Chapter 8 of The Rivet in Grandfather's Neck is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of The Rivet in Grandfather's Neck is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Patricia rose and spoke with composure. "I think I'll go back to the house, Mr. Charteris. It's a bit chilly here. You needn't bother to come." Then Mr. Charteris laughed--a choking, sobbing laugh.
Chapter 8 of The Rivet in Grandfather's Neck is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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 small piece or quantity of something
From this reading “It's a bit chilly here.”
take the trouble to do something; concern oneself
From this reading “You needn't bother to come."”
not characterized by emotion
From this reading “It's a bit chilly here.”
Causing difficulty in breathing.
From this reading “Then Mr. Charteris laughed--a choking, sobbing laugh.”
steadiness of mind under stress
From this reading “Patricia rose and spoke with composure.”
the sound of laughing
From this reading “Then Mr. Charteris laughed--a choking, sobbing laugh.”
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading “Then Mr. Charteris laughed--a choking, sobbing laugh.”
convulsive gasp made while weeping
From this reading “Then Mr. Charteris laughed--a choking, sobbing laugh.”
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 It's a bit chilly here.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Patricia rose and spoke with composure.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "I think I'll go back to the house, Mr. Charteris.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading It's a bit chilly here.
take the trouble to do something; concern oneself
From this reading You needn't bother to come."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I think I'll go back to the house, Mr. Charteris.
not characterized by emotion
From this reading It's a bit chilly here.
Causing difficulty in breathing.
From this reading Then Mr. Charteris laughed--a choking, sobbing laugh.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading You needn't bother to come."
steadiness of mind under stress
From this reading Patricia rose and spoke with composure.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "I think I'll go back to the house, Mr. Charteris.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading It's a bit chilly here.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading "I think I'll go back to the house, Mr. Charteris.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I think I'll go back to the house, Mr. Charteris.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I think I'll go back to the house, Mr. Charteris.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It's a bit chilly here.
the sound of laughing
From this reading Then Mr. Charteris laughed--a choking, sobbing laugh.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading Then Mr. Charteris laughed--a choking, sobbing laugh.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "I think I'll go back to the house, Mr. Charteris.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You needn't bother to come."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Patricia rose and spoke with composure.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Patricia rose and spoke with composure.
convulsive gasp made while weeping
From this reading Then Mr. Charteris laughed--a choking, sobbing laugh.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading Patricia rose and spoke with composure.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I think I'll go back to the house, Mr. Charteris.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then Mr. Charteris laughed--a choking, sobbing laugh.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "I think I'll go back to the house, Mr. Charteris.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I think I'll go back to the house, Mr. Charteris.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Patricia rose and spoke with composure.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You needn't bother to come."
Chapter 8 of The Rivet in Grandfather's Neck by James Branch Cabell holds 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 8 holds 427 sentences of The Rivet in Grandfather's Neck, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Rivet in Grandfather's Neck by James Branch Cabell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 8 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 Rivet in Grandfather's Neck by James Branch Cabell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4185 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10041 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #10041, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 348 minutes of reading across 837 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Rivet in Grandfather's Neck section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Rivet in Grandfather's Neck 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 Rivet in Grandfather's Neck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
