Chapter 12 of Vandover and the Brute is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Vandover and the Brute is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use. There _was_ a time for that, but that was long ago. I used to care, I used to be sorry and all that, but I'm not now. Ruining myself? Why, I _have_ ruined myself long ago.
Chapter 12 of Vandover and the Brute is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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.
in the past
From this reading “There _was_ a time for that, but that was long ago.”
conveyance consisting of a wheeled support on which a camera can be mounted
From this reading “But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.”
motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading “But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.”
discontinued temporarily
From this reading “But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.”
destroyed physically or morally
From this reading “Why, I _have_ ruined myself long ago.”
destruction achieved by causing something to be wrecked or ruined
From this reading “Ruining myself?”
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading “But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.”
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading “I used to care, I used to be sorry and all that, but I'm not now.”
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 But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
in the past
From this reading There _was_ a time for that, but that was long ago.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading I used to care, I used to be sorry and all that, but I'm not now.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I used to care, I used to be sorry and all that, but I'm not now.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I used to care, I used to be sorry and all that, but I'm not now.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading I used to care, I used to be sorry and all that, but I'm not now.
conveyance consisting of a wheeled support on which a camera can be mounted
From this reading But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There _was_ a time for that, but that was long ago.
motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Why, I _have_ ruined myself long ago.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I used to care, I used to be sorry and all that, but I'm not now.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I used to care, I used to be sorry and all that, but I'm not now.
discontinued temporarily
From this reading But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading There _was_ a time for that, but that was long ago.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading Ruining myself?
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I used to care, I used to be sorry and all that, but I'm not now.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading I used to care, I used to be sorry and all that, but I'm not now.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
destroyed physically or morally
From this reading Why, I _have_ ruined myself long ago.
destruction achieved by causing something to be wrecked or ruined
From this reading Ruining myself?
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading I used to care, I used to be sorry and all that, but I'm not now.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There _was_ a time for that, but that was long ago.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There _was_ a time for that, but that was long ago.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading There _was_ a time for that, but that was long ago.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I used to care, I used to be sorry and all that, but I'm not now.
the act of using
From this reading But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading I used to care, I used to be sorry and all that, but I'm not now.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There _was_ a time for that, but that was long ago.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why, I _have_ ruined myself long ago.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But Vandover interrupted him with a gesture, saying, "Don't go on, Dolly; it isn't the least use.
Chapter 12 of Vandover and the Brute by Frank Norris holds 437 sentences, grouped into 88 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 12 holds 437 sentences of Vandover and the Brute, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Vandover and the Brute by Frank Norris exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 437 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 12 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.
