Lost Illusions
Lost Illusions by Honoré de Balzac is available here as the complete text, split into 2360 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
Lost Illusions by Honoré de Balzac. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #13159.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
Lost Illusions
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 2350 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
- Chapter I
- Chapter II
- Chapter III
- Chapter IV
- Chapter V
- Chapter VI
- Chapter VII
- Chapter VIII
- Chapter IX
- Chapter X
- Chapter XI
- Chapter XII
- Chapter XIII
- Chapter XIV
- Chapter XV
- Chapter XVI
- Chapter XVII
- Chapter XVIII
- Chapter XIX
- Chapter XX
- Chapter XXI
- Chapter XXII
- Chapter XXIII
- Chapter XXIV
- Chapter XXV
- Chapter XXVI
- Chapter XXVII
This edition of Lost Illusions by Honoré de Balzac carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #13159, divided into 27 chapters and 2360 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.
Where can I read Lost Illusions in full?
The complete text of Lost Illusions is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #13159 and divided into 2360 sections.
This page carries the whole of Lost Illusions by Honoré de Balzac, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #13159, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 11797 sentences across 27 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 Lost Illusions divided for reading?
Lost Illusions is presented in 27 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting Lost Illusions as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 2360 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 sections are gathered into 27 chapters.
Can I hear Lost Illusions read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of Lost Illusions can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of Lost Illusions 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 Lost Illusions
Common questions about reading Lost Illusions by Honoré de Balzac on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Lost Illusions?
Yes. All 11797 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13159 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Lost Illusions is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #13159, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Lost Illusions take to read?
About 600 minutes of reading across 2360 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Lost Illusions section by section
How to work through Lost Illusions section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 27 chapters of Lost Illusions to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in Lost Illusions
Words and structures a reader meets early in Lost Illusions, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Trilogy
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lost Illusions; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Known
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lost Illusions; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Illusions
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lost Illusions; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Consists
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lost Illusions; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.