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The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830
The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830

Chapter XXXIV

Chapter 34 of The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830 is here in full — 273 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Stendhal • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830
Context Illustration Reading 1/54 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.
In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.
Julien found the marquis furious.
For perhaps the first time in his life this nobleman showed bad form.
He loaded Julien with all the insults that came to his lips.
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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 Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830

Chapter XXXIV

Chapter 34 of The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830 is here in full — 273 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/54 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.
/ðə hel ʌv ˈwiːknəs ə ˈklʌmzi ˈlæpəderi ɪn ˈkʌtɪŋ ðɪs ˈdaɪmənd dɪˈpraɪvd ɪt ʌv sʌm ʌv ɪts moʊst ˈbrɪljənt ˈfæsəts/
Line 2
In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.
Line 3
Julien found the marquis furious.
Line 4
For perhaps the first time in his life this nobleman showed bad form.
/fɔːr pərˈhæps ðə fɜːrst taɪm ɪn hɪz laɪf ðɪs ˈnoʊbəlmən ʃoʊd bæd fɔːrm/
Line 5
He loaded Julien with all the insults that came to his lips.

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.

clumsy adjective US /ˈklʌmzi/

lacking grace in movement or posture

From this reading “THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deprived adjective US /dɪˈpraɪvd/

marked by deprivation especially of the necessities of life or healthful environmental influences

From this reading “THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
facets noun US /ˈfæsəts/

plural of “facet” — a distinct feature or element in a problem

From this reading “THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Frenchman noun US /ˈfrentʃmæn/

a person of French nationality

From this reading “In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
insults noun US /ˌɪnˈsʌlts/

plural of “insult” — a rude expression intended to offend or hurt

From this reading “He loaded Julien with all the insults that came to his lips.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lapidary noun US /ˈlæpəderi/

an expert on precious stones and the art of cutting and engraving them

From this reading “THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nobleman noun US /ˈnoʊbəlmən/

a titled peer of the realm

From this reading “For perhaps the first time in his life this nobleman showed bad form.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Richelieu noun US /ˈrɪʃəluː/

French prelate and statesman; principal minister to Louis XIII (1585-1642)

From this reading “In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.”

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.

middle ages noun + noun counted as “middle age”

the time of life between youth and old age (e.g., between 40 and 60 years of age)

In this reading “In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.”

6,478 times in 426,212 chapters
most brilliant adverb + adjective

In this reading “THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.”

2,276 times in 426,212 chapters
first time adjective + noun

In this reading “For perhaps the first time in his life this nobleman showed bad form.”

71,417 times in 426,212 chapters
In the middle preposition + article + noun counted as “in … middle”

In this reading “In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.”

40,811 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 52

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 THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
agesnounUS /ˈeɪdʒəz/

plural of “age” — how long something has existed

From this reading In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading He loaded Julien with all the insults that came to his lips.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading For perhaps the first time in his life this nobleman showed bad form.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
brilliantadjectiveUS /ˈbrɪljənt/

of surpassing excellence

From this reading THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading He loaded Julien with all the insults that came to his lips.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
clumsyadjectiveUS /ˈklʌmzi/

lacking grace in movement or posture

From this reading THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cuttingnounUS /ˈkʌtɪŋ/

the activity of selecting the scenes to be shown and putting them together to create a film

From this reading THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deprivedadjectiveUS /dɪˈpraɪvd/

marked by deprivation especially of the necessities of life or healthful environmental influences

From this reading THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
diamondnounUS /ˈdaɪmənd/

a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem

From this reading THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
facetsnounUS /ˈfæsəts/

plural of “facet” — a distinct feature or element in a problem

From this reading THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading For perhaps the first time in his life this nobleman showed bad form.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For perhaps the first time in his life this nobleman showed bad form.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
forcenounUS /fɔːrs/

a powerful effect or influence

From this reading In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
formnounUS /fɔːrm/

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading For perhaps the first time in his life this nobleman showed bad form.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading Julien found the marquis furious.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FrenchmannounUS /ˈfrentʃmæn/

a person of French nationality

From this reading In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
furiousadjectiveUS /ˈfjʊriəs/

marked by extreme and violent energy

From this reading Julien found the marquis furious.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He loaded Julien with all the insults that came to his lips.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HELLnounUS /hel/

any place of pain and turmoil

From this reading THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading For perhaps the first time in his life this nobleman showed bad form.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
insultsnounUS /ˌɪnˈsʌlts/

plural of “insult” — a rude expression intended to offend or hurt

From this reading He loaded Julien with all the insults that came to his lips.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Julien

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

From this reading Julien found the marquis furious.

Pending verification
lapidarynounUS /ˈlæpəderi/

an expert on precious stones and the art of cutting and engraving them

From this reading THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading For perhaps the first time in his life this nobleman showed bad form.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lipsnounUS /lɪps/

plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking

From this reading He loaded Julien with all the insults that came to his lips.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
loadedadjectiveUS /ˈloʊdɪd/

filled with a great quantity

From this reading He loaded Julien with all the insults that came to his lips.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
marquisnounUS /ˌmɑːrˈkiː/

humorist who wrote about the imaginary life of cockroaches (1878-1937)

From this reading Julien found the marquis furious.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mirabeaunoun

French revolutionary who was prominent in the early days of the French Revolution (1749-1791)

From this reading In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nayexclamationUS /neɪ/

an old word for “no”

From this reading In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
noblemannounUS /ˈnoʊbəlmən/

a titled peer of the realm

From this reading For perhaps the first time in his life this nobleman showed bad form.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading For perhaps the first time in his life this nobleman showed bad form.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RichelieunounUS /ˈrɪʃəluː/

French prelate and statesman; principal minister to Louis XIII (1585-1642)

From this reading In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
showedverbUS /ʃoʊd/

past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading For perhaps the first time in his life this nobleman showed bad form.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He loaded Julien with all the insults that came to his lips.

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 THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading For perhaps the first time in his life this nobleman showed bad form.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He loaded Julien with all the insults that came to his lips.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WEAKNESSnounUS /ˈwiːknəs/

a flaw or weak point

From this reading THE HELL OF WEAKNESS A clumsy lapidary, in cutting this diamond, deprived it of some of its most brilliant facets.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading In the middle ages, nay, even under Richelieu, the Frenchman had _force of will_.--_Mirabeau_.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He loaded Julien with all the insults that came to his lips.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 34 of The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830 by Stendhal holds 273 sentences, grouped into 55 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 34 of The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830 contain?

Chapter 34 holds 273 sentences of The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830, unabridged, divided into 55 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 34 of The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830 by Stendhal exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 273 sentences, grouped into 55 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 34 of The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830?

Work through the 55 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 55 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 34 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 34 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 Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830

Common questions about reading The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830 by Stendhal on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830?

Yes. All 10809 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44747 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #44747, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830 take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2162 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Scholar
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Corpus
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Christi
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
College
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of 1830; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.