Chapter 8 of Vandover and the Brute is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Vandover and the Brute is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"No," answered Turner quietly. Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover. The talk he had had with her at her house came back to him on the instant. He hesitated a moment and then asked: "There is something wrong?
Chapter 8 of Vandover and the Brute is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading “Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.”
without question and beyond doubt
From this reading “Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.”
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading “He hesitated a moment and then asked:”
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading “The talk he had had with her at her house came back to him on the instant.”
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading “Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.”
with low volume
From this reading “"No," answered Turner quietly.”
United States slave and insurrectionist who in 1831 led a rebellion of slaves in Virginia; he was captured and executed (1800-1831)
From this reading “"No," answered Turner quietly.”
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading “"There is something wrong?”
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 hesitated a moment and then asked:
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "No," answered Turner quietly.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading He hesitated a moment and then asked:
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The talk he had had with her at her house came back to him on the instant.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The talk he had had with her at her house came back to him on the instant.
without question and beyond doubt
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The talk he had had with her at her house came back to him on the instant.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading He hesitated a moment and then asked:
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The talk he had had with her at her house came back to him on the instant.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The talk he had had with her at her house came back to him on the instant.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading The talk he had had with her at her house came back to him on the instant.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "There is something wrong?
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
a particular point in time
From this reading He hesitated a moment and then asked:
not any; not one
From this reading "No," answered Turner quietly.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The talk he had had with her at her house came back to him on the instant.
on one occasion
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
and nothing more
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
with low volume
From this reading "No," answered Turner quietly.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading The talk he had had with her at her house came back to him on the instant.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He hesitated a moment and then asked:
in or at that place or location
From this reading "There is something wrong?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The talk he had had with her at her house came back to him on the instant.
United States slave and insurrectionist who in 1831 led a rebellion of slaves in Virginia; he was captured and executed (1800-1831)
From this reading "No," answered Turner quietly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Only by her manner, and by something in the way she said the word, Haight knew at once that she had broken definitely with Vandover.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading "There is something wrong?
Chapter 8 of Vandover and the Brute by Frank Norris holds 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 8 holds 402 sentences of Vandover and the Brute, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Vandover and the Brute by Frank Norris exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 8 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 Vandover and the Brute by Frank Norris on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5251 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14712 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14712, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 437 minutes of reading across 1051 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Vandover and the Brute section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of Vandover and the Brute 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 Vandover and the Brute, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
