Chapter 20 of Ulysses is here in full — 556 sentences across 112 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Ulysses is here in full — 556 sentences across 112 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
—You should see him, he said, when his body loses its balance. Wandering Ængus I call him. —I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger. Now I am speculating what it would be likely to be. Such persons always have.
Chapter 20 of Ulysses is here in full — 556 sentences across 112 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/111 · 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.
bring into balance or equilibrium
From this reading “—You should see him, he said, when his body loses its balance.”
the finger next to the thumb
From this reading “—I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.”
third-person singular of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading “—You should see him, he said, when his body loses its balance.”
-ing form of “pinch” — squeeze tightly between the fingers
From this reading “—I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.”
-ing form of “speculate” — to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds
From this reading “Now I am speculating what it would be likely to be.”
in a thoughtful manner
From this reading “—I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.”
the thick short innermost digit of the forelimb
From this reading “—I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.”
migratory
From this reading “Wandering Ængus I call him.”
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.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Such persons always have.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading —I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading —I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading —I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.
bring into balance or equilibrium
From this reading —You should see him, he said, when his body loses its balance.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Now I am speculating what it would be likely to be.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading —You should see him, he said, when his body loses its balance.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Wandering Ængus I call him.
the protruding part of the lower jaw
From this reading —I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading —I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.
the finger next to the thumb
From this reading —I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading —I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading —I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Such persons always have.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading —You should see him, he said, when his body loses its balance.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading —You should see him, he said, when his body loses its balance.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading —You should see him, he said, when his body loses its balance.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Wandering Ængus I call him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading —I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Now I am speculating what it would be likely to be.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading —You should see him, he said, when his body loses its balance.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading Now I am speculating what it would be likely to be.
third-person singular of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading —You should see him, he said, when his body loses its balance.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now I am speculating what it would be likely to be.
plural of “person” — a human being
From this reading Such persons always have.
-ing form of “pinch” — squeeze tightly between the fingers
From this reading —I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading —You should see him, he said, when his body loses its balance.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading —You should see him, he said, when his body loses its balance.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading —You should see him, he said, when his body loses its balance.
-ing form of “speculate” — to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds
From this reading Now I am speculating what it would be likely to be.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Such persons always have.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading —I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.
in a thoughtful manner
From this reading —I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.
the thick short innermost digit of the forelimb
From this reading —I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Now I am speculating what it would be likely to be.
migratory
From this reading Wandering Ængus I call him.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Now I am speculating what it would be likely to be.
at the time that
From this reading —You should see him, he said, when his body loses its balance.
in the company of; together with
From this reading —I am sure he has an _idée fixe,_ Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Now I am speculating what it would be likely to be.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading —You should see him, he said, when his body loses its balance.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wandering Ængus I call him.
Chapter 20 of Ulysses by James Joyce holds 556 sentences, grouped into 112 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 20 holds 556 sentences of Ulysses, unabridged, divided into 112 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Ulysses by James Joyce exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 556 sentences, grouped into 112 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 112 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 112 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 20 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 Ulysses by James Joyce on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ulysses section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Ulysses 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 Ulysses, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
