Ursula
Ursula by Honoré de Balzac is available here as the complete text, split into 740 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
Ursula by Honoré de Balzac. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #1223.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
Ursula
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 729 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
- Chapter I The Frightened Heirs
- Chapter II The Rich Uncle
- Chapter III The Doctor’s Friends
- Chapter IV Zelie
- Chapter V Ursula
- Chapter VI A Treatise on Mesmerism
- Chapter VII A Two-Fold Conversion
- Chapter VIII The Conference
- Chapter IX A First Confidence
- Chapter X The Family of Portenduere
- Chapter XI Savinien Saved
- Chapter XII Obstacles to Young Love
- Chapter XIII Betrothal of Hearts
- Chapter XIV Ursula Again Orphaned
- Chapter XV The Doctor’s Will
- Chapter XVI The Two Adversaries
- Chapter XVII The Malignity of Provincial Minds
- Chapter XVIII A Two-Fold Vengeance
- Chapter XIX Apparitions
- Chapter XX Remorse
- Chapter XXI
This edition of Ursula by Honoré de Balzac carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #1223, divided into 21 chapters and 740 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 Ursula in full?
The complete text of Ursula is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #1223 and divided into 740 sections.
This page carries the whole of Ursula by Honoré de Balzac, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #1223, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 3698 sentences across 21 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 Ursula divided for reading?
Ursula is presented in 21 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting Ursula as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 740 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 21 chapters.
Can I hear Ursula read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of Ursula can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of Ursula 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 Ursula
Common questions about reading Ursula by Honoré de Balzac on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Ursula?
Yes. All 3698 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1223 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Ursula is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #1223, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Ursula take to read?
About 308 minutes of reading across 740 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Ursula section by section
How to work through Ursula section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 21 chapters of Ursula 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 Ursula
Words and structures a reader meets early in Ursula, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Entering
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ursula; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Nemours
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ursula; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Paris
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ursula; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Cross
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ursula; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.