Chapter 1 of Vathek is here in full — 505 sentences across 101 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Vathek is here in full — 505 sentences across 101 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler. WILLIAM BECKFORD, ESQ. NOTES, CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY. LONDON: GEORGE SLATER, 252, STRAND. MEMOIR.
Chapter 1 of Vathek is here in full — 505 sentences across 101 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/101 · 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.
a cricketer who delivers the ball to the batsman in cricket
From this reading “This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler.”
marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws
From this reading “NOTES, CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY.”
serving or intended to explain or make clear
From this reading “NOTES, CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY.”
plural of “le” — a chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints)
From this reading “This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler.”
an account of the author's personal experiences
From this reading “MEMOIR.”
any of various small terrestrial isopods having a flat elliptical segmented body; found in damp habitats
From this reading “LONDON: GEORGE SLATER, 252, STRAND.”
a pattern forming a unity within a larger structural whole
From this reading “LONDON: GEORGE SLATER, 252, STRAND.”
recorded for broadcast
From this reading “This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LONDON: GEORGE SLATER, 252, STRAND.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading NOTES, CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLIAM BECKFORD, ESQ.
a cricketer who delivers the ball to the batsman in cricket
From this reading This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler.
marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws
From this reading NOTES, CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler.
a title of respect for a member of the English gentry ranking just below a knight; placed after the name
From this reading WILLIAM BECKFORD, ESQ.
serving or intended to explain or make clear
From this reading NOTES, CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY.
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading LONDON: GEORGE SLATER, 252, STRAND.
plural of “le” — a chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints)
From this reading This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading LONDON: GEORGE SLATER, 252, STRAND.
an account of the author's personal experiences
From this reading MEMOIR.
plural of “note” — a brief written record
From this reading NOTES, CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY.
any of various small terrestrial isopods having a flat elliptical segmented body; found in damp habitats
From this reading LONDON: GEORGE SLATER, 252, STRAND.
a pattern forming a unity within a larger structural whole
From this reading LONDON: GEORGE SLATER, 252, STRAND.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler.
recorded for broadcast
From this reading This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLIAM BECKFORD, ESQ.
Chapter 1 of Vathek by William Beckford holds 505 sentences, grouped into 101 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 1 holds 505 sentences of Vathek, unabridged, divided into 101 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Vathek by William Beckford exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 505 sentences, grouped into 101 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 101 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 101 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 1 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 Vathek by William Beckford on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1528 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42401 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #42401, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 127 minutes of reading across 306 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Vathek section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of Vathek 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 Vathek, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
