The Classic Tales Podcast (B.J. Harrison)

Arséne Lupin declares it a mystery for babies. But when murder occurs on the open road, it seems everyone is stumped but him. Maurice Leblanc, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. We couldn’t do this without you. We really try make your support worth your while. For a five-dollar monthly donation, you get a monthly code for $8 off any audiobook download. It really helps us out, and gives us a revenue stream we can count on in this crazy time. And you help to keep the podcast going strong, so that more folks like you can discover the classics in a curated and easily accessible format. Go to classictalesaudiobooks.com today, and become a financial supporter. Thank you so much.

Today we are celebrating Arséne Lupin, to coordinate with the new Lupin series on Netflix. Not only do we have a lovely story today, but app users can hear “The Queen’s Necklace”, by Maurice Leblanc, in the special features portion for this week’s episode.

The Queen’s Necklace is the first episode in the Netflix series, and is the fifth chapter in The Adventures of Arséne Lupin, gentleman burglar. I love how they reference the source material so much in the show.

If I had to say the one thing that I particularly like about Lupin, is the way that he helps those people who have kind of fallen through the cracks. Folks who have been wronged, or sometimes done wrong, but your heart goes out to them. He helps them out where no one else can. There’s a kindness there. The Netflix series does a couple things to stay true to this trait, and I really, really like that.

And now, The Tragedy in the Forest of Morgues, and Arséne Lupin adventure, by Maurice Leblanc.

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Why does a stay at the Palace Hotel mean trouble? Stephen Crane, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

A Vintage Episode is released every Tuesday. If you have found value in the show, please help us to help more people like you by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com, and becoming a supporter. New stories are coming your way on Friday. 

Please donate to the Kickstarter project to fund the audiobook production of Immortal, by Joanna White. It’s a prequel to her epic fantasy series, Valiant. In Immortal, the protagonist travels through different times without the ability to die. It’s very well-written, and I’m sure you’ll love it. 

Once we raise the funds, Joanna has hired me to produce the audiobook! I’ll send out a newsletter with a link to the project once we’re ready to launch. Thanks for pitching in! 

Stephen Crane is mostly known for his seminal novel: The Red Badge of Courage, and also for his short story, “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky”. While today’s story is seemingly simple, there are several complex themes underpinning the story. Also, the story breaks the stylistic norms of the period, venturing toward the realm of Expressionism. 

And now, The Blue Hotel, by Stephen Crane.

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Does a mummified monkey’s paw have supernatural powers? What happens when a careless wish puts it to the test? W. W. Jacobs, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

Two Vintage Episodes are released each week, so be sure to check your feed regularly. New episodes will be available every Friday. If you like the Vintage Episodes, please let us know by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com. Become a supporter, tell your friends, order an audiobook, or send us an email. You can also leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. We’d love to hear if you like the older episodes, or even if you don’t.

William Wymark Jacobs’ remarkable story of The Monkey’s Paw was originally published in 1902 in Harper’s Monthly. It was reprinted the same year in his third collection of short stories, entitled The Lady of the Barge.

It’s been celebrated on stage, screen, radio, television, comics, and even opera since 1903. Something about the unintended consequences connected with having your wish granted really strikes a chord. Let’s strike it again. 

And now, The Monkey’s Paw, W.W. Jacobs. 

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Will Bertie succeed in keeping Cyril Bassington-Bassington off the New York stage, or will Aunt Agatha begin careening pots of the old rancid? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. Thank you so very much to all of you who have gone to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become financial supporters. There are several options to support the podcast, starting at $5 a month. Each of your offers of support comes with a monthly “thank-you” code. Use the codes for any audiobook download, and watch your library of classics bloom and grow. Everybody wins! And we get to keep the podcast going strong. Thanks again for your generous support.

We also have several other ways to support the podcast. If you’re a business owner, and you would like me to develop a podcast for your business, please send me an email at: bj@thebestaudiobooks.com.

You can also purchase t-shirts, tote bags and other merchandise with your favorite Classic Tales covers on them at our merchandise store.

And finally, we have the hybrid audiobook: a creation of my own invention, where an audiobook is embedded within the pages of a printed book. Links can be found in the description for this episode.

Well, you’ve probably noticed something. The Inimitable Jeeves has a lot of stories you may have heard before. Apparently, Wodehouse originally released them

as short stories, then finessed them a bit and put them into one large volume, naming it The Inimitable Jeeves. So I hope you don’t mind revisiting a few of these stories. Today’s episode coincides with the book “Jeeves and the Chump Cyril”. I still love it.

And now, The Inimitable Jeeves, part 2 of 7, by P.G. Wodehouse

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Who will help the tailor of Gloucester to finish the Mayor’s elegant coat? For the Mayor is to be married wearing it tomorrow - on Christmas Day in the morning.  Beatrix Potter, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. We couldn’t do this without you, and we really appreciate your support. We’ve set it up so that for a five-dollar monthly donation, you get a monthly code for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! This way you can easily build out your classic audiobook library, and you help to give more folks like you the chance to discover the classics in a curated and easily accessible format. Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com today, and become a financial supporter. You’ll be glad you did. Thank you so much.

And please rate and review us if you can, so more folks can find us.

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If you’d like more Charles Dickens this holiday season, the version of A Christmas Carol that I recorded in 2018 is now available as a standalone audiobook at classictalesaudiobooks.com. Pick it up and make it a tradition to enjoy every year!

I just wanted to say thank you for spending another Christmas with The Classic Tales. This is our fifteenth Christmas, and it’s been so fun to research and discover new Yuletide stories every year. Thanks for joining me on this adventure.

Beatrix Potter was born to a middle-upper class family. She was privately educated by governesses at home, which was usual for the time. She was an incredibly gifted artist, and specialized in mycology, which is the study of fungi. Her beautiful illustrations of various fungi are still consulted by botanists today.

Though she wasn’t allowed to attend university because of her sex, she submitted a paper challenging the theory of symbiosis to the Linnean Society in 1897.

A few years later she self-published her first book, because no publisher was interested in it. She published a few copies for her family and friends. Two years later, in 1902, Frederick, Warne and Company reconsidered publishing her “bunny book”, as they called it, and The Tale of Peter Rabbit was an immediate success.  

Beatrix Potter loved vacationing in the English lake district near Windermere, and purchased several farms to preserve the landscape of the area. Upon her death, she left nearly all of her property to the National Trust, including over

And now, The Tailor of Gloucester, by Beatrix Potter.

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The torments of the Inquisition, and a murder that won’t keep quiet. Halloween comes with a vengeance with Edgar Allan Poe, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

We are proudly supported by our listeners. This show was created with the intent to make the classics less intimidating, and more accessible. Over the years, we’ve been able to help many, many people discover authors and stories they never would have read, and we really appreciate your help.

Please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a monthly coupon code for $8 off any audiobook order. It’s a great way to build out your classic audiobook library, and help us to continue to provide this service.

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. Thank you so much.

I’ve got a new blog post about some training I recently had with Elishia Merricks from Macmillan, and the great PJ Ochlan. If you’d like to learn more about how classic audiobooks are made, please check out my blog.

We also won a w3 Silver award for this season of the podcast! Hazzah!

I’m planning on releasing a new classic title this month, outside of the podcast. So round up your coupon codes, and keep an ear open for the announcement next week.

And now for something completely different.

I first recorded The Tell-Tale Heart and The Pit and the Pendulum back in 2007, during the first year of the show. I wanted to try it again now, and see how my approach has changed and hopefully improved.

It’s actually quite difficult to perform Poe aloud. I mean, he’s talking about such outrageous stuff, it’s really easy to overdo it. In today’s reading, I try to make it as conversational and natural as possible, while still remaining true to the author’s original intent.

Poe actually wrote the stories with the intention for them to be read aloud. 1800s-style. There are a million different ways to approach this text. I hope this one works for you.

And now, The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Tell-Tale Heart, by Edgar Allan Poe.

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Adventurers Dravot and Carnehan have decided to take over a country. Not a big country, just a tiny one. Should be simple, right? Rudyard Kipling, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

A new Vintage Episode is released every Tuesday. Please help us to continue producing amazing audiobooks by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com, and becoming a supporter. Thank you so much. 

Keep an ear open for our coming Kickstarter campaign to fund the audiobook of The Golden Triangle, the next in the Arsène Lupin series, by Maurice Leblanc. We’ve got a ton of special bonuses planned. More details coming soon! 

And mark your calendar for the Classic Tales Book Club! We’ll be meeting on Zoom on March 13^th at 4:00PM pacific time. See you then!

Today’s story has had many media iterations. Most famous is likely the 1975 film with Sean Connery, Michael Caine, and Christopher Plummer. It’s been dramatized in radio on the program Escape, in 1943, and even the Dreamworks film “The Road to Eldorado” can be said to be loosely based on it. J.M. Barrie called it, “the most audacious thing in fiction”. It inspired T.S. Eliot to write a poem when he was young. Kingsley Amis called it, “grossly overrated”. Overrated? Maybe. Audacious? Absolutely. Either way, we hope you like it. 

And now, “The Man Who Would be King”, by Rudyard Kipling. 

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Can Lord Peter Wimsey help when his brother is accused of murder? Because things aren’t looking good.  Dorothy Sayers, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “The Offshore Pirate”, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

The Vintage Episodes will not stream through YouTube, so if you don’t want to miss anything, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

If you’ve enjoyed the show, please become a monthly supporter, and help us keep the lights on. 

Please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter for as little as $5 a month. As a thank you gesture, we’ll send you a coupon code every month for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! It’s a great way to help us keep producing amazing audiobook content. 

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a supporter today. 

Dorothy Sayers was a pioneer in the world of detective fiction, and in her second novel featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, she deepens her craft. In his first outing in Whose Body, Wimsey verges on caricature, and in Clouds of Witness, he’s drawn as more of a man of action. Sayers will deepen this aspect of Wimsey in subsequent novels. 

The title for this book comes from the Bible: Hebrews Chapter 12, verse 1: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." 

And now, Clouds of Witness, Part 1 of 9, by Dorothy Sayers.

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What is the secret of the hashish den in the Café de L’Egypte? Sax Rohmer, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. Thank you so much to those who have stepped up recently and donated at the website. If you can step up with $5/month, that will really help us out. We’ll give you a thank you code in return to help your audiobook library of the classics continue to grow. Everybody wins, and you get to throw in your voice of support in keeping the Classic Tales Podcast going strong. Thank you so much for your support.

Please step up and donate to the podcast by going to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com.

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius continue in the special features of this week’s episode in the Classic Tales App. In the app, tap on the box with a bow on the left when you play the episode. That’s the special features area. It’s like a present!

Today we continue our series of The Hand of Fu-Manchu, by Sax Rohmer.

As with last week, and during the run of this series, as you run into objectionable stuff today, feel free to talk about it with your friends. Point out the problems with your kids. Racism thrives in the darkness. Let’s clean this out of our culture through honest and informed discussion.

And now, The Hand of Fu-Manchu, part 6 of 7, by Sax Rohmer.

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Mr. Thipps wakes up to discover a dead body in his bathtub, wearing nothing but a pair of pince-nez.  So many questions.  Dorothy Sayers, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. We couldn’t do this without you. I know we are all going through some stuff right now, and we really appreciate you doing what you can. It really helps us out. And in case you’ve forgotten: a $5 donation gets you an $8 coupon code for any audiobook at the store. We really want to make sure you get a lot of bang for your buck.

And if you just want to shoot us a few bucks to say thanks, that’s awesome. There is  now a Donate button on the website at www.classictalesaudiobooks.com, where you can do just that.

I have begun doing special pricing for financial supporters. What does that mean? Well, once you login to the website, financial supporters with a subscription can access subscriber pricing for The Last of the Mohicans, The Lost World, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Wuthering Heights, and The War of the Worlds, so they can purchase these titles using only their monthly coupon codes. Or buy them for a reduced price. Just another way to make your dollars stretch.

Looking for a unique Christmas gift? We’ve added more designs to our merchandise site. Check out our merch store for unique gift ideas for yourself or a literature lover in you life. Right now, they are having a sale - everything is 35% off.

On the app side of things, we’re starting poetry again. App users can hear “To Lucasta, Going to the Wars”, by Richard Lovelace in the special features portion for this week’s episode.

This week we begin Whose Body, by Dorothy L. Sayers. Lord Peter Wimsey is an aristocrat whose hobby is solving crime. A couple things to note in this story: it was published in 1923. That was after World War I, but before the Jewish holocaust of World War II. Wimsey suffers from PTSD from the war, and it’s interesting to see how it is handled at this time. Just a little hint to have compassion for those who might be acting in ways we don’t understand. You never know what’s going on under the surface.

The other thing I wanted to mention is the handling of Jewish terms and epithets. Again, this book was written over 100 years ago, in a time before the Jewish holocaust of World War II. When I read this it struck me how mainstream anti-Semitic sentiment was at the time.

So, with those two disclaimers out of the way, let’s go on with the show!

And now, Whose Body, Part 1 of 7 by Dorothy Sayers.

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Can the imp residing in the unbreakable bottle really grant Keawe’s every desire? Robert Louis Stevenson, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

A Vintage Episode is released every Tuesday. If you have found value in the show, please help us to help more people like you by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com, and becoming a supporter. New stories are coming your way on Friday. 

We have a new title available – Classic Tales for Children: Volume 1. This boxed set includes Pollyanna, Winnie-the-Pooh, The Wind in the Willows, and Alice in Wonderland. Hop on over to the website, and pick up your copy today.

Follow this link to pick up Classic Tales for Children: Volume 1. 

And now, The Bottle Imp, by Robert Louis Stevenson.

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What exactly do Tom’s investigations into Gatsby reveal? F. Scott Fitzgerald, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. We couldn’t do this without you. We really try make your support worth your while. You get so much out of this! For a five-dollar monthly donation, you get a monthly code for $8 off any audiobook download. Give more, and you get more! It helps us have something to count on every month, and you help to keep the podcast going strong, giving more folks like you the chance to discover the classics in a curated and easily accessible format. Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com today, and become a financial supporter. You’ll be glad you did. Thank you so much.

App users can hear the poem, “Ozymandias”, by Percy Blythe Shelley, in the special features for today’s episode. I actually have this poem printed on a t-shirt.

And if it’s more convenient, we are streaming our episodes through YouTube, now. A link can be found in the comments section for today’s episode.

Today’s episode is the fourth of five of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. This piece is a little edgier than the stuff we usually present. The themes deal largely with racism, and socio-economic elitism. There’s also some rougher language, and some violence. Just so you have a heads up.

And now, The Great Gatsby, part 4 of 5, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

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What misfortune occurs when an ancient watchmaker pits his two protégés against each other? Lydia Maria Child, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. If you enjoy listening to The Classic Tales, please consider becoming a supporting member. It helps support the podcast, and it’s a great way to build out your library of classics. By making a monthly donation of just $5, you’ll receive a corresponding thank-you code for $8 off any digital audiobook download. You win, and we get to keep going strong. Go now to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a member today.

There are many other ways you can also support the podcast, through purchasing our app, merchandise, or telling your friends about us. Links can be found in the notes to today’s episode.

If you have the Classic Tales App, check your special features for more Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. That’s still a thing.

You and also rate and review us at Spotify or Apple Podcasts. 

And the items in our FREE category have been changed, so head on over to the website for some free audiobooks.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is coming along. I’m actually using a combination of several translations to record this audiobook, as I’m using three at the same time. The one from J. Carroll Beckwith is the main one, but I’m also using the traditionally used anonymous translation as well as another audio version for additional reference. I have around four more hours to record.

Please make sure your membership status is current, as I will be sending the completed audiobook out to all current financial supporting members. 

Today’s story is by Lydia Maria Child, who lived from 1802 to 1880. She was best known for her stand against slavery and for her promotion of the rights of Native Americans. The musical version of her Thanksgiving poem, “Over the River and Through the Woods”, is still sung by children today.

Her story, “The Rival Mechanicians” has been lauded as one of the finest science fiction tales from the first half of the nineteenth century. The Western Literary Messenger declared it to be “above praise”, when it was first published in 1847.

There are so many diverse and profound elements to the story, however, I think I’ll let it speak for itself.

And now, The Rival Mechanicians, by Lydia Maria Child.

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What must Ruscha do to secure the magic word that kills when it’s uttered? Elizabeth F. Ellett, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Many, many thanks to all of our listeners and supporting members who help to keep us going.

If you enjoy listening to The Classic Tales, please consider becoming a supporting member. Each week, I strive to bring you a classic selection that is relevant, well written, and entertaining. If you can’t tell, I love what I do. I love discovering so many amazing stories and sharing them with you. But to continue to do this, I need your help.

By making a monthly donation of just $5, you’ll receive a corresponding thank-you code for an $8 discount off any audiobook order. Donate $10 a month or more, and you get a $17 discount. It’s a seriously great deal, and helps us to keep doing what we’re doing. Go now to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a member today.

We’d like to thank Spotify for being a partnering sponsor.

The Classic Tales Merchandise store: 

Do you love binging The Classic Tales Podcast? How about 36 hours of fantastic stories, curated and narrated for you? The Classic Tales Podcast, Season Five is now available for only $19.99 at our website at www.classictalesaudiobooks.com.

I’ve optimized the audiobook for listening on mobile devices. Each chapter or story has customized artwork, and you can easily navigate from story to story when you want to listen again. The Classic Tales Podcast, Season Five -you won’t be disappointed.

Today’s story is by Elizabeth Ellett. Her grandfather was a General in the Revolutionary War, and she grew up imbued with patriotic as well as religious feelings, which nourished her mind. She had a thirst for learning, and at the age of 16 was married to Dr. William H. Ellet, a Professor of Chemistry at Columbia College. In the college, she took advantage of the opportunities of education, and soon rose to prominence.

She began to write for the magazines, or periodicals of the time, and the name of Mrs. Ellet became recognized in literary circles.

Like George Eliot, she also gained a reputation for translating. In 1848, she published her most important work: “The Women of the American Revolution”.

Today, Ellet is perhaps known best for the scandal she leaked about Edgar Allan Poe’s rumored affair with Frances Sargent Osgood when both were married to other people. Leaking this story didn’t help her at all.

Poe maligned her in the press, knocked her writings, accused her of plagiarism, and even referred to her as “short and fat”. In print.

Today’s story was taken from a Danish folk tale that Ellet has spiced up with lively characters and wonderful atmosphere. It’s on the short side, but delivers some wonderful chills along the way.

And now, The Witch Caprusche, by Elizabeth F. Ellet.

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The Cisco Kid’s days are numbered, now that they’ve located his sweetheart. How can they evade the Federales?  O. Henry, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “The Most Dangerous Game”, by Richard Connell. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

The Vintage Episodes will not stream through YouTube, so if you don’t want to miss anything, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

If you’ve enjoyed the show, please become a monthly supporter, and help us keep the lights on. 

Please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter for as little as $5 a month. As a thank you gesture, we’ll send you a coupon code every month for at least $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! It’s a great way to help us keep producing amazing audiobook content. 

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a supporter today. 

The character of the Cisco Kid was originally created in this short story by O. Henry, but he went through a huge transformation before he became the character widely known today. 

The Cisco Kid is not a beloved character in his first appearance in today’s story, first published in 1907. Nope, he’s a vicious killer. However, by the time of his third feature film, The Old Arizona in 1927, Cisco was revamped as a witty Mexican hero, winning the Oscar for Best Actor for Warner Brothers – the second ever given!

Nearly thirty films were produced with the character, along with 156 television episodes produced between 1950 and 1956. 

But in today’s story by O. Henry, Cisco is a duplicitous scoundrel. The kind that can’t be killed.

And now, The Caballero’s Way, by O. Henry.

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Meek and submissive Motty is foisted upon Bertie as an uninvited guest. But when Motty begins to cut up a rug, Bertie finds himself in the soup. P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

We are proudly supported by our listeners. Many, many thanks to our financial supporters who pitch in every month to help us keep the lights on. If you enjoy the show, please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a coupon code every month as a thank you. Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today.

And please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Thank you so much!

And now, Carry On, Jeeves, Part 3 of 10, by P.G. Wodehouse.

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When Barbara elopes with her penniless lover, it sets in motion a series of events culminating in tragedy. Thomas Hardy, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

We’ll be releasing two Vintage Episodes each week, so be sure to check your feed regularly. New episodes will be available every Friday. If you like the Vintage Episodes, please let us know by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com. Become a supporter, tell your friends, order an audiobook, or send us an email. You can also give us a review on Apple Podcasts. We’d love to hear if you like the older episodes. 

This episode of The Classic Tales Podcast was originally released on June 22, 2007, along with The Cask of Amontillado, by Edgar Allan Poe, and The Speckled Band, by Arthur Conan Doyle.

I ran across this story in a collection of short stories called The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales, edited by Chris Baldick, which I’d highly recommend. Of course, you’ll run into most of the stories if you listen to the Vintage Episodes of the podcast. 

Barbara of the House of Grebe was originally published in the periodical The Graphic in 1890, and later collected with nine other stories in A Group of Noble Dames, and published in book form in 1891. 

It’s a pretty gothic story. You’ve got the dark atmosphere, romance, tragedy, and a dark villain. So buckle up. It’s about to get real. 

And now, Barbara of the House of Grebe, Part 1 of 2, by Thomas Hardy. 

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It’s the most glorious flower garden the world has ever known. But when a young student falls in love with the mysterious Eve who tends the garden, he learns that this Paradise is anything but a Garden of Eden. Nathaniel Hawthorne, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

Two Vintage Episodes are released each week, so be sure to check your feed regularly. New episodes will be available every Friday. If you like the Vintage Episodes, please let us know by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com. Become a supporter, tell your friends, order an audiobook, or send us an email. You can also give us a review on Apple Podcasts. We’d love to hear if you like the older episodes.

Today we continue the Gothic vein with a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Most of us are familiar with The Scarlet Letter. But Hawthorne really shines in the medium of the short story, and this story is an excellent example. 

Gothic elements abound – Beatrice is socially and physically isolated from the rest of the world. There is a supernatural and scientific element to the garden, the romance of the two lovers, and the Faustian/diabolical figure of Dr. Rappaccini. 

All in all, it’s a solid piece of literature, if you can overlook the green narrator.  

And now, Rappaccini’s Daughter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. 

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The nefarious heffalumps don’t stand a chance, with Pooh and Piglet on the case. But when their trap is baited with honey, Pooh bear begins to sleep extra restlessly.  A.A. Milne, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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And now, Winnie-the-Pooh, Part 2 of 4, by A. A. Milne.

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Ardita Farnam has a feisty will and a fiery tongue. But when seven hulking musicians seize her yacht while her rich uncle goes ashore, she soon discovers the limits of her persuasive powers. F. Scott Fitzgerald, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

A new Vintage Episode is released every Tuesday. New content will be available every Friday. Please help us to keep the lights on by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com, and becoming a supporter. Thank you so much. 

Today’s story was released as one of eight stories in Flappers and Philosophers in 1920. It was Fitzgerald’s first published collection, and showcases his rapid development as a writer. 

And now, The Offshore Pirate, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

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What sinister secret hides in the underground passages of Graywater Park? Sax Rohmer, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. Have you noticed that some other podcasts who say that still have a break in the middle of the episode and a bunch of messages from sponsors? That’s fine for them, but not for me. Years ago, I wanted to make sure that nothing distracted from the story, and so instead of chasing down sponsors, I’ve tried to take care of my listeners.

In fact, if you’re a $5/month sponsor for most podcasts, they give you nothing. I mean, you help to keep the podcast going, which is what it’s all about, but with your $5/month donation, you get a monthly “Thank You” code that allows you to essentially get an audiobook from our online store. There’s also a bunch of free stuff on our website you’re more than welcome to download.

So, yeah, maybe I don’t need to bust out a code for website credit with a $5/month donation, but I do. Because I appreciate your donation to keep us running. Thank you so much.

And so if you have enjoyed The Classic Tales over the years, if you feel that this is a good service, if they have made you think about things you otherwise maybe wouldn’t have, please go to classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a supporting member.

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius continue in the special features of this week’s episode in the Classic Tales App. In the app, tap on the box with a bow on the left when you play the episode. That’s the special features area. It’s like a present!

Today we conclude our series of The Hand of Fu-Manchu, by Sax Rohmer.

As with last week, and during the run of this series, as you run into objectionable stuff today, feel free to talk about it with your friends. Point out the problems with your kids. Racism and misogyny thrive in the darkness. Let’s clean this out of our culture through honest and informed discussion.

And now, The Hand of Fu-Manchu, part 8 of 8, by Sax Rohmer.

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Venters heads off to discover the cattle rustlers’ hideout in Deception Pass. But when he crosses paths with the Masked Rider, everything goes sideways. Zane Grey, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

We are proudly supported by our listeners. We couldn’t do this without you. Your monthly donation helps in so many ways, and it also gives you access to more classic titles. 

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The Arsène Lupin Podcast is out! Three episodes are now available on the feed, and a new episode will be released every Wednesday. Right now, this is a limited series, but if it takes off, we may add to it. So tell your friends about our favorite Gentleman Burglar’s own show! A link to subscribe can be found in the notes for today’s episode. 

This week we continue our series of Riders of the Purple Sage, by Zane Grey. Last week, we met Jane Withersteen, a wealthy single woman who owns an extensive ranch in Southern Utah. Her refusal to enter into a polygamous marriage with Tull caused a deal of friction and threats from the Mormon elders. 

Venters, her most trusted hand, saw Judkins from afar riding like gangbusters back to the ranch – apparently with some terrible news…

And now, Riders of the Purple Sage, part 2 of 12, by Zane Grey 

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Is a young man’s philandering ever really a victimless crime? D.H. Lawrence, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

We are proudly supported by our listeners. We couldn’t do this without you. Your monthly donation helps in so many ways, and it also gives you access to more classic titles. 

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. A $5 dollar monthly donation gets you an $8 monthly coupon code for any audiobook order. Thank you so much. 

App users can watch a short video of me talking about another thing I love about the classics, if that’s your idea of a good time. 

If you’re in the mood for a good contemporary thriller, check out Immortal Red, by Keith Hummel on Audible. The link is in the show notes. When a biologist discovers a jellyfish that holds the secret to immortality, things start to spin out of control. Tapping into his years of medical experience, Hummel’s convincing thriller spans the globe as governments and mercenaries conspire to acquire the real essence of eternal life. I had a great time recording it. That’s Immortal Red, by Keith Hummel. Don’t miss it! 

David Herbert Lawrence was a novelist, poet, short story writer and essayist. His best known novels, including “Sons and Lovers”, “The Rainbow”, and “Lady Chatterley’s Lover”, were subjects of censorship trials for their radical use of strong language and sexuality. Lawrence was largely maligned and estranged during his career. However, E.M. Forster in an obituary notice challenged this view, dubbing Lawrence, “the greatest imaginative novelist of our generation”. 

Today’s story isn’t particularly racy at all, please don’t worry about that. But it’s elegantly written, and very powerful in it’s message. It’s from a collection of short stories written from 1913 – 1922, and takes place during World War I. Written a hundred years before the “Me Too” movement, this is one of the issues we’re still struggling with as a species. See if the punishment fits the crime. Then ask yourself why you came to that conclusion. 

And now, Tickets, Please, by D.H. Lawrence. 

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When the brilliant, raven-haired beauty Ligeia falls ill, will her genius be enough to help her recover?  Edgar Allan Poe, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

A Vintage Episode is released every Tuesday. If the show has helped you find comfort, peace, or a quiet place to mentally rest, please help us to help more people like you by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com, and becoming a supporter. New stories are coming your way on Friday.

Keep an ear open for our Kickstarter for The Golden Triangle – the seventh novel in the Arsène Lupin series. We’ll let you know when we’re ready to kick off. 

Playwright and critic George Bernard Shaw said of today’s story, “The story of the Lady Ligeia is not merely one of the wonders of literature: it is unparalleled and unapproached”. I hope you like it. 

And now, Ligeia, by Edgar Allan Poe 

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Bobbie Cardew can’t remember anything – ever. Can Reggie rescue him from his household woes? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”, by Rudyard Kipling. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

If you enjoy the show, please become a monthly supporter, and help us continue to highlight these amazing stories. 

Please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter for as little as $5 a month. As a thank you gesture, we’ll send you a coupon code every month for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! It’s a great way to help us keep producing sparkling audiobook content. 

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Abraham Lincoln famously said, “If you give me six hours to chop down a tree, I’ll spend the first four sharpening the axe”. That’s the philosophy I’m taking with our Kickstarter for The Golden Triangle. I’ve got the artwork done for the four boxed sets, and they’ll be creeping into the store soon. You can pick them up early, or get them all as a package deal when we launch the Kickstarter. Keep an ear open for the latest developments!

Today’s story is the first of a series of P.G. Wodehouse short stories found in the volume My Man Jeeves. It contains three Jeeves stories, and several others that are in the similar vein, but with different characters. A young Wodehouse was still feeling out his characters at this point, working out the kinks, and polishing his style. I hope you like them. 

And now, Absent Treatment, by P.G. Wodehouse.

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Will Bess and Venters make it out of the valley with Tull’s men on their trail? Will Lassiter and Jane find safety? Zane Grey, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

We are proudly supported by our listeners. We couldn’t do this without you. Your monthly donation helps in so many ways, and it also gives you access to more classic titles. 

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. A $5 dollar monthly donation gets you an $8 monthly coupon code for any audiobook order. Thank you so much. 

There are 10 new titles from the archives now available on the website. Works from O. Henry, Kate Chopin, Guy de Maupassant, Louisa May Alcott and others are ready when you are. 

The first season of the Arsène Lupin Podcast is complete!  Binge all episodes of our gentleman burglar’s own show. And tell your friends! Links can be found in the show notes. 

App users and those who follow us on social media can see a short video of me talking about books! Check us out on the Classic Tales App, or on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook or TikTok. Links are in the show notes. 

And now, Riders of the Purple Sage, part 12 of 12, by Zane Grey

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Why is Beautrelet receiving threatening notes on his way back to a stale and stagnant crime scene?  Maurice Leblanc, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. We couldn’t do this without you. We really try make your support worth your while. You get so much out of this! For a five-dollar monthly donation, you get a monthly code for $8 off any audiobook download. Give more, and you get more! It kind of cracks open the website for you, so you can easily build out your classic audiobook library, and you help to give more folks like you the chance to discover the classics in a curated and easily accessible format. Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com today, and become a financial supporter. You’ll be glad you did. Thank you so much.

If it’s more convenient, we are streaming our episodes through YouTube, now. A link can be found in the comments section for today’s episode.

For those of you who enjoy the personal moments, I’ve decided to begin to release those stories as a special feature you can access in the app. That way they don’t get in the way here, but for those who enjoy them, they are still available through the app.

The story so far: Young Beautrelet has uncovered a plot of Arsene Lupin’s to steal certain valuable paintings from M. de Gevres, replacing them with copies. During the heist, M. Daval, M de Gevres’ secretary was killed, and a man was shot while trying to escape. The wounded man was never found or traced – he simply disappeared.

And now, The Hollow Needle, Part 3 of 7, by Maurice Leblanc.

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Why won’t Tomsky’s 80-year-old grandmother share her incredible secret for gambling? Alexander Pushkin, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. We couldn’t do this without you. We really try make your support worth your while. For a five-dollar monthly donation, you get a monthly code for $8 off any audiobook download. Give more, and you get more! It really helps us out, and gives us a revenue stream we can count on in this crazy time. And you help to keep the podcast going strong, so that more folks like you can discover the classics in a curated and easily accessible format. Go to classictalesaudiobooks.com today, and become a financial supporter. Thank you so much.

App users can hear the poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, by William Wordsworth in the special features for today’s episode.

Today we return to Russia, and Alexander Pushkin. He was born to a noble family, but by the time he came along, most of the money was gone. He is one of the great Russian luminaries, and today’s story of self-destructive greed is largely reprinted and anthologized. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky made it into an opera which premiered in St. Petersburg in 1890.

Faro, spelled in the story as f-a-r-o, is a gambling card game in which players bet on the order in which the cards will appear. Pharoah, like the Egyptian Pharoah, is said to have been the name of the king of hearts.

And now, The Queen of Spades, by Alexander Pushkin.

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The kindly Mr. Waller invites Psmith and Mike to hear him speak in the park on Sunday. Now, what could possibly go wrong? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. We couldn’t do this without you. Your monthly donations help to give us a bed of insulation we can count on from month to month.  It really helps us out. And in case you’ve forgotten: a $5 donation gets you an $8 coupon code for any audiobook at the store. Thank you so much for stepping up, and helping to keep us going strong. Our website is www.classictalesaudiobooks.com   

App users who absolutely need to get their Halloween monster fix, can hear a new recording of “The Horla”, by Guy de Maupassant in the Special Features area for this week’s episode. Tap the box that looks like a present.

And as pandemic fatigue continues to gnaw at our bones, we have several long form novels as well as several short stories available for free to help us through these trying times. Go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and check out our FREE category. Feel free to pick up whatever you like, and tell your friends.

And now, Psmith in the City, Part 4 of 6 by P.G. Wodehouse.

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A family secret, an ominous curse, and a mysterious cabinet equals a surplusage of horrors. No wonder the writer withheld their name. Anonymous, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episodes of The Classic Tales Podcast are in full swing – every Monday and Wednesday. How did you like them? Are you looking for more? Please let us know by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com. Pick up an audiobook, become a supporter, leave a review, or send us an email. Let us know if you’d like more. 

Monday we’ll have H.G. Wells’ fanciful story The Magic Shop, and on Wednesday, Sherlock Holmes returns in The Red-headed League. It actually takes quite a bit more work to release three episodes a week instead of one, so if you’d like more Vintage Episodes, please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and chip in. And thanks for your support! 

Today begins a three-part series of The Closed Cabinet, by Anonymous. There are so many wonderful elements in today’s story – a bespelled cabinet built by an ancient witch, a family curse, and beautiful prose tying it all together. But the majority of this story is told from the point of view of a 19-year-old woman. And so I reached out to Nancy Peterson, the award-winning narrator and Tik-Tok sensation, and we decided to collaborate again. So the parts of the story that are told from the heroine, Evie’s point of view will be read by Nancy, and I’ll be chiming in when the men speak.

I thought this approach would be best for the way this story is written. Hopefully it works okay. Just trying something new. 

And if you’re a fan of Nancy’s, like I am, she is in the process of recording the Anne of Green Gables series of books, by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Links to her recordings can be found in the show notes. I’ve seen her perform some of it live – it’s amazing. 

And now, The Closed Cabinet, Part 1 of 3, by Anonymous. Narrated with Nancy Peterson. 

Follow these links to see Nancy Peterson’s TikTok channel and Anne of Green Gables series: 

https://www.tiktok.com/@nancy_peterson_narrates

https://tinyurl.com/54ncrx9s

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When the kids next door cross a line, Mrs. Shields can’t help but speak up about it. She knows it will set the gossip machine in motion, but right is right – isn’t it? Mary Stanbery Watts, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “The Country of the Blind”, by H.G. Wells. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

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Have you ever read Pollyanna, by Eleanor H. Porter? Well, you should. Everybody should. With the way things have gotten so dark lately, I figured I just needed a shot of something bright and cheerful, and reading Pollyanna was just what the doctor ordered. 

So, I recorded it. I’ll be releasing it as a boxed set, along with Winnie-the-Pooh, The Wind in the Willows and Alice in Wonderland. Keep an eye on your in box, and I’ll send the product link as soon as it’s available this week. You can preorder it now, by following this link:

https://store.classictalesaudiobooks.com/classic-tales-for-children-volume-1-p366.aspx

Mary Stanbery Watts was a rather prolific writer at the end of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. She wrote many stories for McClures, and novels for MacMillan, several set during the Spanish-American war. Today’s story, “Nice Neighbors”, she wrote near the end of her writing career, in 1923. Just a heads up – this story does deal with violence toward animals. 

And now, “Nice Neighbors”, by Mary Stanbery Watts. 

Follow this link to preorder Classic Tales for Children, Volume 1, including Pollyanna, Winnie-the-Pooh, The Wind in the Willows, and Alice in Wonderland. 

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Ten undetectable humanoids are loose in the United States, and if they get together, they will transform into a horrific bomb. How can they be stopped? Isaac Asimov, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

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If you’re like me, when it comes to choosing audiobooks, I have two problems:

I don’t know if I’ll like the writing, and I don’t know whether I’ll like the narrator.

Being a supporter of The Classic Tales solves this problem perfectly. You can listen to the podcast for free, go to the Classic Tales store, and try downloading some of our free offerings. You can totally try before you buy, and we’ve recently updated our free titles, so check it out!

Whatever title you choose, you know it’s going to be carefully curated, so the writing is on point, and you know the narrator! 

Become a monthly supporter, and you can support the show, and get more audiobooks! 

It’s a great way to listen to high quality audiobooks you know you’ll love! We got you covered! 

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Isaac Asimov (1920 – 1992) was an American writer and professor. In his time, he was considered one of the “Big Three” most influential science fiction writers of his day, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke. He wrote or edited over 500 works, including the Foundation series, the first three books of which won the Hugo Award for “Best All-Time Series” in 1966. His other major series are the Galactic Empire series, and the Robot series. 

Asimov is also known for inventing terms which are now commonplace. He coined the phrase “robotics” in his 1941 story, “Liar”. Also, the word psychohistory, having to do with a fictional branch of science that combines statistics, science, and history, to make predictions about the future. This concept is explored in his Foundation series. 

Today’s story was first published in the February 1957 issue of Infinity magazine. Extensive research did not uncover that the U.S. copyright was renewed. 

And now, Let’s Get Together, by Isaac Asimov. 

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Will our band of adventurers find any life-giving water?  Jules Verne, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “Feathertop”, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

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I am so excited to announce that I’m currently recording the classic The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, by B. Traven. Traven was a German, who left Germany when things were getting dicey after World War 1. His character driven tale of greed is the inspiration of the classic film, directed by John Huston, starring Humphrey Bogart. If you’re a fan of the film, you’ve got to pick up the audiobook. 

This week only, you can preorder the audiobook and save four dollars. A link can be found in the show notes, or you can go to classictalesaudiobooks.com and click the appropriate button. 

https://store.classictalesaudiobooks.com/the-treasure-of-the-sierra-madre-by-b-traven-p369.aspx

And now, “A Journey to the Center of the Earth”, Part 5 of 9, by Jules Verne.  

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What’s the most substantial thing that Ukridge can bring to a political campaign? Hopefully not scandal – anything but that. P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

We are proudly supported by our listeners. Please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a monthly coupon code for $8 off any audiobook order. Your support on a monthly basis is vital to keep us going.  

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The Arsène Lupin Podcast is coming along. If you haven’t heard, I’ll be releasing the first collection of Lupin stories as its own show. Wednesdays are about to get even better.

And now, The Long Arm of Looney Coote, by P.G. Wodehouse. 

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Will Jeeves rally round when the goggle-eyed Wilmot is foisted on Berty? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “The Man Who Corrupted Hadleyburg”, by Mark Twain. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

If you have found value in the show, please consider becoming a monthly supporter. Help us to help other folks like you.

Please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter for as little as $5 a month. As a thank you gesture, we’ll send you a coupon code every month for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! Thanks for helping us out.  

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a supporter today. 

Today’s story is another in the series of P.G. Wodehouse short stories found in the volume My Man Jeeves. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m recording anew all the stories in this volume. Some we’ve heard before, and some we haven’t. So while today’s story has shown up before, I hope you won’t mind it again, recorded 15 years later.  

And now, Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest, by P.G. Wodehouse.

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What happens when an Italian profligate makes a deal with an unusual magician? Mary Shelley today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Many, many thanks to all of our listeners and supporting members who help to keep us going.

If you enjoy listening to The Classic Tales, please consider becoming a supporting member.

By making a monthly donation of just $5, you’ll receive a corresponding thank-you code for an $8 discount off any audiobook order. Donate $10 a month or more, and you get a $17 discount. It’s a seriously great deal, and helps us to keep doing what we’re doing. Go now to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a member today.

We’d like to thank Spotify for being a partnering sponsor.

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Today’s story begins with a quote from Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. App users can hear the entire epic poem in their special features.

Do you love binging The Classic Tales Podcast? How about 36 hours of fantastic stories, curated and narrated for you? The Classic Tales Podcast, Season Five is now available for only $19.99 at our website at www.classictalesaudiobooks.com.

I’ve optimized the audiobook for listening on mobile devices. Each chapter or story has customized artwork, and you can easily navigate from story to story when you want to listen again. This artwork-enriched edition of the audiobook is only available at www.classictalesaudiobooks.com -you won’t be disappointed.

Today’s story is by Mary Shelley. Many of you may be familiar with the story of how Frankenstein was created. Lord Byron had rented a house in Geneva, Switzerland, along with John Polidori, and Mary and Percy Shelley. It was dark and stormy the whole time. After a while, they had a contest to see who could write the best ghost story. John Polidori wrote “The Vampyre”, which was the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. And Mary Shelley wrote a short story called “Transformation”, which she later developed into the novel Frankenstein.

I always felt I was missing something about the origin of Frankenstein. Knowing that it came from a short story, and was fleshed out makes more sense. That being said, it is anything but a watered down version of our favorite flat-topped monster.

And now, Transformation, by Mary Shelley.

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Upon seeing Eve Halliday stranded in the London rain, Psmith springs into action with an umbrella – never minding that it isn’t his. P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Many, many thanks to all of our listeners and supporting members who help to keep us going.

If you enjoy listening to The Classic Tales, please consider becoming a supporting member.

By making a monthly donation of just $5, you’ll receive a corresponding thank-you code for an $8 discount off any audiobook order. Donate $10 a month or more, and you get a $17 discount. It’s a seriously great deal, and helps us to keep doing what we’re doing. Go now to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a member today.

We’d like to thank Spotify for being a partnering sponsor.

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If you have the Classic Tales app, you can listen to more of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius in the special features area.

Recently, it came to my attention that you can listen to the audiobooks purchased through the website on the Audible app. If you purchase a book from classictalesaudiobooks.com, first, download it to your computer, either Windows or Mac. Second, sync your device using iTunes, and send the audiobook to your device. Finally, open the Audible app and tap the “iTunes” tab at the top, where it says “Cloud/Device/iTunes”. The audiobook should show up there, and you can use all the listening features of the Audible app.

And now, Leave it to Psmith, part 2 of 10, by P.G. Wodehouse.

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What deceptive tactics must be used to keep the fantastic journey a secret? Jules Verne, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “A Case of Identity”, a Sherlock Holmes story by Arthur Conan Doyle. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

If you have found value in the show, please consider becoming a monthly supporter. Help us to help other folks like you.

Please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter for as little as $5 a month. As a thank you gesture, we’ll send you a coupon code every month for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! Thanks for helping us out.  

Classic Tales for Children: Volume 1 is now available. It includes the new recording of Pollyanna, bundled together with Winnie-the-Pooh, The Wind in the Willows, and Alice in Wonderland. This anthology is perfect to listen to again and again. You can pick it up at classictalesaudiobooks.com by following the link in the show notes. 

https://store.classictalesaudiobooks.com/classic-tales-for-children-volume-1-p366.aspx

And now, “A Journey to the Center of the Earth”, Part 2 of 9, by Jules Verne. 

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The theft of a million dollars in bonds puts the career of a promising young man in jeopardy. Can Poirot see where others do not? Agatha Christie, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

We are proudly supported by our listeners. Please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a monthly coupon code for $8 off any audiobook order. Your support on a monthly basis is vital to keep us going.

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. Thank you so much.

And if you’re not up for becoming a supporting member, please subscribe to our YouTube channel, or give us a review on Apple Podcasts. Every bit helps!

If you’ve been thinking of starting up your own podcast, go to Libsyn.com, and put in my promo code: SHERLOCK. You’ll get up to two months of free podcasting service. I’ve been with Libsyn for years, and I couldn’t be happier with them. So, if you’re thinking of starting your own show, go to LIBSYN dot com, and use my promo code: SHERLOCK. They’ll set you up to succeed.

And now, to continue our investigations with Hercule Poirot and Agatha Christie.

App users can follow along with the attached PDF.

And now, The Million Dollar Bond Robbery, by Agatha Christie.

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Will Psmith’s scheme to “cultivate” the irascible Mr. Bickersdyke possibly work? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. We couldn’t do this without you. With the pandemic still pounding at the door, we need your help more than ever. And in case you’ve forgotten: a $5 donation gets you an $8 coupon code for any audiobook at the store. Thank you so much for stepping up, and helping to keep us going strong.

Please visit classictalesaudiobooks.com and take advantage of our FREE selection. Several full length novels are available to help take the sting out of this pandemic. 

App users who absolutely need to get their Halloween monster fix, can hear “Dracula’s Guest”, by Bram Stoker in the Special Features area for this week’s episode. Tap the box that looks like a present, and you’ll get a …present.

And now, Psmith in the City, Part 2 of 6 by P.G. Wodehouse.

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After delivering a fiery call to arms, who will help Andre-Louis evade capture? Raphael Sabatini, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. With us giving away so much free material during this time of the pandemic, we need your help more than ever. 5 bucks a month really goes a long way, right now. Thank you so much for helping us stay afloat.

In case you haven’t already, feel free to take advantage of our free titles. I get so happy when I see someone has downloaded the free audiobook titles, especially new customers. I tried to have something for everyone, from several genres, and geared for all ages. Please click on over to our FREE section, and enjoy. There’s a link to the free material in the description for this week’s episode.

You can find the free audiobooks here:

https://tinyurl.com/wfrphaw

App users can hear Sonnet 116 from William Shakespeare in their special features this week. This is the final sonnet from the bard we’ll be sharing.

Well, we didn’t’ win an Independent Audiobook Award for The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It was seriously amazing to see all of the top talent that I was nominated with. Some of the top names in the business. Thank you so much for helping us to create such a noteworthy audiobook.

Thank you to Annie, from the Join us in France Podcast, who helped with the pronunciations of the French names and phrases for this week’s episode. If you’re interested in France at all, you should check out her show. It’s fantastic.

A couple of notes on this week’s episode: Omnis Omnibus means “all everyone” in Latin.

Also, the second portion of the book is called “The Buskin”. Now, you costumers might know a buskin to be a laced boot reaching halfway or more to the knee, and you’d be right. However, there is a second meaning which is in reference to tragedy – especially a tragedy in the Greek drama tradition. This latter definition is the one Sabatini references.

So here’s the story so far:

Andre-Louis, a privileged lawyer from Gavrillac, is on a mission to speak out for the downtrodden, especially the poor who have fewer rights than the nobles. Beginning with the deaths of Mabey, then his friend Phillipe, and finally the two protesters that were killed at Rennes during a demonstration, Andre-Louis has become the person chosen to deliver the message of defiance from Rennes to the town of Nantes. This is where we begin today.

And now, Scaramouche, Part 3 of 12, by Raphael Sabatini

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Will Bertie’s cousins pull off their scheme of rigging a betting pool for lengthy country sermons? Well, what could go wrong? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. Thank you so very much to all of you who have gone to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become financial supporters. There are several options to support the podcast, starting at $5 a month. Each of your offers of support comes with a monthly “thank-you” code. Use the codes for any audiobook download, and watch your library of classics bloom and grow. Everybody wins! And we get to keep the podcast going strong. Thanks again for your generous support.

We also have several other ways to support the podcast. If you’re a business owner, and you would like me to develop a podcast for your business, please send me an email at: bj@thebestaudiobooks.com 

You can also purchase t-shirts, tote bags and other merchandise with your favorite Classic Tales covers on them at our merchandise store.

And finally, we have the hybrid audiobook: a creation of my own invention, where an audiobook is embedded within the pages of a printed book. Links can be found in the description for this episode.

Now, I thought I’d just walk through why the subscription system is such a great way to support the podcast. I mean, I support podcasts for $5/month, and I consider it a great direct investment in the talent and dedication to those who are podcast producers. For us at least, $5/month is super manageable.

Now with The Classic Tales, you also get a thank you/coupon code as a bonus. You can go to the website and get unabridged classic audiobooks for a buck or two more. Or a few more short stories to round out your month. This is how your library can grow, basically effortlessly. It’s really a great little system that keeps us going strong.  

And now, The Inimitable Jeeves, part 6 of 7, by P.G. Wodehouse 

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Bingo Little needs help in a big way. A big way. If Jeeves doesn’t come through this time, both of their reputations will be absolutely smashed. P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

We are proudly supported by our listeners. Many, many thanks to our financial supporters who pitch in every month to help us keep the lights on. If you enjoy the show, please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a coupon code every month as a thank you. Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today.

The Crystal Stopper, the fifth installment in the Arsène Lupin series, is now available at http://classictalesaudiobooks.com. I’ve also uploaded around a dozen short stories from the archives that are now available. Works by Guy de Maupassant, Mary Fortune, Sax Rohmer and Arthur Conan Doyle are ready when you are. You can find the new titles in the “new” category in the store.

I intend to chip away at the archived episodes throughout the year. Hopefully we’ll be all caught up by the end of December.

Happy springtime, everyone!

And now, Carry On, Jeeves, Part 9 of 10, by P.G. Wodehouse.

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Can Arséne Lupin really solve a murder before the police even have a victim? Maurice LeBlanc, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Many, many thanks to all of our listeners and supporting members who help to keep us going.

If you enjoy listening to The Classic Tales, please consider becoming a supporting member.

By making a monthly donation of just $5, you’ll receive a corresponding thank-you code for an $8 discount off any audiobook order. Donate $10 a month or more, and you get a $17 discount. It’s a seriously great deal, and helps us to keep doing what we’re doing. Go now to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a member today.

We’d like to thank Spotify for being a partnering sponsor.

The Classic Tales Merchandise store: 

App users can hear more Meditations of Marcus Aurelius in their special features.

Do you love binging The Classic Tales Podcast? How about 36 hours of fantastic stories, curated and narrated for you? The Classic Tales Podcast, Season Five is now available for only $19.99 at our website at www.classictalesaudiobooks.com.

I’ve optimized the audiobook for listening on mobile devices. Each chapter or story has customized artwork, and you can easily navigate from story to story when you want to listen again. This artwork-enriched edition of the audiobook is only available at www.classictalesaudiobooks.com -you won’t be disappointed.

Today’s story is by Maurice Leblanc, whose magnificent gentleman burglar is visiting us again. We heard from him earlier in September with The Infernal Trap. If you’d like more of Lupin’s adventures, feel free to check out our website. The first two novels of the series are available.

And now, The Red Silk Scarf, by Maurice Leblanc.

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How will Captain Morgan save his fellow captain who is being held prisoner by the Spanish vice admiral? Howard Pyle, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

We are proudly supported by our listeners. Many, many thanks to our financial supporters who pitch in every month to help us keep the lights on. If you enjoy the show, please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a monthly coupon code for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. Thank you so much.

And if you can’t support us financially at this time, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.

And if you prefer listening on YouTube, our channel is now up to date.

Welcome to Pirate Summer! Today we have a story taken from Howard Pyle’s Book of Pirates. Howard Pyle was first and foremost an artist. He taught for several years at what became Drexel University, and many noteworthy artists studied under him, including N.C. Wyeth and Frank Schoonover.

Pyle is credited with establishing what has come to be known as the modern stereotype pirate attire. Since there wasn’t much to draw upon as far as historical documentation as to what pirates actually wore, Pyle borrowed largely from gypsy garments and styles to create the pirate look we know today. It’s been criticized as being wildly impractical for actual sailoring.

He wrote and illustrated several books for young adults, including The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, and a four-volume set on the life of King Arthur. He breathed new life into children’s literature, bringing a solid artistic background to his illustrations, raising the genre to a new level.

While today’s story features Captain Henry Morgan, it is a total work of fiction.

And now, With the Buccaneers, by Howard Pyle.

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Frederick is freed of his indentures to the judiciously ferocious Pirates of Penzance. What will he do with his newfound freedom? W.S. Gilbert, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

We are proudly supported by our listeners. Many, many thanks to our financial supporters who pitch in every month to help us keep the lights on. If you enjoy the show, please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a monthly coupon code for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. Thank you so much.

And please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.

And if you prefer listening on YouTube, our channel is now up to date.

Welcome to Pirate Summer! Our series of piratical tales continues with The Pirates of Penzance! They said it couldn’t be done. They meant it probably shouldn’t be done. Nevertheless, we did it. You are about to hear the first installment of the audiobook version of The Pirates of Penzance. It’s based on the libretto from W. S. Gilbert, of Gilbert and Sullivan fame. I’ve sought to keep all the original material in the libretto, and adding whatever else was necessary to make the tale a narrative, rather than an operetta.

I’ve done this treatment with plays before, but not with operettas. I found it a rare opportunity to really focus on the sharp writing of the piece, once stripped of the beloved music. There’s nothing like live theatre. But here’s something that’s a bit more portable.

And now, The Pirates of Penzance, Part 1 of 2, by W.S. Gilbert.

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If the mystery has wrapped up so nicely, why does Poirot still feel like something is not right? Agatha Christie, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. If you enjoy listening to The Classic Tales, please consider becoming a supporting member. It helps support the podcast, and it’s a great way to build out your library of classics. By making a monthly donation of just $5, you’ll receive a corresponding thank-you code for an $8 discount off any audiobook order. Donate $10 a month or more, and you get a $17 discount. You win, and we get to keep going strong. Go now to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a member today.

We’d like to thank Spotify for being a partnering sponsor.

The Classic Tales Merchandise store: 

App users can find more Meditations of Marcus Aurelius in their special features for this week’s episode.

I am working on an initiative to make The Classic Tales audiobooks free for public schools. Thank you to everyone who has visited the website, purchased audiobooks, or recommended or reviewed us. It goes a long way!

Anything you can do to help us to grow and sustain ourselves will help us put the classics into the ears of the next generation. Thank you.

And now, The Murder on the Links, part 7 of 7, by Agatha Christie

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What haunting mystery lurks inside the ebony frame? Edith Nesbit, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. If you enjoy listening to The Classic Tales, please consider becoming a supporting member. It helps support the podcast, and it’s a great way to build out your library of classics. By making a monthly donation of just $5, you’ll receive a corresponding thank-you code for an $8 discount off any audiobook order. Donate $10 a month or more, and you get a $17 discount. You win, and we get to keep going strong. Go now to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a member today.

We’d like to thank Spotify for being a partnering sponsor.

We are in the final stages of postproduction for The Hunchback of Notre Dame. We’re working on nailing down the original introduction from Annie Sargent, and putting the final spit and polish on the files. It should be worth the wait!

Be sure to keep your subscription current, as I’ll be sending the entire audiobook to all current supporters.

We dropped the show a day early so that you can still have a scary story to keep you company this Halloween. App users can discover The Screaming Skull, by F. Marion Crawford in their special features. Marcus Aurelius will continue in November.

And now, The Ebony Frame, by Edith Nesbit

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Can Selina Jo ever figure out a way to get out of her backwoods life? Edgar Valentine Smith, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “The Kiss”, by Anton Chekhov. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

If you have found value in the show, please consider becoming a monthly supporter. Help us to help other folks like you.

Please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter for as little as $5 a month. As a thank you gesture, we’ll send you a coupon code every month for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! Thanks for helping us out.  

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a supporter today. 

Today’s story won the O. Henry Memorial Award in 1923, but it was written by a relatively unknown writer. Edgar Valentine Smith sold two stories to Harper’s Magazine in his brief career as a writer – Prelude and ‘Lijah. Not much more is readily available about him. 

There are many things notable about today’s story. The craft of the story is very elegant. We are effortlessly drawn into the descriptions of the heroine’s early life. We sympathize with her so much, in her efforts to improve herself. Interesting how the “big break” is crafted. I hope you like it.  

Just a heads up – the “n” word is used a couple of times. 

And now, Prelude, by Edgar Valentine Smith.

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How can Jeeves help wrangle Bicky’s uncle – the hard-boiled egg? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “Ligeia”, by Edgar Allan Poe. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

If the show has helped alleviate your stress, if it’s given you comfort, or if you’ve been able to discover authors and stories you might have missed on your own, please consider becoming a monthly supporter. Help us to help other folks like you.

Please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter for as little as $5 a month. As a thank you gesture, we’ll send you a coupon code every month for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! Thanks for helping us out.  

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a supporter today. 

Today’s story is another in the series of P.G. Wodehouse short stories found in the volume My Man Jeeves. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m recording anew all the stories in this volume. Some we’ve heard before, and some we haven’t. So while today’s story showed up as a vintage episode a few weeks back, I hope you won’t mind it again, recorded 15 years later.  

And now, Jeeves and the Hard-Boiled Egg, by P.G. Wodehouse 

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Will Conan and Yasmina escape the magical machinations of the man in the green turban? Robert E. Howard, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. If you enjoy listening to The Classic Tales, please consider becoming a supporting member. It helps support the podcast, and it’s a great way to build out your library of classics. By making a monthly donation of just $5, you’ll receive a corresponding thank-you code for $8 off any digital audiobook download. You win, and we get to keep going strong. Go now to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a member today.

There are many other ways you can also support the podcast, through purchasing our app, merchandise, or telling your friends about us. Links can be found in the notes to today’s episode.

If you have the Classic Tales App, check your special features for more Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. That’s still a thing.

You and also rate and review us at Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

And thank you, Spotify, for featuring us again on your curated Mind Massage playlist.

Hunchback is coming along nicely, and I recorded another episode today. Wow, that is an amazing story. I have 6 hours left. I’d like to get it done by the end of September. So, please make sure your supporter status is up to date, so you don’t miss out on this amazing story.

As with other titles we’ve done in the past, today we’re going to run into some things that are problematic. We haven’t run into this much misogyny before, but I simply can’t let this go without calling it out. There is a part in the story where Conan is way out of line, and decides to give himself liberties without Yasmina’s consent. I don’t want to get all preachy, but parents, this is a good chance to pause the story and talk to your kids, maybe.

And now, The People of the Black Circle, Part 2 of 4, by Robert E. Howard.

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A last-minute shopping excursion leads to a Christmas miracle in the country. Lucy Maud Montgomery, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episodes are back. Check us out on Tuesday for The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, by Arthur Conan Doyle.

The Vintage Episodes will not stream through YouTube, so if you don’t want to miss anything, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Please become a monthly supporter, and help to keep this good thing going: 

Please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter for as little as $5 a month. As a thank you gesture, we’ll send you a coupon code every month for at least $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! It’s a great way to help us keep treating these amazing stories with the care they deserve. 

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And now, Christmas at Red Butte, by Lucy Maud Montgomery. 

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A Medusa, a secret meeting, and a murder – can Petrie and Smith decipher these clues before it’s too late? Sax Rohmer, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

This year, we’ve had the entire novel of “The Inimitable Jeeves”, a collection of scary stories, and now we’re winding up “The Hand of Fu-Manchu”. The choice of stories is actually quite a complex kind of art. There are many people who do similar things now, who simply look for the most downloaded public domain books, or similar lists. But I’ve actually read these books. I love them, if you couldn’t already tell. They mean so much to me, and I love to share them with you.

These titles may not all be at the top of the highbrow book lists. But I believe they all have something to offer. They all mark a point where we once were as a culture. And as history repeats itself, as it invariably does, I find it poignant to revisit the tales written from ages past to instruct those struggling with the same struggles.

If you have enjoyed The Classic Tales over the years, if you feel that this is a good service, if they have made you think about things you otherwise maybe wouldn’t have, please go to classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a supporting member. With the burning of the Notre Dame cathedral, I’d really like to finish up The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Please become a supporting member, and help us to start up the Enchiridion again.

Again, the website is classictalesaudiobooks, all one word, dot com.

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius continue in the special features of this week’s episode in the Classic Tales App. In the app, tap on the box with a bow on the left when you play the episode. That’s the special features area. It’s like a present!

Today we continue our series of The Hand of Fu-Manchu, by Sax Rohmer.

As with last week, and during the run of this series, as you run into objectionable stuff today, feel free to talk about it with your friends. Point out the problems with your kids. Racism thrives in the darkness. Let’s clean this out of our culture through honest and informed discussion.

And now, The Hand of Fu-Manchu, part 7 of 8, by Sax Rohmer.

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Why is Aksionov’s wife so worried that if he goes to the fair, that she’ll never see him again? Leo Tolstoy, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. We couldn’t do this without you. We really try make your support worth your while. For a five-dollar monthly donation, you get a monthly code for $8 off any audiobook download. Give more, and you get more! It really helps us out, and gives us a revenue stream we can count on in this crazy time. And you help to keep the podcast going strong, so that more folks like you can discover the classics in a curated and easily accessible format. Go to classictalesaudiobooks.com today, and become a financial supporter. Thank you so much.

App users can hear the poem “The World is Too Much With Us”, by William Wordsworth in the special features for today’s episode.

Today’s story, to me, is a great example of the kind of gap that can sometimes occur between the type of Faith that we may read in our holy works, versus what we actually encounter in reality.

In my faith growing up, we had a set of basically steps we would go through when we had wronged someone else (made a mistake, needed to repent), whatever your phrasing called it.

When we had wronged someone, we were supposed to 1) admit or confess the thing that we did to the person. 2) ask for forgiveness. 3) do all that we could to repair the wrong. 4) never do it again. On the other side, as the person wronged, you were always taught to forgive. (How often should we forgive? Jesus said 70 times 7, right?)

Now that sounds like a great system, and it surely makes for a snappy talk or lesson on Sunday, but what happens when it plays out in reality? Some things can’t be repaired like a broken toy, or returned good as new, like item stolen from the convenience store. When we start to deal with other people, we can hurt each other in ways that can’t easily be repaired. Sometimes, even though we may not want to, we may do the same thing again and again.

Tolstoy was a man of faith, and in today’s story, he demonstrates this gap between precept and personal reality, and leads us to a higher conversation of what it means to live as a person of faith.

And now, God Sees the Truth, but Waits, by Leo Tolstoy.

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Where do the robbers, lovers, frauds, and secretaries all wind up? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Many, many thanks to all of our listeners and supporting members who help to keep us going. At this time of quarantine and adjustment, their help is particularly helpful.

I hope everyone is keeping safe and well in this crazy time. I also hope you’re taking advantage of the titles available for free during the pandemic. Please visit classictalesaudiobooks.com and go to the home from school – free category to download a selection of titles for all ages, including adventure, mysteries, classic romance, and fantasy. I’ll likely be adjusting the name of the category soon to Pandemic Titles, since the pandemic is still going strong, but we are winding down the school year.

With that being said, feel free to pick up the free audiobooks even if you are not in school, have no kids, or just need something to help you get through the day. If listening to a solid story can help you out, please be our guest.

Thanks again to our financial contributors. It is the monthly and bulk subscriptions that are largely keeping us afloat right now, as we are giving a lot of stuff away. Thank you for helping us to stay strong, and hopefully help to lighten the load of those who are hit particularly hard right now. Every donation helps.

You can find the free audiobooks here:

https://tinyurl.com/wfrphaw

I’m so excited that The Hunchback of Notre Dame has been named as a finalist for the Independent Audiobook Awards. These awards are about the highest achievement for an Indie audiobook publisher like myself. I’m very thrilled to be a finalist.

We’d like to thank Spotify for being a partnering sponsor.

As I mentioned last week, The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius is on hold right now. It was a great adventure, but we’re moving on, and we’ll now be featuring a classic poem in the special features in the Classic Tales App. We’re starting with ballads, which are basically anonymous storytelling songs. So again, I need to correct myself for saying that last week’s poem was written by Sir Patrick Spens. Nope. Wrong. Sir Patrick Spens is the name of this week’s poem, about a ship that wrecks at sea. Both last week’s and this week’s poems are anonymous.

And now, Leave it to Psmith, part 10 of 10, by P.G. Wodehouse.

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Can Venters publicly call out Tull’s crimes without a serious backlash? Zane Grey, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

We are proudly supported by our listeners. We couldn’t do this without you. Your monthly donation helps in so many ways, and it also gives you access to more classic titles. 

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. A $5 dollar monthly donation gets you an $8 monthly coupon code for any audiobook order. Thank you so much. 

The Arsène Lupin Podcast is happening!  Be sure to subscribe to our gentleman burglar’s own show. And tell your friends! Links can be found in the show notes.

It looks like it’s time to talk about the elephant in the room: The Mormonism in this story. 

First of all, I’ve got to say that Mormon people are some of the best people I’ve known. My parents, friends, colleagues, neighbors - I have a Mormon background. Most of the people I know locally are Mormon. And they’re wonderful – I love them dearly! Mormons, or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are great. They’re my folks. The fact that I’m producing this book now isn’t any reflection on them. 

The thing that’s so nefarious about this book is its villain. It’s not a person – it’s systemic religious extortion used to build wealthy empires, while neglecting the poor and needy. That’s what it’s all about – when the institutions we trust to take care of us that actually take way more than they give. Now, is this a uniquely Mormon/LDS problem? No! But it happened then, and it’s happening now. Don’t believe me? Check out 60 Minutes on CBS last week. This religious empire building they talk of in the book is still happening today. 

And so, like other topics that we’ve discussed over the years - racism, classism, poverty, - things that these classic authors wrote about over 100 years ago that were a problem then and are still a problem now, I’m afraid religious-oriented extortion is among them. I wish it wasn’t but here we are. 

Let’s see if we can do better.

And now, Riders of the Purple Sage, part 7 of 12, by Zane Grey

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The mystery of the cursed room is solved, and all is revealed. Anonymous, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episodes of The Classic Tales Podcast are in full swing – every Monday and Wednesday. Monday we’ll have The Tell-Tale Heart, by Edgar Allan Poe, and on Wednesday, The Mortal Immortal, by Mary Shelley. It actually takes quite a bit more work to release three episodes a week instead of one, so if you’d like more Vintage Episodes, please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a supporter. And thanks for your support! 

This week concludes our story by Anonymous of The Closed Cabinet, jointly narrated with Nancy Peterson. 

Evie’s cousins live on an ancient estate with a cursed history. Featured in this history is a room with a closed cabinet, where tradition has it that if a single woman sleeps in the room, she will die. On her third night in the room, Evie has an extremely realistic dream, where she lived through the terrifying moment of a wronged woman taking revenge against her abusive husband. She awakes with a cut on her hand from a dagger she retrieved from the closed cabinet – which was open in her dream. 

I know that the writing of this story isn’t as fast paced as some of our other offerings, but I am so impressed with the level of craft in the book. Evie is initially extremely naïve and innocent, and Alan is aloof to the point of boorishness. But Evie and Alan gently move from opposite sides of the “worldly experience” spectrum, until they meet at just the right place. 

And once again, a huge thank you to Nancy Peterson for her stunning narration. Do yourself a favor, and check out her recordings of the Anne of Green Gables series. Links are in the show notes.

And now, The Closed Cabinet, Part 3 of 3, by Anonymous. Narrated with Nancy Peterson. 

Follow these links to see Nancy Peterson’s TikTok channel and Anne of Green Gables series: 

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What will Lassiter do when Jane Withersteen’s true intentions are revealed? Zane Grey, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

We are proudly supported by our listeners. We couldn’t do this without you. Your monthly donation helps in so many ways, and it also gives you access to more classic titles. 

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. Thank you so much. 

The Arsène Lupin Podcast hit the #49 spot on the Canadian Fiction Podcast charts last week. Be sure to subscribe to our gentleman burglar’s own show. And tell your friends! 

If you’d like to listen and review the amazing audiobook Cuban Son Rising, by Charles Gomez, please reach out to mail@classictalesaudiobooks.com. I’ll send you a free copy. Thanks for your help! 

This week we continue our series of Riders of the Purple Sage, by Zane Grey. Last week Venters and Bess found a secret place where they could hide and heal. Today we’ll pick up right where we left off there. 

And now, Riders of the Purple Sage, part 5 of 12, by Zane Grey

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The bloody-minded Montresor leads the pompous Fortunato deep into the wine vaults and catacombs, crowning in a climax that is delightfully sinister. Edgar Allan Poe, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

This is our first Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. We’ll be releasing two Vintage Episodes each week, so be sure to check your feed regularly. New episodes will be available every Friday. 

We’ve got a special treat for you. Head on over to Nancy Peterson’s TikTok channel @nancy_peterson_narrates, and you can see her recording an episode or two of The Classic Tales Podcast LIVE. In October, she and I will be doing a duet narration of The Closed Cabinet. You can watch her record her portion live on her TikTok channel, and even chime in! Nancy is an Audie Award-Winning narrator, a world class individual, and great friend. Check out her TikTok channel, and you’ll have a ball. A link is in the show description.

This episode of The Classic Tales Podcast was originally released on June 22, 2007, along with The Speckled Band, by Arthur Conan Doyle, and Part One of Barbara of the House of Grebe, by Thomas Hardy. 

The recording of Basil Rathbone recording The Cask of Amontillado changed my life. It really did. Up until that time, I couldn’t understand the heavier language of the classics. I never really understood Poe until I had an actor help me with it. But when I heard this recording, the world opened up for me. I listened to it over and over again, until I practically memorized it. Then I discovered other audiobooks, and learned how to really read. I could understand these amazing stories that were up until that time, hidden from me. I can’t emphasize how deeply this impacted my life. We named our first-born son Basil. 

So, after I listened to a few hundreds of audiobooks over a dozen years or so, I heard about podcasting, and I had an idea for one. The Cask of Amontillado had to be the first episode. I cobbled together an old computer, borrowed some recording equipment, and threw three episodes together. 

Now, 17 years later, I record audiobooks as my full-time job. 

Let’s start the journey again. 

And now, The Cask of Amontillado, by Edgar Allan Poe. 

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When Mike comes gallantly to the rescue of old Mr. Waller, can Psmith save him when things get sticky? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. We couldn’t do this without you. With the pandemic still pounding at the door, we need your help more than ever. And in case you’ve forgotten: a $5 donation gets you an $8 coupon code for any audiobook at the store. Thank you so much for stepping up, and helping to keep us going strong.

And feel free to check out our FREE category, at www.classictalesaudiobooks.com featuring several longer titles to help you to cope with pandemic fatigue.

And on that point, you can now get masks printed with artwork from your favorite Classic Tales titles, if that’s your idea of a good time. Links can be found at our website: www.classictalesaudiobooks.com.  

App users who absolutely need to get their Halloween monster fix, can hear “The Masque of the Red Death”, by Edgar Allan Poe in the Special Features area for this week’s episode. Tap the box that looks like a present.

And now, Psmith in the City, Part 5 of 6 by P.G. Wodehouse.

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A murder in Darbyshire demands that Poirot investigate. But how can the great detective do his deducing when he’s laid up with the flu?  Agatha Christie, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

We are proudly supported by our listeners. Please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a monthly coupon code for $8 off any audiobook order. Your support helps us to continue making amazing audiobooks and other tools to help improve literacy.

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. Thank you so much.

And if you’re not up for becoming a supporting member, please subscribe to our YouTube channel, or give us a review on Apple Podcasts. Every bit helps!

If you’ve been thinking of starting up your own podcast, go to Libsyn.com, and put in my promo code: SHERLOCK. You’ll get up to two months of free podcasting service. I’ve been with Libsyn for years, and I couldn’t be happier with them. So, if you’re thinking of starting your own show, go to LIBSYN dot com, and use my promo code: SHERLOCK. They’ll set you up to succeed.

And now, to continue our investigations with Hercule Poirot and Agatha Christie.

App users can follow along with the attached PDF.

And now, The Adventure of Hunter’s Lodge, by Agatha Christie.

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Jabez Wilson is exorbitantly paid to copy the Encyclopedia Britannica at a certain time and place every day. Is he right to be suspicious? Arthur Conan Doyle, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Two Vintage Episodes are released each week, so be sure to check your feed regularly. New episodes will be available every Friday. Please help us to keep the Vintage Episodes coming by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com. Become a supporter, tell your friends, order an audiobook, or send us an email. You can also give us a review on Apple Podcasts. Every little bit helps. Thank you so much. 

The Adventure of the Red-Headed League is one of 12 Sherlock Holmes stories comprising The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. It is one of the 56 short stories in the Sherlock Holmes canon. It was originally published in the Strand Magazine in August 1891. 

One thing to note – the dates in the story don’t match the characters’ descriptions of time passing. Wilson first discovers the advertisement for the League on April 27, 1890, works for 8 weeks, finishing at the end of June. However, the story begins as “one day in autumn”, and describes the league closing on October 9, 1890. 

The story is still great, but nitpickers are going to nitpick, so we thought we’d point it out. 

And now, The Adventure of the Red-Headed League, by Arthur Conan Doyle. 

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Yesterday the Prime Minster escaped an assassination attempt, and now he’s missing! Can Poirot find him? Agatha Christie, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

We are proudly supported by our listeners. Please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a monthly coupon code for $8 off any audiobook order. Your support on a monthly basis is vital to keep us going.

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. Thank you so much.

And if you’re not up for becoming a supporting member, please subscribe to our YouTube channel, or give us a review on Apple Podcasts. Every bit helps!

The five Treasure Island Audiobookmarks sets are being shipped out this week. I’m shipping out five of these to early bird purchasers of Bellarion. And if you’d like one, I’ve got 5 more that I’m selling at our website at http://classictalesaudiobooks.com. They include: a printed copy of Treasure Island signed by me, along with an Audiobookmark of Treasure Island which includes QR codes to stream the audiobook while you follow along. It’s a great gift for the holiday season!

Audiobookmarks of Treasure Island are also available, and sold separately.

And now, to continue our investigations with Hercule Poirot and Agatha Christie.

App users can follow along with the attached PDF.

And now, The Kidnapped Prime Minister, by Agatha Christie.

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What devilry lurks in the shady dive commonly known as the Joy Shop? Sax Rohmer, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. Making a monthly donation really helps us to create a support flow we can count on. If you can step up with $5/month, that really helps us out. Go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter. You’ll get a monthly ‘thank you’ code for any digital download. It’s a great deal, and a great feeling. Thank you so much.

You can also purchase t-shirts and stuff at our merchandise store, and check out the Hybrid Audiobook - the audiobook that’s embedded in a printed book that I’ve invented and patented. Links can be found in the episode’s details.

And for those of you with the Classic Tales App, check out your special features for more Meditations of Marcus Aurelius - just enough to wet your whistle. In the app, tap on the box with a bow on the left when you play the episode. That’s the special features area.

Today we continue our series of The Hand of Fu-Manchu, by Sax Rohmer. It is the third in the Fu-Manchu series, and you can pick up the first two titles at our website for under $8 each.

As with last week, and during the run of this series, as you run into objectionable stuff today, feel free to talk about it with your friends. Point out the problems with your kids. Racism and misogyny thrive in the darkness. Let’s see where we were, and clean this out of our culture through honest and informed discussion.

And now, The Hand of Fu-Manchu, part 2 of 7, by Sax Rohmer.

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Will Bertie’s incorrigible cousins forever be foisted upon him? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. Thank you so very much to all of you who have gone to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become financial supporters. There are several options to support the podcast, starting at $5 a month. Each of your offers of support comes with a monthly “thank-you” code. Use the codes for any audiobook download, and watch your library of classics bloom and grow. Everybody wins! And we get to keep the podcast going strong. Thanks again for your generous support.

We also have several other ways to support the podcast.

You can also purchase t-shirts, tote bags and other merchandise with your favorite Classic Tales covers on them at our merchandise store. 

And finally, we have the hybrid audiobook: a creation of my own invention, where an audiobook is embedded within the pages of a printed book. Links can be found in the description for this episode.

Now with The Classic Tales, you also get a thank you/coupon code as a bonus. You can go to the website and get unabridged classic audiobooks for a buck or two more. Or a few more short stories to round out your month. This is how your library can grow, basically effortlessly. It’s really a great little system that keeps us going strong.

And now, The Inimitable Jeeves, part 8 of 9, by P.G. Wodehouse

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Why would someone break into the safe of a millionaire industrialist, and leave the money? Arthur B. Reeve, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

We are proudly supported by our listeners. This is something I’ve done for fifteen years, now. We’ve been able to help many, many people discover authors and stories they never would have read, and be surprised and inspired. It’s free for you to listen to, but it does cost real money to make it happen. But instead of just asking for your financial support, we like to give back more.

If you enjoy the show, please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a monthly coupon code for $8 off any audiobook order. This is why we break down the larger titles on the website, so you can use three codes it you want to get The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s a great way to build out your classic audiobook library, and help so we can continue to provide this service.

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. Thank you so much.

If you’re looking for another great podcast, let me direct you to Great Pods. It’s like a Rotten Tomatoes directory for podcasts – they only list shows that have been professionally reviewed, and I’m glad we made their directory. Head on over to greatpods.co and find your next favorite show.

We wind up September Sleuths with an introduction to the work of Arthur B. Reeve. His sleuth is Craig Kennedy, and he’s professional scientist and amateur detective, based at Columbia University. Like Augustus van Dusen from a couple of weeks ago, Kennedy also has an enthusiastic journalist in the Watson role, and can use a wide array of state-of-the-art gadgets in his detective work.

And now, The Scientific Cracksman, by Arthur B. Reeve.

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What kind of guide can lead you to the center of the earth? Jules Verne, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “The Man Who Disliked Cats”, by P.G. Wodehouse. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

If you have found value in the show, please consider becoming a monthly supporter. Help us to help other folks like you.

Please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter today.

There are two boxed sets of the Arsène Lupin series of books. Volume One contains books 1, 2 and 3, and Volume Two contains, you guessed it, 4, 5 and 6. If you’d like a long and satisfying series of adventures, pick up a copy today. Links can be found in the show notes. 

Arsène Lupin Volume 1: https://store.classictalesaudiobooks.com/the-arsne-lupin-boxed-set-1-p364.aspx

Arsène Lupin Volume 2: https://store.classictalesaudiobooks.com/the-arsne-lupin-boxed-set-2-p365.aspx

And now, “A Journey to the Center of the Earth”, Part 2 of 9, by Jules Verne.  

Arsène Lupin Volume 1:  

Arsène Lupin Volume 2: 

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Why is Reverend Jennings so distracted when he gives his sermons? Is it just because he’s partial to green tea? Sheridan LeFanu, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, and A Horseman in the Sky”, two stories from Ambrose Bierce. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

If you enjoy the show, please become a monthly supporter, and help us continue to highlight these amazing stories. 

Please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter for as little as $5 a month. As a thank you gesture, we’ll send you a coupon code every month for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! It’s a great way to help us keep producing sparkling audiobook content. 

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a supporter today. 

I’ve been having fun designing the specials for our Kickstarter for the next Arsène Lupin book – The Golden Triangle. I have the artwork done for the pins and the cover, now it’s on to creating the boxed sets and other bonus goodies. I’ve got a lot to do, and I want to get it all ready so we can hit the ground running. Keep an ear open for when we pull the trigger!  

Today’s story is from a collection entitled: Through a Glass Darkly, by J. Sheridan Lefanu, originally published in 1872. It’s a collection of five stories that include the vampire classic Carmilla, and the mysterious The Room in the Dragon Volant.  LeFanu was one of the foremost writers of the ghost story in his time, and helped to shape what is now considered Victorian fiction. 

App users can hear The Room in the Dragon Volant in its entirety. It’s over three hours long! It’s located in the special features for today’s episode. 

And now, Green Tea, by Sheridan LeFanu.

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Why does Old Jones insist that anyone who sees The Phantom Hearse stop outside their place of an evening, will die within the week?  Mary Fortune, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. We couldn’t do this without you. We really try make your support worth your while. You get so much out of this! For a five-dollar monthly donation, you get a monthly code for $8 off any audiobook download. Give more, and you get more! It helps us have something solid to count on every month, you can build out your classic audiobook library, and you help to give more folks like you the chance to discover the classics in a curated and easily accessible format. Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com today, and become a financial supporter. You’ll be glad you did. Thank you so much.

If it’s more convenient, we are streaming our episodes through YouTube, now. A link can be found in the comments section for today’s episode.

I’ve got a few more titles I’m working from the archives! Check out our NEW PRODUCTS category to see the new stuff we’ve got coming out.

Today’s story is written by one of the pioneers of detective fiction – Mary Helena Fortune. She travelled from Canada to Australia in 1855, where for the next fifty years, she contributed to magazines and newspapers under the pseudonyms “Waif Wanderer”, “W.W.”and her own initials “M.H.F.”. She wrote in a variety of genres: poetry, serialized novels, memoirs, and even gothic romance. But most significantly, she wrote over 500 detective stories. Her collection of stories, The Detective’s Album, by W.W. was published in 1871, and was described as, “The first book of detective stories to appear in Australia”. Only one copy is known to remain in existence.

Mary Fortune helped delineate a few of the techniques significant in detective fiction. For example, the forensic manner in which the crime is treated, and delivering the story from the point of view of the detective. Today’s story also includes a supernatural element, which is also innovative, and synchronous with some Russian crime fiction.

And now, The Phantom Hearse, by Mary Fortune.

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Monte Carlo is the worst/best place to go on a bender. Until you wake up in a park and make the news the next day…. P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “Bernice Bobs Her Hair”, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

If you enjoy the show, please become a monthly supporter, and help us continue to highlight these amazing stories. 

Please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter for as little as $5 a month. As a thank you gesture, we’ll send you a coupon code every month for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! It’s a great way to help us keep producing sparkling audiobook content. 

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a supporter today. 

Today’s story is the another in a series of P.G. Wodehouse short stories found in the volume My Man Jeeves. Reggie is very similar to Bertie, but Reggie’s valet is very different, as you’ll discover. I hope you like it.  

And now, Rallying Round Old George, by P.G. Wodehouse.

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Why are Bellingham’s enemies being attacked? Could it have anything to do with a certain Egyptian mummy? Arthur Conan Doyle, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

A Vintage Episode is released every Tuesday. If you have found value in the show, please help us to help more people like you by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com, and becoming a supporter. New stories are coming your way on Friday. 

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, by B. Traven is recorded, and is now in post-production. This character driven tale of greed is the inspiration of the classic film, directed by John Huston, starring Humphrey Bogart. If you’re a fan of the film, you’ve got to pick up the audiobook. 

We are extending our preorder discount for another week! Preorder the audiobook and save four dollars. A link can be found in the show notes, or you can go to classictalesaudiobooks.com and click the appropriate button. 

https://store.classictalesaudiobooks.com/the-treasure-of-the-sierra-madre-by-b-traven-p369.aspx

And now, Lot No. 249, by Arthur Conan Doyle.

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Top secret plans have been stolen, and a man lies dead in the Underground. Can Sherlock Holmes stave off an international incident? Arthur Conan Doyle, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

We are proudly supported by our listeners. Many, many thanks to our financial supporters who pitch in every month to help us keep a-going. If you enjoy the show, please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a monthly coupon code for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! It’s a great way to build out your classic audiobook library, and get smarter!

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. Thank you so much.

Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.

And check us out on YouTube, if that’s your idea of a good time.

If you’re interested in learning more about the craft of audiobook narration, I’m updating my blog to reflect the various training and coaching I’m doing. In the last week, I’ve had some training from Christina Rooney from Penguin Random House, PJ Ochlan from Lepton Productions, and Almeda Beynon from Harper Audio. It’s been a big week. You can read about it at classictalesaudiobooks.com/blog and bjharrisonnarrator.com/blog.

It's time once again for September Sleuths. We’ll be highlighting detective stories in September, and who better to start with than Sherlock Holmes?

Today’s story also features Sherlock’s brother, Mycroft. He is described as more of a corpulent, Orson Wellesian kind of character, and I tried to have his voice sound as such. So, if you’re expecting a trim Mark Gatiss, well, you’ll see.

And now, The Bruce-Partington Plans, by Arthur Conan Doyle.

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All is revealed. Buckle up. Dorothy Sayers, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “The Man Who Would Be King”, by Rudyard Kipling. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

If you’ve enjoyed the show, please become a monthly supporter, and help us keep doing what we do. 

Please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter for as little as $5 a month. As a thank you gesture, we’ll send you a coupon code every month for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! It’s a great way to help us keep producing amazing audiobook content. 

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a supporter today. 

Mark your calendars for The Classic Tales Book Club! Our first meeting will be at 4:00 Pacific time, 7:00 Eastern time on March 13^th. We’ll talk over Zoom about the podcast, and what genre you’d like to hear more often. See you then! 

I’m pivoting a bit on the Kickstarter for Bleak House. I just think it’s too long for our first Kickstarter. So, I’m thinking of the next in the Arsène Lupin series – The Golden Triangle. I’ll be making a custom enamel pin only available for supporters of the Kickstarter, among other fun deals. More details coming soon! 

And now, Clouds of Witness, Part 9 of 9, by Dorothy Sayers.

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Winnie-the-Pooh has eaten so much honey that he can’t fit through Rabbit’s front door. How will he ever get home?  A.A. Milne, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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We are proudly supported by our listeners. Many, many thanks to our financial supporters who pitch in every month to keep us afloat. If you enjoy the show, please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a coupon code every month as a thank you. Everybody wins! Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today.

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Winnie-the-Pooh has just entered the public domain in America, so I thought I’d take a whack at it. We also have some more Jeeves stories coming your way, as well as some other surprises this year.

As for now, let’s take a walk in the Hundred Acre Wood.

And now, Winnie-the-Pooh, Part 1 of 4, by A. A. Milne.

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What does Eve Halliday find when she ransacks Psmith’s secret hideaway? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Many, many thanks to all of our listeners and supporting members who help to keep us going.

I’m sorry about the snafu with last week’s episode. I checked the wrong box, and instead of the episode dropping Friday morning, it was available for a few hours on Thursday, then fell off the feed. Brilliant. Sorry about that. We’re only in season 14. You think I’d know better.

I hope everyone is keeping safe and well in this crazy time. I also hope you’re taking advantage of the titles available for free during the pandemic. Please visit www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and go to the home from school – free category to download a selection of titles geared for grades K-12. I’ll be adding more titles soon. You can find a link to the free material in the description for today’s episode.

I have also added three new titles now available for free – Captain Blood, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and A Room With A View . Feel free to snap up these titles for free, and hopefully they can help keep your wits sharp at this trying time.

Thanks again to our financial contributors. It is the monthly subscriptions that are largely keeping us afloat right now, as we are giving a lot of stuff away. Thank you for helping us to stay strong, and hopefully help to lighten the load of those who are hit particularly hard right now. Every donation helps.

You can find the free audiobooks here:

https://tinyurl.com/wfrphaw

I’m so excited that The Hunchback of Notre Dame has been named as a finalist for the Independent Audiobook Awards. These awards are about the highest achievement for an Indie audiobook publisher like myself. I’m very thrilled to be a finalist.

We’d like to thank Spotify for being a partnering sponsor.

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius is taking longer than I expected. I’ve already done over 50 episodes, and I’m only about halfway through. So, we’re shelving that project. The special features of the app will now include a famous poem. I’ll go through my classic poetry books, and read a short poem for the special features. This week is Lord Randal, by Sir Patrick Spens. Bob Dylan fans may find it interesting as the structure is similar to “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”.

And now, Leave it to Psmith, part 9 of 10, by P.G. Wodehouse.

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When all of it comes out, who is, in fact, engaged to Ernest? Oscar Wilde, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. If you’ve enjoyed The Classic Tales over the years, please consider becoming a supporting member. Making a monthly donation really helps us to create a support flow we can count on. If you can step up with just $5/month, that really helps us keep moving forward. Go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter. You’ll get a monthly code good toward any digital audiobook download, as a ‘thank you’ gift. It’s a great deal, and a great feeling. Thank you so much. 

And for those of you with the Classic Tales App, check out your special features for more Meditations of Marcus Aurelius - just enough to wet your whistle. In the app, tap on the box with a bow on the left when you play the episode. That’s the special features area.

If you’re a regular listener of The Classic Tales Podcast, perhaps you've heard me read a passage that really stands out to you. One of the limitations of podcasts as a format is that there has not been a great way to save those brief moments for yourself or share them with other people in your life that would enjoy them.

Beta testing for the Airr app is going well, and there’s a new update for it which smoothes things along nicely. It’s a handy tool to share Oscar Wilde’s pithier moments with your friends on social media. Share your AirrQuote with me on my twitter feed, @bjharrisonaudio, and I might give you a shout out and feature you on the podcast! How many have done it yet? Nobody. So the odds are in your favor! You can find a link to the Airr app in the show notes for this episode.

Also, be sure to check us out on Spotify! They are beginning to feature us here and there, and we appreciate it.

Okay, so now we are back to episode 2 of The Importance of Being Earnest. Here’s the story so far:

Jack Worthing is known as Jack in the country, and Ernest in town. He has invented a reprobate brother whom he’s given the name of Ernest. His best friend, Algernon, likewise has an imagined acquaintance named Bunbury, whom he visits when he wants to escape the tedium of town.

Jack is in love with Gwendolyn, Angernon’s cousin. But Gwendolyn’s mother, Lady Bracknell, is not to be overlooked. After giving Jack the third degree, it is discovered that Jack doesn’t know who his parents are, and that he was discovered as an infant in a handbag in a railway station. After recommending that Jack acquire some parents post haste, Lack Bracknell has left Jack standing dumbfounded, while Algernon plays the piano in the adjoining room.

Meanwhile, Algernon goes to Jack’s country house masquerading as Jack’s profligate brother Ernest. Introducing himself as such, he woos and is quickly engaged to young Cecily, Jack’s ward.

When Jack arrives, he demands that Algernon leave, and he feigns to do so. In the mean time, Gwendolyn has traveled to Jack’s house in the country, and meets Jack’s ward, Cecily. Again, Cecily is engaged to Algernon, who introduced himself as Ernest. And Gwendolyn is still persuaded that Jack’s name is Ernest, as she only knows him when he is in London.

And now, The Importance of Being Earnest, Part 3 of 4, by Oscar Wilde.

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Frederick discovers that he truly is a slave of duty when a certain paradox turns his world upside down. W.S. Gilbert, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

We are proudly supported by our listeners. Many, many thanks to our financial supporters who pitch in every month to help us keep a-going. If you enjoy the show, please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a monthly coupon code for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. Thank you so much.

And please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.

And if you prefer listening on YouTube, our channel is now up to date.

I hope you enjoyed the healthy sampling of The Man in the Brown Suit, by Agatha Christie. I was so honored that Nancy asked me to be a part of it. You can also use your coupon code, and purchase it at our website here: https://store.classictalesaudiobooks.com/the-man-in-the-brown-suit-p335.aspx

And if you’re looking for plays that have also received the audiobook treatment, I’ve created a new category on the website: Play Adaptations. If you have a play you’d like me to adapt, or other title suggestions, feel free to send me an email through our website at https://classictalesaudiobooks.com.

And now, The Pirates of Penzance, Part 2 of 2, by W.S. Gilbert.

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How can Lemuel Gulliver escape from the Lilliputians? They’re only six inches tall – should be a cinch, right? Jonathan Swift, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “The Yellow Wallpaper”, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

If you enjoy the show, please become a monthly supporter, and help us continue to highlight these amazing stories. 

Please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter for as little as $5 a month. As a thank you gesture, we’ll send you a coupon code every month for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! It’s a great way to help us keep producing sparkling audiobook content. 

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a supporter today. 

I’ve been having fun designing the specials for our Kickstarter for the next Arsène Lupin book – The Golden Triangle. Things are moving along nicely. Keep an ear open for when we pull the trigger, hopefully in a couple of weeks!  

And it’s time for the Classic Tales Book Club to meet again! Keep an eye on your inboxes on Tuesday for our monthly newsletter which will contain the zoom link. Our zoom meeting will be on Wednesday, April 10^th at 4:00 PM Pacific time, 7:00 PM Eastern. We’ll talk about the satirical nature of Gulliver’s Travels, and the power of satire. See you then! Follow the link in the show notes to subscribe to our newsletter, and get the zoom link on Tuesday.

Mark Twain is quoted as saying that, “a classic is a book which people praise and don’t read”. Gulliver’s Travels likely fits into this category for a lot of us. We’ve seen the Max Fleisher cartoon, or the Ray Harryhausen film in the 70s, or the film with Jack Black in 2010. But we’ve probably never read it. Or we tried, and gave it up. So, what is the lasting appeal of this difficult book?

Gulliver’s Travels was originally published in 1727. Swift’s novel is a satire of British monarchy and Imperialism. He succeeds in taking the mundane, or something we largely take for granted, and pushing it to the extreme to show its absurdity. This goes for everything from governments to our own physical bodies. And yeah, nothing is safe, so get ready for some bodily functions we’d rather not talk about to come front and center.  

Gulliver records his travels to several different lands of adventure. Instead of going through the entire book now, we’ll tackle them one voyage at a time. Then we’ll take a breather. This first stint will be the first part of the book – A Voyage to Lilliput in three parts. Gulliver travels to the land of Lilliput, as well as a land of giants, and also visits the dystopian world of the Houyhnhnms (hoo-IH-nims), among others. I hope you like it.

And now, A Voyage to Lilliput, part 1 of 3, from Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift.

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When poor Mally’s curse on the thieving farm boy suddenly comes to pass, will she be proclaimed a murderess? Anthony Trollope, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

We are proudly supported by our listeners. Many, many thanks to our financial supporters who pitch in every month to help us keep the lights on. If you enjoy the show, please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a coupon code every month as a thank you. Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today.

Anthony Trollope was a British writer of the Victorian period. He was very prolific, writing 47 novels, 42 short stories and five travel books. He is primarily known for his “Barsetshire” series of novels, including the books “The Warden” and “Barchester Towers”. It is held that his satiric novel, “The Way We Live Now” is his masterpiece.

Today’s story, Malachi’s Cove takes place in Cornwall, and is based around a spot of beach that is an actual place. I can just see the author discover this interesting Cornish cove, and begin to erect the scaffoldings of a story around it.

And now, Malachi’s Cove, by Anthony Trollope.  

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Bertie has the fabulous idea of adopting a young child, and it’s up to Jeeves to help him change his mind. P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

We are proudly supported by our listeners. Many, many thanks to our financial supporters who pitch in every month to help us keep the lights on. If you enjoy the show, please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a coupon code every month as a thank you. Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today.

The Crystal Stopper, the fifth installment in the Arsène Lupin series, is now available at http://classictalesaudiobooks.com. I’ve also uploaded around a dozen short stories from the archives that are now available. Works by Guy de Maupassant, Mary Fortune, Sax Rohmer and Arthur Conan Doyle are ready when you are. You can find the new titles in the “new” category in the store.

I intend to chip away at the archived episodes throughout the year. Hopefully we’ll be all caught up by the end of December.

And now, Carry On, Jeeves, Part 9 of 10, by P.G. Wodehouse.

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Why exactly does Antony Ferrara keep ancient brain-eating beetles? Sax Rohmer, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. We couldn’t do this without you, and we really appreciate your support. We’ve set it up so that for a five-dollar monthly donation, you get a monthly code for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! This way you can easily build out your classic audiobook library, and you help to give more folks like you the chance to discover the classics in a curated and easily accessible format. Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com today, and become a financial supporter. You’ll be glad you did. Thank you so much.

And if you can’t support us financially right now, please rate and review us, so more folks can find us.

Go now to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today.

813, the fourth novel in the Arsène Lupin series is also now available! Head on over to classictalesaudiobooks.com and pick up this fantastic adventure! And if you’d like to save 2 dollars when you get 813, simply enter the coupon code: podcast. No subscription, no additional purchase necessary, just enter the word podcast, and save 2 bucks. Thank you for your support!

And now, The Knight of the Necropolis, Part 2 of 8, by Sax Rohmer.

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Can a movie be better than the story it’s based on? Let’s take a journey from short story to Academy Award Nominated film, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “The Bottle Imp”, by Robert Louis Stevenson. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

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Classic Tales for Children: Volume 1 is now available. It includes the new recording of Pollyanna, bundled together with Winnie-the-Pooh, The Wind in the Willows, and Alice in Wonderland. I thought of titles that would really go well together, so I pulled out all the stops. This anthology is perfect to listen to again and again. You can pick it up at classictalesaudiobooks.com by following the link in the show notes. 

https://store.classictalesaudiobooks.com/classic-tales-for-children-volume-1-p366.aspx

Ok, off the top of your head, what movies are better than the books they are based on? Whenever I consider this, I tend to come back to The Wizard of Oz and Ben-Hur. I think in these two instances especially, they expanded on the original material beautifully, to fit the medium of film. It’s a transformative process, to move from story told only in print, to a story told by actors, artists, costumers, directors, set designers, stunt people, special effects artists, and all the other hundreds of people it takes to make a motion picture. I recently discovered I’m going to have to add the film Meet John Doe to my list. 

Meet John Doe is a film released in 1941, directed by Frank Capra. It stars Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyk and Edward Arnold. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Story, and it was ranked No. 49 in the American Film Institutes 100 years, 100 cheers list. It entered the public domain in 1969, and you can watch it for free many places on the internet, also on Amazon Prime.

The film is based on the story “A Reputation”, by Richard Connell. Connell also wrote “A Friend of Napoleon” that we’ve heard recently, and is most famous for his short story, “The Most Dangerous Game”. 

So first, let’s hear the story “A Reputation”, and then look at what elements were modified and expanded on to create the acclaimed motion picture, Meet John Doe. Just a heads up – this story deals with suicide.

And now, “A Reputation”, by Richard Connell.

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After abandoning a life of dissipation, the baron settles down - but this version of simple domesticity isn’t what he had in mind. Charles Dickens, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

Two Vintage Episodes are released each week, on Mondays and Wednesdays, so be sure to check your feed regularly. New episodes will be available every Friday. Please help us to keep the Vintage Episodes coming by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com, and becoming a supporter. Thank you so much. 

Dickens’ first serialized novel, The Pickwick Papers, used a significant amount of peripheral short fiction to bulk up the length of the story, or as Dickens said, “make length”. In Nicholas Nickleby, he did it again, inserting a short story in his serialized title. The Baron of Grogswig can be found in Chapter 6. 

Considered a “satire of a Gothic tale”, hopefully the charm of Dickens is still shining strong. 

And now, The Baron of Grogzwig, by Charles Dickens. 

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How will Click and Irish survive being marooned on a pirate’s asteroid with only a single gun and a news reel camera to defend themselves?  Ray Bradbury, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. We couldn’t do this without you. We really try make your support worth your while. You get so much out of this! For a five-dollar monthly donation, you get a monthly code for $8 off any audiobook download. Give more, and you get more! It helps us have something solid to count on every month, you can build out your classic audiobook library, and you help to give more folks like you the chance to discover the classics in a curated and easily accessible format. Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com today, and become a financial supporter. You’ll be glad you did. Thank you so much.

If it’s more convenient, we are streaming our episodes through YouTube, now. A link can be found in the comments section for today’s episode.

I’ve got a few more titles I’m working from the archives! Check out our NEW PRODUCTS category to see the new stuff we’ve got coming out.

Today’s story originally released in the Spring issue of Planet Stories in 1944.

Ray Bradbury was one of the best-known writers of our time. He was a master storyteller, a champion of creative freedom, and a space-age visionary. He was a close friend with Ray Harryhausen, the stop motion special effects pioneer. Bradbury’s most noteworthy works include The Martian Chronicles, Farenheit 451, and Something Wicked This Way Comes.

And now, The Monster Maker, by Ray Bradbury.

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Betrayed and humiliated, how will Scaramouche find justice and vengeance? Raphael Sabatini, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. With us giving away so much free material during this time of the pandemic, we need your help more than ever. Thank you so much for stepping up, and helping to keep us going strong.

In case you haven’t already, feel free to take advantage of our free titles. We have a few short stories and a few full length novels available free for your enjoyment.

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Thank you to Annie, from the Join us in France Podcast, who helped with the pronunciations of the French names and phrases for this week’s episode. If you’re interested in France at all, you should check out her show. It’s fantastic.

App users can hear “Death Be Not Proud”, properly known as "Holy Sonnet X", in the special features area of their app.

So here’s the story so far:

Andre-Louis is on the run from the law, who plan to take him to task for inciting rebellion. He runs across some travelling players, and becomes a cracking success as an actor and author. But now it appears that his fiancé has a rather overly ardent admirer in none other than the Marquis de la Tour d’Azyr – his most hated enemy. And on top of that, Aline, Andre-Louis’ closest friend and confidant, is to marry de la Tour d’Azyr. But Aline knows of the tawdry affair between her lover and Andre-Louis’ fiancé, and she’s not happy about it.

And now, Scaramouche, Part 7 of 12, by Raphael Sabatini

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Jane Withersteen has a reputation for befriending the homeless outcast. So why are the town elders fuming mad? Zane Grey, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

We are proudly supported by our listeners. 

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. Thank you so much. 

The Arsène Lupin Podcast is coming out next week. Wednesdays are about to get even better. Keep an ear open for our new show! 

And now for something completely different. 

This week we’re beginning a 12-part series of the Zane Grey classic: Riders of the Purple Sage. 

Riders of the Purple Sage is consistently short-listed as one of the best westerns of all time. Zane Grey was instrumental in defining the western novel, and Purple Sage was his best-selling book. Multiple films, operas, and TV adaptations have all been made of Jane Withersteen’s courageous story. Grey also wrote a sequel to it: The Rainbow Trail. I hope you like it!

And now, Riders of the Purple Sage, part 1 of 12, by Zane Gre

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Why does a woman demand that a surgeon amputate part of her finger? Jacques Futrelle, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

We are proudly supported by our listeners. This is something I’ve done for fifteen years, now. We’ve been able to help many, many people discover authors and stories they never would have read, and be surprised and inspired. It’s free for you to listen to, but it does cost real money to make it happen. But instead of just asking for your financial support, we like to give back more.

If you enjoy the show, please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a monthly coupon code for $8 off any audiobook order. This is why we break down the larger titles on the website, so you can use three codes it you want to get The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s a great way to build out your classic audiobook library, and help so we can continue to provide this service.

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. Thank you so much.

Today we continue with September Sleuths with a story by Jacques Futrelle, who created a sleuth named Professor Augustus S.F.X. Van Dusen, but known as The Thinking Machine. He’s American, and has many similarities with Sherlock Holmes. He isn’t a policeman, but he works with them on occasion, he’s happy to be “hands on”, and he summarizes his deductions once the case is solved.

Jacques Futrelle wrote over 40 short stories featuring The Thinking Machine. He died aboard the Titanic, after forcing his wife into a lifeboat.

And now, The Superfluous Finger, by Jacques Futrelle.

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Who will solve the case of an attempted burglary that led to murder? Is an ambitious young student really the best option? Maurice Leblanc, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. We couldn’t do this without you. We really try make your support worth your while. You get so much out of this! For a five-dollar monthly donation, you get a monthly code for $8 off any audiobook download. Give more, and you get more! It kind of cracks open the website for you, so you can easily build out your classic audiobook library, and you help to give more folks like you the chance to discover the classics in a curated and easily accessible format. Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com today, and become a financial supporter. You’ll be glad you did. Thank you so much.

If it’s more convenient, we are streaming our episodes through YouTube, now. A link can be found in the comments section for today’s episode.

For those of you who enjoy the personal moments, I’ve decided to begin to release those stories as a special feature you can access in the app. That way they don’t get in the way here, but for those who enjoy them, they are still available through the app.

The Hollow Needle is the third in the Arsene Lupin series. The story spans an entire novel, so put on your black gloves and your black turtleneck, and let’s get our caper on!

And now, The Hollow Needle, Part 1 of 7, by Maurice Leblanc

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While hiding in an apple barrel, Jim discovers a horrible treachery afoot. Robert Louis Stevenson, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

We are proudly supported by our listeners. Many, many thanks to our financial supporters who pitch in every month to help us keep a-going. If you enjoy the show, please sign up to be a supporter for as little as $5 a month. We’ll give you a monthly coupon code for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. Thank you so much.

And please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.

Last week, we set sail to Treasure Island. Using Billy Bones’ map, and a crew largely hand-picked by Long John Silver, Jim Hawkins, Dr. Livesey, Squire Trelawney, Captain Smollett and a handful of trustworthy men headed Silver’s crew of miscreants. But late one night, as Jim was asleep inside an apple barrel, he was suddenly jostled awake, and heard something that chilled him to the bone.

And now, Treasure Island, Part 3 of 7, by Robert Louis Stevenson.

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Diving down a volcano can be dark and quiet. Sometimes, too quiet. Jules Verne, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “The Three Apples” from The Arabian Nights. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

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There are two boxed sets of the Arsène Lupin series of books. Volume One contains books 1, 2 and 3, and Volume Two contains, you guessed it, 4, 5 and 6. If you’d like a long and satisfying series of adventures, pick up a copy today. Links can be found in the show notes. 

Arsène Lupin Volume 1: https://store.classictalesaudiobooks.com/the-arsne-lupin-boxed-set-1-p364.aspx

Arsène Lupin Volume 2: https://store.classictalesaudiobooks.com/the-arsne-lupin-boxed-set-2-p365.aspx

And now, “A Journey to the Center of the Earth”, Part 2 of 9, by Jules Verne.  

Arsène Lupin Volume 1: 

Arsène Lupin Volume 2: 

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Is an anatomy professor having murder done to secure his specimens? Robert Louis Stevenson, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

A new Vintage Episode is released every Tuesday. Clouds of Witness, by Dorothy Sayers will continue episodically every Friday. Please help us to continue producing amazing audiobooks by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com, and becoming a supporter. Thank you so much. 

Keep an ear open for our coming Kickstarter campaign to fund the audiobook of Bleak House, by Charles Dickens. We’ve got a ton of special bonuses planned. More details coming soon!

And mark your calendar for the Classic Tales Book Club! We’ll be meeting on Zoom on March 13^th at 4:00PM pacific time. See you then! 

Today’s story was inspired by true events. William Burke and William Hare committed 16 murders over a period of about 10 months in 1828 in Edinburgh,  Scotland. They sold the bodies to Robert Knox, who used them in his anatomy lessons. Of course, Robert Louis Stevenson puts his wonderful spin on the tale. I hope you like it. 

And now, “The Body Snatcher”, by Robert Louis Stevenson. 

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An outrageously generous gift proves increasingly inconvenient, when no one has change for a million-pound bank note. Mark Twain, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

A Vintage Episode is released every Tuesday. Please help us to continue producing amazing audiobooks by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com, and becoming a supporter. New content is still coming your way on Fridays. 

Keep an ear open for our Kickstarter for The Golden Triangle – the sixth novel in the Arsène Lupin series. We’re getting ready with boxed sets, special editions, and more! We’ll let you know when we’re ready to pull the trigger.  

Mark Twain – I mean, he’s Mark Twain. This story was first published in 1893, and has been dramatized several times, first in a silent film, then radio plays, television, and even a film in 1954 with Gregory Peck. I hope you like it! 

And now, The Million Pound Bank Note, by Mark Twain. 

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Seeking shelter from the storm, a young traveler finds refuge in a cozy cottage nestled in the notch of a hill. But is the cottage really safe? Nathaniel Hawthorne, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

Two Vintage Episodes are released each week, on Mondays and Wednesdays, so be sure to check your feed regularly. New episodes will be available every Friday. Please help us to keep the Vintage Episodes coming by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com, and becoming a supporter. Thank you so much. 

Today’s story is based in fact. The basis of the story is the Willey tragedy of Crawford Notch, New Hampshire. On August 28, 1826, a family living in the Notch of the White Mountains was killed by an avalanche as they rushed from their home attempting to seek safety. The home they fled, however, was unharmed. Hawthorne visited the area four years later.

Hawthorne wrote this piece as a series of travel pieces he titled, “Sketches from Memory, by a Pedestrian”, in the November 1835 issue of The New-England Magazine. It was later included in the second edition of Twice-Told Tales. 

And now, The Ambitious Guest, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. 

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What would Robert do if he came face to face with the evil Antony Ferrara? Let’s find out. Sax Rohmer, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. We couldn’t do this without you, and we really appreciate your support. We’ve set it up so that for a five-dollar monthly donation, you get a monthly code for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! This way you can easily build out your classic audiobook library, and you help to give more folks like you the chance to discover the classics in a curated and easily accessible format. Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com today, and become a financial supporter. You’ll be glad you did. Thank you so much.

And if you can’t support us financially right now, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, so more folks can find us.

Go now to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today.

The top 200 supporters for the year 2021 will be receiving a custom designed Classic Tales Audiobooks enamel pin in the mail as a thank you gift. I’ve been working on this for a while, and I’m excited to get these sent out. If you’d like to get one, hop onto the website, and show us a little love. Thanks again, everyone!

And now, The Knight of the Necropolis, Part 7 of 8, by Sax Rohmer.

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Are there really more things in heaven and earth than we can dream of? Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

We are proudly supported by our listeners. We couldn’t do this without you. Your monthly donation helps in so many ways, and it also gives you access to more classic titles. 

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter today. A $5 dollar monthly donation gets you an $8 monthly coupon code for any audiobook order. Thank you so much. 

Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis is widely regarded as the greatest Brazilian writer. Born on June 21^st, 1839 to a poor family, and the grandson of freed slaves in Rio de Janeiro, he did not achieve notoriety outside of Brazil during his lifetime. He was an autodidact, never attending university, and scrapping to learn everything he could while struggling to rise in society. He taught himself French, English, German and Greek, and was the first President of the Brazilian Academy of Letters. 

Today’s story begins by referencing the expression from Shakespeare about there being more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in our philosophy. There’s more going on than we can see, or touch, etc.. Ghosts, mystical forces, prophesy, divine guidance, destiny, these types of things. It’s possible that like most people, a version of these things give you comfort. The question I’d pose is – why do they comfort you? 

And now, The Fortune-Teller, by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis.  

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Why does the Prussian officer pick on his orderly so much? Seriously, what’s eating the guy? D.H. Lawrence, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, from the Arabian Nights. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

If you enjoy the show, please become a monthly supporter, and help us continue to highlight these amazing stories. 

Please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter for as little as $5 a month. As a thank you gesture, we’ll send you a coupon code every month for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! It’s a great way to help us keep producing sparkling audiobook content. 

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a supporter today.

I’ve been having fun designing the specials for our Kickstarter for the next Arsène Lupin book – The Golden Triangle. Boxed sets, special editions, enamel pins – I’ve got a lot to do, and I want to get it all ready so we can hit the ground running. Keep an ear open for when we pull the trigger!  

Today’s story is about two soldiers – an officer and his orderly. The officer is a little older, comes from a wealthy family, has squandered his inheritance and must make a living in the military. He’s angry and ornery all the time. 

This orderly is the opposite – he’s young and sensitive. His name is Schöner, which means “more beautiful” in German. I hope you like it.  

And now, The Prussian Officer, by D.H. Lawrence.

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Rocky’s formidable aunt wants to experience New York through her nephew. But Rocky hates New York. Maybe Jeeves can help. P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. 

The Vintage Episode for the week is “Bartleby, the Scrivener”, by Herman Melville. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday. 

If the show has helped alleviate your stress, if it’s given your comfort, or if you’ve be able to discover beloved authors and stories you might have missed on your own, please consider becoming a monthly supporter. Help us to help other folks like you.

Please go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter for as little as $5 a month. As a thank you gesture, we’ll send you a coupon code every month for $8 off any audiobook order. Give more, and you get more! Thanks for helping us out.  

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a supporter today. 

And now, The Aunt and the Sluggard, by P.G. Wodehouse.

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Death is the tragic result of Lupin’s latest burglary. Has the gentleman thief gone too far? Maurice Leblanc, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. We couldn’t do this without you. We really try make your support worth your while. For a five-dollar monthly donation, you get a monthly code for $8 off any audiobook download. Give more, and you get more! It helps us have something to count on every month, and you help to keep the podcast going strong, giving more folks like you can discover the classics in a curated and easily accessible format. Go to classictalesaudiobooks.com today, and become a financial supporter. You’ll be glad you did. Thank you so much.

App users can hear the poem, “She Walks in Beauty”, by George Gordon, Lord Byron, in the special features for today’s episode.

And if it’s more convenient, we are streaming our episodes through YouTube, now. A link can be found in the comments section for today’s episode.

I’m hoping to resume producing more audiobooks of classic novels like I did in the past. I need to dedicate a week every month to it. My goal is to produce a standalone audiobook every month, like I used to. I’d love to do all of the Lupin novels, and do all the stories of Sherlock Holmes, John Carter of Mars, and tackle some Henry James and more Jane Austen and Victor Hugo. So, if you can swing it, please become a financial supporter. This is where I’d like to use your monthly contribution. And if you can’t do that, please tell a friend about us. I’d just love to get more classic literature into the ears of more people.

And on that note, it’s looking like The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne will be coming to the store soon. Here’s the thing, though. I only narrated the introduction. The great Nancy Peterson narrates the rest. Nancy is an Audie Award Winner, which is the Oscar of audiobooks. She’s absolutely stellar, and I was very humbled to be able to work with her. I’ll let you know when The Scarlet Letter is available.

And now, Edith Swan-neck, by Maurice Leblanc.

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How could Arséne Lupin possibly steal 50,000 francs in France, when he was apparently in New York at the time? Maurice Leblanc, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. If you enjoy listening to The Classic Tales, please consider becoming a supporting member. It helps support the podcast, and it’s a great way to build out your library of classics. By making a monthly donation of just $5, you’ll receive a corresponding thank-you code for an $8 discount off any audiobook order. Donate $10 a month or more, and you get a $17 discount. You win, and we get to keep going strong. Go now to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a member today.

You can also purchase our app, or shop for t-shirts and other merchandise. Links can be found in the notes to today’s episode.

If you have the Classic Tales App, check your special features for more Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.

We’d also like to thank Spotify for being a partnering sponsor.

I’ve gotten slammed with work this week, and I wasn’t able to get any of Hunchback recorded. I’ll let you know how next week goes. I apologize for the delay. While recording Hunchback is one of the highlights of my week, it unfortunately has to take a back seat to the work that pays.

And if you like today's story, I have the first two audiobooks of the Arséne Lupin series available at the website. www.classictalesaudiobooks.com  

And now, The Infernal Trap, by Maurice Leblanc

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Who is the owner of the mysterious cigarette case? The answer is anything but simple. Oscar Wilde, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.

The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. If you’ve enjoyed The Classic Tales over the years, please consider becoming a supporting member. Making a monthly donation really helps us to create a support flow we can count on. If you can step up with just $5/month, that really helps us out. Go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter. You’ll get a monthly code good for $8 toward any digital audiobook download, as a ‘thank you’ gift. It’s a great deal, and a great feeling. Thank you so much.

And for those of you with the Classic Tales App, check out your special features for more Meditations of Marcus Aurelius - just enough to wet your whistle. In the app, tap on the box with a bow on the left when you play the episode. That’s the special features area. 

If you’re a regular listener of The Classic Tales Podcast, perhaps you've heard me read a passage that really stands out to you. One of the limitations of podcasts as a format is that there has not been a great way to save those brief moments for yourself or share them with other people in your life that would enjoy them.

That's why I'm excited to announce that I’m experimenting with a great new tool, Airr, that lets you save and share the best moments of Classic Tales episodes. Their app lets you capture the moments that stand out to you while listening, and then send these clips to your friends or share them on social media.

Airr is a free, iPhone app that is currently in private beta. Now, this isn't a paid sponsorship or an ad of any sort. Instead, the founders are working with me to give Classic Tales listeners early access to the app, which launches publicly this August. You can sign up for early access through the link, which I will also link in the show notes.

And, perhaps most importantly, I want all of you to share your favorite moments from Classic Tales with me! If you use Airr and tweet your favorite moment from the latest episodes @bjharrisonaudio, you might just appear on a Classic Tales episode. Each week, before the story begins, I’ll shoutout the fan who submitted my favorite moment, read their accompanying tweet, and play their clip on the show!

This week we are doing a play that I have adapted into the audiobook format. I’ve done this before with Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Coriolanus. I think I’m finally hit my stride. I’m very happy with the way this turned out. I hope you enjoy it.

And now, The Importance of Being Earnest, Part 1 of 4, by Oscar Wilde.

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