Chapter 8 of The Tragic Muse is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of The Tragic Muse is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Yes, Mrs. Dallow if you like." "Are you in love with her?" "Not in the least." "Well, she is with you--so I understood." "Don't say that," said Nick Dormer with sudden sternness.
Chapter 8 of The Tragic Muse is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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 gabled extension built out from a sloping roof to accommodate a vertical window
From this reading “"Don't say that," said Nick Dormer with sudden sternness.”
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading “"Not in the least."”
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading “"Are you in love with her?"”
cut slightly, with a razor
From this reading “"Don't say that," said Nick Dormer with sudden sternness.”
the quality (as of scenery) being grim and gloomy and forbidding
From this reading “"Don't say that," said Nick Dormer with sudden sternness.”
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading “"Don't say that," said Nick Dormer with sudden sternness.”
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading “"Well, she is with you--so I understood."”
an affirmative
From this reading “"Yes, Mrs. Dallow if you like."”
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.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Are you in love with her?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Yes, Mrs. Dallow if you like."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Don't say that," said Nick Dormer with sudden sternness.
a gabled extension built out from a sloping roof to accommodate a vertical window
From this reading "Don't say that," said Nick Dormer with sudden sternness.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "Are you in love with her?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Well, she is with you--so I understood."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "Yes, Mrs. Dallow if you like."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Are you in love with her?"
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Well, she is with you--so I understood."
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading "Not in the least."
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "Yes, Mrs. Dallow if you like."
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading "Are you in love with her?"
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading "Yes, Mrs. Dallow if you like."
cut slightly, with a razor
From this reading "Don't say that," said Nick Dormer with sudden sternness.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Not in the least."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Don't say that," said Nick Dormer with sudden sternness.
express in words
From this reading "Don't say that," said Nick Dormer with sudden sternness.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Well, she is with you--so I understood."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Well, she is with you--so I understood."
the quality (as of scenery) being grim and gloomy and forbidding
From this reading "Don't say that," said Nick Dormer with sudden sternness.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading "Don't say that," said Nick Dormer with sudden sternness.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Don't say that," said Nick Dormer with sudden sternness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Not in the least."
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading "Well, she is with you--so I understood."
(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 "Well, she is with you--so I understood."
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Are you in love with her?"
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes, Mrs. Dallow if you like."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Yes, Mrs. Dallow if you like."
Chapter 8 of The Tragic Muse by Henry James holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 411 sentences of The Tragic Muse, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Tragic Muse by Henry James exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 Tragic Muse by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 11417 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20085 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20085, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2284 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Tragic Muse section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Tragic Muse 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 Tragic Muse, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
