Chapter 5 of The Variable Man is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of The Variable Man is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Sherikov reached slowly into his coat. He drew out a manila envelope. "Here's all the information I collected about him, while he was with me." "Is it complete? Everything previous has been merely fragmentary."
Chapter 5 of The Variable Man is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/90 · 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.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading “Sherikov reached slowly into his coat.”
brought together in one place
From this reading “"Here's all the information I collected about him, while he was with me."”
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading “"Is it complete?”
a flat (usually rectangular) container for a letter, thin package, etc.
From this reading “He drew out a manila envelope.”
consisting of small disconnected parts
From this reading “Everything previous has been merely fragmentary."”
a message received and understood
From this reading “"Here's all the information I collected about him, while he was with me."”
a strong paper or thin cardboard with a smooth light brown finish made from e.g. Manila hemp
From this reading “He drew out a manila envelope.”
just preceding something else in time or order
From this reading “Everything previous has been merely fragmentary."”
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 He drew out a manila envelope.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "Here's all the information I collected about him, while he was with me."
(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 "Here's all the information I collected about him, while he was with me."
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Everything previous has been merely fragmentary."
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading Sherikov reached slowly into his coat.
brought together in one place
From this reading "Here's all the information I collected about him, while he was with me."
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading "Is it complete?
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading He drew out a manila envelope.
a flat (usually rectangular) container for a letter, thin package, etc.
From this reading He drew out a manila envelope.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading Everything previous has been merely fragmentary."
consisting of small disconnected parts
From this reading Everything previous has been merely fragmentary."
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Everything previous has been merely fragmentary."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He drew out a manila envelope.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Here's all the information I collected about him, while he was with me."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Here's all the information I collected about him, while he was with me."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Sherikov reached slowly into his coat.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Here's all the information I collected about him, while he was with me."
a message received and understood
From this reading "Here's all the information I collected about him, while he was with me."
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Sherikov reached slowly into his coat.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Is it complete?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Is it complete?
a strong paper or thin cardboard with a smooth light brown finish made from e.g. Manila hemp
From this reading He drew out a manila envelope.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Here's all the information I collected about him, while he was with me."
and nothing more
From this reading Everything previous has been merely fragmentary."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He drew out a manila envelope.
just preceding something else in time or order
From this reading Everything previous has been merely fragmentary."
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Sherikov reached slowly into his coat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sherikov reached slowly into his coat.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Sherikov reached slowly into his coat.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Here's all the information I collected about him, while he was with me."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Here's all the information I collected about him, while he was with me."
during the time that
From this reading "Here's all the information I collected about him, while he was with me."
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Here's all the information I collected about him, while he was with me."
Chapter 5 of The Variable Man by Philip K. Dick holds 450 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 5 holds 450 sentences of The Variable Man, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The Variable Man by Philip K. Dick exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 450 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 5 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 Variable Man by Philip K. Dick on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2271 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32154 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32154, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 189 minutes of reading across 455 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Variable Man section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Variable Man 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 Variable Man, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
