Chapter 1 of The Power of a Lie is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Power of a Lie is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
HEINEMANN'S SHORTER NOVELS. _Uniform with "The Power of a Lie._" THE BLOTTING BOOK. By E. F. BENSON. "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph. HALL CAINE'S NOVELS.
Chapter 1 of The Power of a Lie is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/8 · 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.
inflected form of “blot” — dry (ink) with blotting paper
From this reading “_Uniform with "The Power of a Lie._" THE BLOTTING BOOK.”
superlative of “deep” — relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading “"The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.”
plural of “novel” — an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading “HEINEMANN'S SHORTER NOVELS.”
third-person singular of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading “"The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.”
comparative of “short” — primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading “HEINEMANN'S SHORTER NOVELS.”
something or someone seen (especially a notable or unusual sight)
From this reading “"The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.”
apparatus used to communicate at a distance over a wire (usually in Morse code)
From this reading “"The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.”
always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences
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.
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 _Uniform with "The Power of a Lie._" THE BLOTTING BOOK.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By E. F. BENSON.
inflected form of “blot” — dry (ink) with blotting paper
From this reading _Uniform with "The Power of a Lie._" THE BLOTTING BOOK.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading _Uniform with "The Power of a Lie._" THE BLOTTING BOOK.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By E. F. BENSON.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HALL CAINE'S NOVELS.
(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act
From this reading "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.
superlative of “deep” — relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.
a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body
From this reading By E. F. BENSON.
a degree on the Fahrenheit scale of temperature
From this reading By E. F. BENSON.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading HALL CAINE'S NOVELS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HEINEMANN'S SHORTER NOVELS.
characteristic of humanity
From this reading "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading _Uniform with "The Power of a Lie._" THE BLOTTING BOOK.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.
plural of “novel” — an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading HEINEMANN'S SHORTER NOVELS.
third-person singular of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _Uniform with "The Power of a Lie._" THE BLOTTING BOOK.
a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others
From this reading "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading _Uniform with "The Power of a Lie._" THE BLOTTING BOOK.
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.
comparative of “short” — primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading HEINEMANN'S SHORTER NOVELS.
something or someone seen (especially a notable or unusual sight)
From this reading "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.
apparatus used to communicate at a distance over a wire (usually in Morse code)
From this reading "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Uniform with "The Power of a Lie._" THE BLOTTING BOOK.
a special situation
From this reading "The story is 'the real thing'--life as it is, and crime as it occurs a spectacle of the deepest human pity."-- Daily Telegraph.
always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences
From this reading _Uniform with "The Power of a Lie._" THE BLOTTING BOOK.
in the company of; together with
From this reading _Uniform with "The Power of a Lie._" THE BLOTTING BOOK.
Chapter 1 of The Power of a Lie by Johan Bojer holds 44 sentences, grouped into 9 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 44 sentences of The Power of a Lie, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Power of a Lie by Johan Bojer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 44 sentences, grouped into 9 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 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 9 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 Power of a Lie by Johan Bojer on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3317 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #58620 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #58620, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 276 minutes of reading across 664 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Power of a Lie section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Power of a Lie 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 Power of a Lie, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
