Chapter 4 of Under Western Eyes is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Under Western Eyes is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The grace entered into Razumov. He believed now in the man who would come at the appointed time. What is a throne? A few pieces of wood upholstered in velvet. But a throne is a seat of power too.
Chapter 4 of Under Western Eyes is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/39 · 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.
subject to appointment
From this reading “He believed now in the man who would come at the appointed time.”
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading “He believed now in the man who would come at the appointed time.”
plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole
From this reading “A few pieces of wood upholstered in velvet.”
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading “But a throne is a seat of power too.”
the chair of state for a monarch, bishop, etc.
From this reading “What is a throne?”
past form of “upholster” — provide furniture with padding, springs, webbing, and covers
From this reading “A few pieces of wood upholstered in velvet.”
a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back
From this reading “A few pieces of wood upholstered in velvet.”
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading “A few pieces of wood upholstered in velvet.”
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 What is a throne?
subject to appointment
From this reading He believed now in the man who would come at the appointed time.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He believed now in the man who would come at the appointed time.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading He believed now in the man who would come at the appointed time.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But a throne is a seat of power too.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He believed now in the man who would come at the appointed time.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading The grace entered into Razumov.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A few pieces of wood upholstered in velvet.
(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence
From this reading The grace entered into Razumov.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He believed now in the man who would come at the appointed time.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He believed now in the man who would come at the appointed time.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The grace entered into Razumov.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What is a throne?
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He believed now in the man who would come at the appointed time.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He believed now in the man who would come at the appointed time.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A few pieces of wood upholstered in velvet.
plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole
From this reading A few pieces of wood upholstered in velvet.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading But a throne is a seat of power too.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grace entered into Razumov.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading But a throne is a seat of power too.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The grace entered into Razumov.
the chair of state for a monarch, bishop, etc.
From this reading What is a throne?
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading He believed now in the man who would come at the appointed time.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading But a throne is a seat of power too.
past form of “upholster” — provide furniture with padding, springs, webbing, and covers
From this reading A few pieces of wood upholstered in velvet.
a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back
From this reading A few pieces of wood upholstered in velvet.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What is a throne?
which person or people
From this reading He believed now in the man who would come at the appointed time.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading A few pieces of wood upholstered in velvet.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He believed now in the man who would come at the appointed time.
Chapter 4 of Under Western Eyes by Joseph Conrad holds 198 sentences, grouped into 40 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 4 holds 198 sentences of Under Western Eyes, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Under Western Eyes by Joseph Conrad exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 198 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 4 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 Under Western Eyes by Joseph Conrad on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8310 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2480 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2480, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1662 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Under Western Eyes section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Under Western Eyes 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 Under Western Eyes, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
