Chapter 27 of Ulysses is here in full — 593 sentences across 119 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVII
Chapter 27 of Ulysses is here in full — 593 sentences across 119 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
—Come on, Gerty, Cissy called. It’s the bazaar fireworks. But Gerty was adamant. She had no intention of being at their beck and call. If they could run like rossies she could sit so she said she could see from where she was.
Chapter 27 of Ulysses is here in full — 593 sentences across 119 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/118 · 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.
impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, reason
From this reading “But Gerty was adamant.”
a shop where a variety of goods are sold
From this reading “It’s the bazaar fireworks.”
a beckoning gesture
From this reading “She had no intention of being at their beck and call.”
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading “She had no intention of being at their beck and call.”
plural of “firework” — (usually plural) a device with an explosive that burns at a low rate and with colored flames; can be used to illuminate areas or send signals etc.
From this reading “It’s the bazaar fireworks.”
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading “She had no intention of being at their beck and call.”
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading “If they could run like rossies she could sit so she said she could see from where she was.”
be seated
From this reading “If they could run like rossies she could sit so she said she could see from where she was.”
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.
impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, reason
From this reading But Gerty was adamant.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She had no intention of being at their beck and call.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She had no intention of being at their beck and call.
a shop where a variety of goods are sold
From this reading It’s the bazaar fireworks.
a beckoning gesture
From this reading She had no intention of being at their beck and call.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading She had no intention of being at their beck and call.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Gerty was adamant.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading She had no intention of being at their beck and call.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading —Come on, Gerty, Cissy called.
having unsuitable feminine qualities
From this reading —Come on, Gerty, Cissy called.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading —Come on, Gerty, Cissy called.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading If they could run like rossies she could sit so she said she could see from where she was.
plural of “firework” — (usually plural) a device with an explosive that burns at a low rate and with colored flames; can be used to illuminate areas or send signals etc.
From this reading It’s the bazaar fireworks.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading If they could run like rossies she could sit so she said she could see from where she was.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading —Come on, Gerty, Cissy called.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had no intention of being at their beck and call.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If they could run like rossies she could sit so she said she could see from where she was.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading She had no intention of being at their beck and call.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It’s the bazaar fireworks.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading If they could run like rossies she could sit so she said she could see from where she was.
not any; not one
From this reading She had no intention of being at their beck and call.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She had no intention of being at their beck and call.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading —Come on, Gerty, Cissy called.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If they could run like rossies she could sit so she said she could see from where she was.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading If they could run like rossies she could sit so she said she could see from where she was.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading If they could run like rossies she could sit so she said she could see from where she was.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading If they could run like rossies she could sit so she said she could see from where she was.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had no intention of being at their beck and call.
be seated
From this reading If they could run like rossies she could sit so she said she could see from where she was.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading If they could run like rossies she could sit so she said she could see from where she was.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It’s the bazaar fireworks.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading She had no intention of being at their beck and call.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If they could run like rossies she could sit so she said she could see from where she was.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But Gerty was adamant.
in or at the place that
From this reading If they could run like rossies she could sit so she said she could see from where she was.
Chapter 27 of Ulysses by James Joyce holds 593 sentences, grouped into 119 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 27 holds 593 sentences of Ulysses, unabridged, divided into 119 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 27 of Ulysses by James Joyce exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 593 sentences, grouped into 119 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 119 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 119 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 27 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.
