The Willows
The Willows by Algernon Blackwood is available here as the complete text, split into 187 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
Two canoeists camping on a deserted swamp island experience the crushing psychological presence of extradimensional beings.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
The Willows
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 187 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
This edition of The Willows by Algernon Blackwood carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #11438, divided into 2 chapters and 188 reading sections of 5 sentences each. Every sentence of the source is kept, and each chapter records which sentences cover which part of the story. Any word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry, and each section carries a contextual illustration generated from the passage itself.
Where can I read The Willows in full?
The complete text of The Willows is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #11438 and divided into 188 sections.
This page carries the whole of The Willows by Algernon Blackwood, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #11438, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 940 sentences across 2 chapters. Each chapter stores a record of which sentences cover which part of the work, so nothing is quietly dropped between the source edition and the page you read.
How is The Willows divided for reading?
The Willows is presented in 2 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting The Willows as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 188 sections of 5 sentences each. A section is short enough to hold in mind at once, which suits a reader working in a second language or returning to a long work in short sittings. The 2 chapters follow the divisions of the source edition, and each section carries a contextual illustration drawn from the passage it accompanies rather than a stock image.
Can I hear The Willows read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of The Willows can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of The Willows can be played aloud, and so can any single word within it. Tapping a word plays it on its own and opens its dictionary entry, with the pronunciation shown in IPA alongside the part of speech and meaning. The reading voice uses United States English. This matters most for a work of this period, where a reader meets vocabulary and turns of phrase that are no longer in daily use and cannot be guessed reliably from spelling alone.
Questions about reading The Willows
Common questions about reading The Willows by Algernon Blackwood on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Willows?
Yes. All 940 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11438 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Willows is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #11438, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Willows take to read?
About 78 minutes of reading across 188 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to study The Willows
Read one of the 187 sections, listen, learn vocabulary, and review on schedule.
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Read the section
Read the five source sentences with its contextual illustration.
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Listen and repeat
Play each sentence and tap any word to hear it.
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Learn the phrases
Study the definition, example, and grounded collocations.
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Recall and review
Review today, tomorrow, in three days, and seven days.
Vocabulary met early in The Willows
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Willows, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Leaving
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Willows; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Vienna
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Willows; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Budapest
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Willows; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Danube
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Willows; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.