Chapter 11 of Williwaw: A Novel is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XI
Chapter 11 of Williwaw: A Novel is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder. They were too late. Both were thrown back into the focs’le. The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men. Bervick reached into his pocket and lit a match.
Chapter 11 of Williwaw: A Novel is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
prepare a hot meal
From this reading ““Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.”
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading ““Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.”
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading “The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men.”
provided with artificial light
From this reading “Bervick reached into his pocket and lit a match.”
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading “Bervick reached into his pocket and lit a match.”
in a vehement outcry
From this reading ““Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.”
plural of “shout” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading “The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men.”
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading “Both were thrown back into the focs’le.”
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.
In this reading “They were too late.”
move out of or depart from
In this reading “The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men.”
In this reading “The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men.”
In this reading “The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men.”
lower (one's body) as by kneeling
In this reading ““Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.”
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 Bervick reached into his pocket and lit a match.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Both were thrown back into the focs’le.
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading “Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bervick reached into his pocket and lit a match.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Both were thrown back into the focs’le.
prepare a hot meal
From this reading “Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading “Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Both were thrown back into the focs’le.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Bervick reached into his pocket and lit a match.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Both were thrown back into the focs’le.
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading “Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading They were too late.
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men.
provided with artificial light
From this reading Bervick reached into his pocket and lit a match.
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading Bervick reached into his pocket and lit a match.
the force of workers available
From this reading The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men.
a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading Bervick reached into his pocket and lit a match.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Bervick reached into his pocket and lit a match.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading “Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.
plural of “shout” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were too late.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading Both were thrown back into the focs’le.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading They were too late.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The lights went out and in the darkness there were shouts from the surprised men.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were too late.
which person or people
From this reading “Get down,” he shouted to the cook who was below him on the ladder.
Chapter 11 of Williwaw: A Novel by Gore Vidal holds 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 11 holds 417 sentences of Williwaw: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 11 of Williwaw: A Novel by Gore Vidal exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 11 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 Williwaw: A Novel by Gore Vidal on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6242 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #66691 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #66691, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 520 minutes of reading across 1249 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Williwaw: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Williwaw: A Novel 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 Williwaw: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
