning, buttoned waistbands. Half-smoked pipes were knocked hurriedly against woodwork and stuffed under pillows. Voices growled:—“What’s up?... Is there no rest for us?”
Chapter 1 of The nigger of the "Narcissus" is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 53/89 · 5 reading units · Lines 261–265
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.
plural of “blanket” — bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading “Caps were rooted for amongst tumbled blankets.”
furnished or closed with buttons or something buttonlike
From this reading “Some, yawning, buttoned waistbands.”
plural of “cap” — a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading “Caps were rooted for amongst tumbled blankets.”
plural of “pillow” — a cushion to support the head of a sleeping person
From this reading “Half-smoked pipes were knocked hurriedly against woodwork and stuffed under pillows.”
absolutely still
From this reading “Caps were rooted for amongst tumbled blankets.”
filled with something
From this reading “Half-smoked pipes were knocked hurriedly against woodwork and stuffed under pillows.”
work made of wood; especially moldings or stairways or furniture
From this reading “Half-smoked pipes were knocked hurriedly against woodwork and stuffed under pillows.”
gaping open as if threatening to engulf someone or something
From this reading “Some, yawning, buttoned waistbands.”
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.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Half-smoked pipes were knocked hurriedly against woodwork and stuffed under pillows.
surrounded by; in the company of
From this reading Caps were rooted for amongst tumbled blankets.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Half-smoked pipes were knocked hurriedly against woodwork and stuffed under pillows.
plural of “blanket” — bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading Caps were rooted for amongst tumbled blankets.
furnished or closed with buttons or something buttonlike
From this reading Some, yawning, buttoned waistbands.
plural of “cap” — a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading Caps were rooted for amongst tumbled blankets.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Caps were rooted for amongst tumbled blankets.
past form of “growl” — to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds
From this reading Voices growled:—“What’s up?...
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Half-smoked pipes were knocked hurriedly against woodwork and stuffed under pillows.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading Half-smoked pipes were knocked hurriedly against woodwork and stuffed under pillows.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Is there no rest for us?”
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading Half-smoked pipes were knocked hurriedly against woodwork and stuffed under pillows.
not any; not one
From this reading Is there no rest for us?”
plural of “pillow” — a cushion to support the head of a sleeping person
From this reading Half-smoked pipes were knocked hurriedly against woodwork and stuffed under pillows.
plural of “pipe” — a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading Half-smoked pipes were knocked hurriedly against woodwork and stuffed under pillows.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading Is there no rest for us?”
absolutely still
From this reading Caps were rooted for amongst tumbled blankets.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some, yawning, buttoned waistbands.
filled with something
From this reading Half-smoked pipes were knocked hurriedly against woodwork and stuffed under pillows.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Is there no rest for us?”
past form of “tumble” — fall down, as if collapsing
From this reading Caps were rooted for amongst tumbled blankets.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Half-smoked pipes were knocked hurriedly against woodwork and stuffed under pillows.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Voices growled:—“What’s up?...
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Is there no rest for us?”
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Voices growled:—“What’s up?...
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some, yawning, buttoned waistbands.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Caps were rooted for amongst tumbled blankets.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Voices growled:—“What’s up?...
work made of wood; especially moldings or stairways or furniture
From this reading Half-smoked pipes were knocked hurriedly against woodwork and stuffed under pillows.
gaping open as if threatening to engulf someone or something
From this reading Some, yawning, buttoned waistbands.
Chapter 1 of The nigger of the "Narcissus" by Joseph Conrad holds 449 sentences, grouped into 90 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.
Chapter 1 holds 449 sentences of The nigger of the "Narcissus", unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The nigger of the "Narcissus" by Joseph Conrad exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 449 sentences, grouped into 90 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 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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 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.
Common questions about reading The nigger of the "Narcissus" by Joseph Conrad on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3518 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17731 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #17731, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 293 minutes of reading across 704 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The nigger of the "Narcissus" section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of The nigger of the "Narcissus" 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 nigger of the "Narcissus", each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
