Chapter 23 of The War Terror is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of The War Terror is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling. I stood rooted to the spot. What was it that held me? Was it an atavistic joy in the horrible or was it merely a blasphemous curiosity? I scarcely dared to look.
Chapter 23 of The War Terror is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 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.
characteristic of an atavist
From this reading “Was it an atavistic joy in the horrible or was it merely a blasphemous curiosity?”
grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred
From this reading “Was it an atavistic joy in the horrible or was it merely a blasphemous curiosity?”
profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading “THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.”
Having no name, or having a name that is kept secret or unknown.
From this reading “THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.”
affecting or influenced by the human mind
From this reading “THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.”
a rapid series of short loud sounds (as might be heard with a stethoscope in some types of respiratory disorders)
From this reading “THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.”
absolutely still
From this reading “I stood rooted to the spot.”
sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
From this reading “THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.”
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 THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Was it an atavistic joy in the horrible or was it merely a blasphemous curiosity?
characteristic of an atavist
From this reading Was it an atavistic joy in the horrible or was it merely a blasphemous curiosity?
grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred
From this reading Was it an atavistic joy in the horrible or was it merely a blasphemous curiosity?
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading Was it an atavistic joy in the horrible or was it merely a blasphemous curiosity?
profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading I scarcely dared to look.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading What was it that held me?
provoking horror
From this reading Was it an atavistic joy in the horrible or was it merely a blasphemous curiosity?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I stood rooted to the spot.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Was it an atavistic joy in the horrible or was it merely a blasphemous curiosity?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading What was it that held me?
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading Was it an atavistic joy in the horrible or was it merely a blasphemous curiosity?
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I scarcely dared to look.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading What was it that held me?
and nothing more
From this reading Was it an atavistic joy in the horrible or was it merely a blasphemous curiosity?
Having no name, or having a name that is kept secret or unknown.
From this reading THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Was it an atavistic joy in the horrible or was it merely a blasphemous curiosity?
affecting or influenced by the human mind
From this reading THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.
a rapid series of short loud sounds (as might be heard with a stethoscope in some types of respiratory disorders)
From this reading THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.
absolutely still
From this reading I stood rooted to the spot.
only a very short time before
From this reading I scarcely dared to look.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading I stood rooted to the spot.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading I stood rooted to the spot.
sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
From this reading THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading What was it that held me?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.
in or at that place or location
From this reading THE PSYCHIC CURSE There came a sudden noise—nameless—striking terror, low, rattling.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I stood rooted to the spot.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What was it that held me?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What was it that held me?
Chapter 23 of The War Terror by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve holds 178 sentences, grouped into 36 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 23 holds 178 sentences of The War Terror, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of The War Terror by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 36 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 23 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 War Terror by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6323 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5073 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5073, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 526 minutes of reading across 1265 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The War Terror section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 36 chapters of The War Terror 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 War Terror, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
