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. 

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: 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

Can a cat really ruin your life? I mean, it’s just a cat, right? P.G. Wodehouse, 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. 

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, The Man Who Disliked Cats, by P.G. Wodehouse.

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Mental illness runs keep in the Kain family, as do the family secrets. Why does Christopher’s mother leave when he’s finally home from school? Wilbur Daniel Steele, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

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

The Vintage Episode for the week is “The Battle of the Witchdoctors”, by H. Rider Haggard. 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.

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

The O. Henry Memorial Prize nominees and winners series continues this week with a first-rate story by Wilbur Daniel Steele. Tackling the theme of mental illness in 1919 was a novel concept. Mental illness was and still is vastly misunderstood. The way this story was crafted really stood out to me, and I tried to modulate my pitch and pacing to reflect the sometimes-volatile narration. I hope the effect carries through. 

And now, “For They Know Now What They Do”, by Wilbur Daniel Steele. 

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

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

Why does the rose bush tremble, when there isn’t a hint of wind? Mary Wilkins Freeman, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

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

How are we liking the Vintage Episodes? Are they brightening up your week? 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. 

When I first started the show, we did a lot of ghost stories. So, this week, you’ll hear Rappaccini’s Daughter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and The Monkey’s Paw, by W. W. Jacobs. Keep an eye on your podcast feed for two Vintage Episodes – one on Monday, another on Wednesday. If you like them, head on over to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and let us know one way or another. And thanks for your support! 

Today’s story is riddled with secrets, and but the main theme is deception. Each woman handles the truth differently in this story, and it’s interesting to see who does what with the information they have. 

Puritanism is rampant in the story, from the characters’ style of speaking, their way of life, the attitude toward teenage boys, and the unspoken understanding of how to handle the truth. Good people don’t tell lies, right? Well, let’s see. 

And now, The Wind in the Rose Bush, by Mary Wilkins Freeman.

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast: 

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

How does Barbara cope with the loss of her handsome Edmond? Can Lord Uplandtowers use this to exact a cruel revenge? 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. We’d love to hear if you like the older episodes. 

T.S. Eliot said that Barbara of the House of Grebe “would seem to have been written solely to provide a satisfaction for some morbid emotion”. Looking back on this production, I’m rather inclined to agree. When you think about why this story was written, or what message it’s trying to convey, it may be simply to scratch some dark and murky itch. See how far you can go, kind of thing. 

In short, the ending of this story is pretty dark. Just a heads up. 

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

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast: 

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

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. 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

Why is Bryden’s doppelgänger curiously disfigured? Henry James, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

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

This marks the first week of Vintage Episodes released alongside the new episodes of The Classic Tales Podcast. 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. 

The Vintage Episodes include not only a remastered version of the original release, starting in 2007, but also new introductory material, story and author background, notes on why the story was chosen, and any performance choices that may or may not have worked. We’ll continue the Vintage Episodes for a month. At that point, we’ll see if this is something we can continue. This week we’ll be releasing both parts of Thomas Hardy’s Barbara of the House of Grebe. Classic Tales app users can hear the first episode now in the special features for today’s episode. 

So keep an eye on your podcast feed, and you’ll see two Vintage Episodes appear – one on Monday, another on Wednesday. If you like it, head on over to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and let us know one way or another. And thanks for your support! 

Today we finish Brydon’s story, and he meets his doppelgänger – the darker man he could have been. This desperate need to reconnect with his lost chances, lost friendships, lost opportunities, etc. has its roots in the writings of Emmanuel Swedenborg, who influenced James greatly. One of Swedenborg’s theories was that of “vastation”, in which a supernatural encounter with your darker alter-ego occurred, which must be defeated and overcome to progress in the spiritual plane.

Emmanuel Swedenborg influenced many great thinkers, including Fjodor Dostoyevsky, Robert Louis Stevenson, George Bernard Shaw, Sheridan LeFanu,  Abraham Lincoln, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and many others. 

And now, The Jolly Corner, Part 2 of 2, by Henry James.

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

Helen Stoner is terrified. Two years ago, her sister died after hearing strange noises in her room. Now after moving into her sister’s room, Helen is hearing the noises again! Arthur Conan Doyle, 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. 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 Part One of Barbara of the House of Grebe, by Thomas Hardy. 

The Adventure of the Speckled Band 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, and hosts many tell-tale signs of the classic detective genre. Doyle himself called it his “best story”. It was originally published in the Strand Magazine in February 1892. 

And now, The Adventure of the Speckled Band, by Arthur Conan Doyle. 

Follow this link to see Nancy Peterson record a Classic Tales Podcast episode, and other stuff: 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast: 

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

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. 

Follow this link to see Nancy Peterson record a Classic Tales Podcast episode, and other stuff: 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast: 

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

Is the spectral presence in Bryden’s home the ghost of his alter ego, or is he just seeing what he wants to see? Henry James, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

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

If you’d like to hear more Classic Tales, then buckle up. Starting this week, for every one episode of new content, we will be releasing two Vintage Episodes of The Classic Tales Podcast. You may have noticed that there are only 250+ episodes available through the podcast, but the episode numbers are 850+. That means there are around 600 episodes currently not on the feed. Well, we’re going to change that. 

Not only will we continue to create new content every Friday, but on Mondays and Wednesdays we be releasing Vintage Episodes of The Classic Tales Podcast. We’re going to start at the very beginning, with the very first episode, and release two Vintage Episodes every week. If we release two Vintage Episodes for every new episode, we’ll be caught up in around five and a half years. 

So if you want more, you got it. But this is a trial program. We’re going to try this for a while, and if you like it, please become a supporter, or tell your friends, or drop us a line and let us know. We’ll see how it goes. As for me, I’m excited to revisit some of my old friends, and I’d like to hear from you.

Keep an eye on your podcast feed, and you’ll see two new episodes in addition to our regular show on Friday. If you like it, head on over to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and let us know one way or another. And thanks for your support! 

Today’s story is incredibly autobiographical, and is considered one of Henry James’ best ghost stories. He wrote it six years before his death, and thirty-three years after he settled in Europe after leaving America. 

It’s the story of a wealthy young man who leaves America in his youth, follows a life of dissipation for 33 years in Europe, and returns to his ancestral home in New York. He is struck by the changes he sees, of course. But upon realizing he has a certain knack for real estate development, he is haunted by his alter ego – the man he could have been. 

And now, The Jolly Corner, Part 1 of 2, by Henry James. 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast: 

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook: 

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

Why is a spectre haunting a lonely signal man in the small hours of the night? Charles Dickens, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

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

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! 

After the show, go to classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a supporter. Thanks for helping out.

Oliver Twist. Great Expectations. David Copperfield. A Christmas Carol. Nicholas Nickleby. The list goes on. When it comes to classic literature, Charles Dickens has it covered. He’s written some of the most iconic characters in our canon of classic literature. 

He used his power to point out some of the worst parts of the Industrial Revolution in Victorian England. And he also showed us the heights of humanity by detailing the lives of the poor and lower classes. Now, let’s hear a ghost story. 

And now, The Signal Man, by Charles Dickens. 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

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. 

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

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! 

After the show, go to classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a supporter. Thanks for helping out.

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. 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

Why does Mr. Lavington insist that his nephew remain in the brutal winter of New England, defying the diagnoses of many doctors? Edith Wharton, 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. Give more, and you get more! Thank you so much. 

Edith Wharton wrote several ghost stories in the early twentieth century. Today’s story was first published in 1914. She believed a good supernatural tale should, “ send a cold shiver down one’s spine”, but not resort to conventional descriptions of ghosts and similar spirits. In this way she is similar to her contemporary and friend, Henry James. 

The craft of the Victorian Ghost Story is evident in the subtle way the atmosphere is crafted, and the suspense gently builds. Notice how Mr. Lavington is described. His smile is fixed on his face. “His intense personality has permeated every corner of his dwelling, in an occult way.” It’s one of those stories you want to listen to again once you’re done, to see what you missed. I hope you like it. 

And now, The Triumph of Night, by Edith Wharton.

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

How true is the saying, “In the Country of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is King”? H.G. Wells, 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, The Wind in the Willows, and Alice in Wonderland. Hop on over to the website, and pick up your copy today. 

And now, The Country of the Blind, by H.G. Wells.

Follow this link to pick up your copy of Classic Tales for Children: Volume 1

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Why are Mr. and Mrs. Brede telling so many lies? They seem like such nice people. Henry Cuyler Bunner, 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. Give more, and you get more! Thank you so much. 

Henry Cuyler Bunner (1855-1896) Was an American journalist, novelist, and poet. His works were largely anthologized in the early 1900s, but he’s mostly forgotten now. His short story about the comedic adventures of a circus elephant, Zenobia’s Infidelity, was made into a film in 1939 starring Oliver Hardy. 

This piece stuck out to me because there are some really nice moments of description, and the way characters can be described so concisely. It’s also an interesting study of how humor has evolved over the years. 

And now, The Nice People, by Henry Cuyler Bunner.

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

How will mother respond when she learns that a new barn is being built where she’d been promised a house? Mary E Wilkins Freeman, 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. Give more, and you get more! Thank you so much.

Mary E Wilkins Freeman (1852 – 1930) was an American author who wrote in a variety of formats, including novels, short stories, and children’s poetry. She is known for her strong voice in defending the plight of women. 

Today’s story was published in her most famous work, A New England Nun and Other Stories (1891) I discovered it in a book published for high school English students in 1920. I just wanted to point out a couple of things about this story. Note that in the beginning, no names are used for the characters – their roles are emphasized first, then the names come after a while. 

Also, in the beginning, when the mother and daughter are discussing father’s behavior, mother says: “You hadn't ought to judge father, though. He can't help it, 'cause he don't look at things jest the way we do.” Notice how this one line sets up everything that follows.  

And now, The Revolt of Mother, by Mary E Wilkins Freeman.

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast: 

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

Will the joys of the Araby bazaar live up to the hype, or is this enthusiasm possibly misplaced? James Joyce, 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. 

James Augustine Aloysius Joyce lived from 1882 – 1941, and is widely considered one of the most important writers of the 20th century. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement, and stream of consciousness writing. His most well-known works include The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916), Finnegan’s Wake (1939), and Ulysses (1922).

Today’s story was published in the short story collection Dubliners in 1914. It centers around a coming-of-age narrator who is infatuated with his friend’s sister, and promises to get her something at the Araby bazaar. 

There are several themes touched on in Araby, many of which recur frequently in Dubliners. The meeting of imagination with reality, the consequences of idealization, The Catholic Church’s influence to shame desire and sensuality, among others. There is also a focus on the pain one feels when encountering love in reality, rather than in its idealized form. 

And now, Araby, by James Joyce.

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

A cutthroat quest for buried treasure begs the question - is one life more sacred than another? H.G. Wells, 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. 

Herbert George Wells lived from 1866 to 1946, and saw the world change on a scale like never before. A forward-thinking social critic, he wrote a number of utopian works and foresaw the advent of aircraft, space travel, nuclear weapons, and the world wide web.  

He was known for placing commonplace detail alongside a single extraordinary assumption in each work. This method was dubbed “Wells’ Law”. His most notable works include The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau, and The War of the Worlds. 

Today’s story contains the commonplace details surrounding a hunt for buried treasure. What do you see as the single extraordinary assumption? 

And now, The Treasure in the Forest, by H.G. Wells. 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

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 21st, 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.  

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

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. 

Follow this link to pick up Immortal Red, by Keith Hummel on Audible.com 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

What gruesome mystery surrounds the two-hundred-year-old derelict? William Hope Hodgson, 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. 

One of the things I love about the classics is that even the “scary” stories have something interesting to offer. Take today’s story for instance. It’s not just a story where, “oh, you know what would be really creepy…”. Hodgson, as he often does, has couched his scary story within a story where two men are discussing the nature of life. 

Is it life as we know it simply something that spontaneously happens when the elements and conditions are perfect? Or is there a deeper, more mysterious power at play? What does this mean about life after death? Then the story illustrates a point. I mean, seriously, to probe these profound questions in the midst of getting thrilled and spooked is one of the charms of these stories. 

And if you’d like to experience this phenomenon further – go read Frankenstein. Again.

And now, The Derelict, by William Hope Hodgson

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter: 

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast: 

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

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

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

Why does Bess’s true identity shatter the worlds of Venters, Jane, and even Lassiter? 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 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. 

Okay, so I’m trying a new thing. I’ve talked before about how much these stories mean to me. I couldn’t read well as a kid, then I discovered audiobooks, and all of these classics which I’ve wanted to read for years but were too difficult were now available to me. I want to share the joy I find in these stories with everyone who’ll hear. This is why I do what I do.

Here’s the thing: I’m sure there are a lot of people listening now with a similar story to tell. I want you to tell them. Here. Here’s the plan: 

Send me an email to mail@classictalesaudiobooks.com. Briefly tell me why classic literature means so much to you. Doesn’t need to be much, maybe a quick story, an experience you had while reading something. A decision you made because of a book you read, reaffirmation of a tough decision you made, how they make you feel, whatever it is. There’s a reason you’re listening to this podcast. Tell me what it is, and we’ll see if it will work!  

We’ll set up a time, and do a quick zoom meeting where you can tell me about your love for classic literature. Doesn’t need to be long. I’ll record our meeting, and share it with all the classic tales fans on the podcast and YouTube. 

Then, we’ll start sprinkling our award-winning audiobook content with your stories. Hopefully we can deepen the conversation, and all develop a greater appreciation for these amazing stories! 

So send me an email – mail@classictalesaudiobooks.com. Tell me your story, and we’ll see if we can get you on the show! 

And now, Riders of the Purple Sage, part 11 of 12, by Zane Grey

Tap here to send us an email about why you love classic literature:

mail@classictalesaudiobooks.com.

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

With Faye’s abduction, Lassiter’s about to show what he’s made of.  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 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. 

This week’s episode starts right where the last one left off, so I’m including a few minutes of the tail end of last week’s episode to lead us into Chapter 20.  

And now, Riders of the Purple Sage, part 10 of 12, by Zane Grey

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter: 

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

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. 

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.

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 19th and early 20th 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. 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

When the townsfolk see Venters returning to town with Jane Withersteen’s stolen horses, they know somebody’s gonna die. 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 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. 

The National Audio Theatre Festival has awarded a Platinum Award to my recording of 813, by Maurice Leblanc. It’s the highest honor they bestow, and I’m so happy and humbled to have received it. Thanks to all of our monthly supporters who have made it possible for us to create this award-winning content. 

And now, Riders of the Purple Sage, part 9 of 12, by Zane Grey 

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast: 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Who are the shady horsemen Venters finds leading Jane Withersteen’s favorite horses? 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 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. 

The National Audio Theatre Festival has awarded a Platinum Award to my recording of 813, by Maurice Leblanc. It’s the highest honor they bestow, and I’m so happy and humbled to have received it. Thanks to all of our monthly supporters who have made it possible for us to create this award-winning content.

  And now, Riders of the Purple Sage, part 8 of 12, by Zane Grey

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

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

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast: 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to the 60 minutes program mentioned in the intro

Can Jane Withersteen handle another devastating blow to her livelihood? How many hits can her trembling loyalty take? 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 is plugging along!  Be sure to subscribe to our gentleman burglar’s own show. And tell your friends! Links can be found in the show notes.  

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! 

And now, Riders of the Purple Sage, part 6 of 12, by Zane Grey

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

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

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast: 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Why does Venters want to save the cattle rustler he shot? How is he going to save anyone, with the rustlers on his trail? 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 is out! Be sure to subscribe to our gentleman burglar’s own show. And tell your friends! 

And finally, if you’d like to be an Audible reviewer, here’s your chance. I just finished an amazing project, and we need some reviews on Audible to help give it some traction. CBS News reporter Charles Gomez was fearless when facing down dictators. Earning an Emmy and an Edward R. Murrow Award, the Latin correspondent and son of a Cuban immigrant seemed on top of the world. But the terror of exposing his sexuality and AIDS diagnosis led him down a dark path of drugs and depression that nearly destroyed him. 

If you’d like to listen and review this audiobook for Audible, 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. Today we return to Venters and his dilemma. He had just shot the famed Masked Rider, afterwards discovering that the rider was, in fact, an unarmed young woman. 

And now, Riders of the Purple Sage, part 4 of 12, by Zane Grey 

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Lassiter discovers another plot to sabotage Jane Withersteen’s cattle, and only he can stop it. 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 is out! Four 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 followed Venters as he discovered the hideout of the cattle rustlers, and discovered that the famed Masked Rider was, in fact, a young woman. 

Our story now turns back to Jane Withersteen, as she tries to discover who called her riders in, opening the door for her herd of 2,500 cattle to be stolen.

And now, Riders of the Purple Sage, part 3 of 12, by Zane Grey

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

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. 

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

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 

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast: 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to pitch in to the Kickstarter for Bacon Master of the Apocalypse, by Frank Morin:

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

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter: 

Follow this link to pitch it to the Bacon Master of the Apocalypse Kickstarter! 

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Check out our blog about how audiobooks are made:

With the world’s population perfectly regulated, what does it mean when Mrs. Wehling has triplets? Kurt Vonnegut, 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. 

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

This week we’re continuing our little foray into the world of classic science fiction. 

Kurt Vonnegut attained international success with his novel Slaugherhouse-Five in 1969. His other notable works include Welcome to the Monkey House, Sirens of Titan and Cat’s Cradle. The latter two were nominated for Hugo Awards for notable science fiction. 

And now, 2BR02B, by Kurt Vonnegut.

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Check out our blog about how audiobooks are made:

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.

Follow this link to the Kickstarter page for Immortal, and help to fund the audiobook:

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

In a world where delusions become reality, what is the standard for sanity? Ray Bradbury, 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.

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. 

This week we’re continuing our little foray into the world of classic science fiction. 

The New York Times dubbed Ray Bradbury, “The writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream”. While he wrote chiefly in the realm of speculative fiction, he also worked in other genres, including horror, mystery, and coming of age fiction. 

His best-known works include the novel Fahrenheit 451, his collections of short stories, The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man, and the speculative horror novel Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Today’s story was first published in the pulp magazine, Thrilling Wonder Stories, in October 1948. 

And now, The Square Pegs, by Ray Bradbury. 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Check out our blog about how audiobooks are made:

What do you call a con man in an advanced world of rocket ships, concrete, and stainless steel? A stainless steel rat. Harry Harrison, 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. 

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 for something completely different.  

I thought we’d have a little bit of classic science fiction for a while. We’re starting with a short story by Harry Harrison. The Stainless Steel Rat is his most well-known story, along with the Deadworld series. Originally released in the August 1957 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, the noir style of the story helps us to immediately know our protagonist, and the world he inhabits. I hope you like it. 

And now, The Stainless Steel Rat, by Harry Harrison 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Check out our blog about how audiobooks are made:

How is Ukridge hoping to finagle his own wedding bells? PEPPO – the tonic that bucks you up! I don’t see a problem, here. 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. 

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

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, Ukridge Turns a Nasty Corner, by P.G. Wodehouse. 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Check out our blog about how audiobooks are made:

What happens when you mix up Ukridge, Battling Billson, and a Welsh revival meeting? Let’s find out. 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. 

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

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 Exit of Battling Billson, by P.G. Wodehouse. 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Check out our blog about how audiobooks are made:

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.  

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

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. 

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Check out our blog about how audiobooks are made:

How much harm can be done by taking a simple car ride with a chummy chauffeur? Well, if Ukridge is involved, apparently, quite a bit. P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

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

For a limited time, you can purchase a license for lifetime access to the entire Classic Tales library by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com. 7 licenses remain available. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. We don’t know when we will make this offer again, if ever. This grants immediate access to all the titles now in the library, and all the Classic Tales titles I will ever record in the future. No coupon codes needed.

Do you want to binge the Lupin series? You’re in luck. How about the Barsoom series? Sherlock Holmes? Hercule Poirot? Dickens? Shakespeare? All titles are available to brighten your commutes and road trips, or help you relax at bedtime.

It's a rare opportunity to gain access to award-winning classic audiobooks anytime, anywhere, forever. 

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and purchase your lifetime access license today. Thank you so much. 

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, No Wedding Bells For Him, by P.G. Wodehouse. 

Follow this link to order your Lifetime Access License for all Classic Tales Audiobooks:

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Check out our blog about how audiobooks are made:

Can Ukridge deliver on a promise he made to save Doris’ fledgling dictation business? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.  

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

For a limited time, you can purchase a license for lifetime access to the entire Classic Tales library by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com. 9 licenses remain available. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. We don’t know when we will make this offer again, if ever. This grants immediate access to all the titles now in the library, and all the Classic Tales titles I will ever record in the future. No coupon codes needed.

Do you want to binge the Lupin series? You’re in luck. How about the Barsoom series? Sherlock Holmes? Hercule Poirot? Dickens? Shakespeare? All titles are available to brighten your commutes and road trips, or help you relax at bedtime. 

It's a rare opportunity to gain access to award-winning classic audiobooks anytime, anywhere, forever. 

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and purchase your lifetime access license today. Thank you so much. 

I’m pleased to announce a new endeavor – The Arsene Lupin Podcast. I’ll be releasing the first collection of Lupin stories as its own show. I hope you like it! It’s still in the preliminary phase, but it’s a coming! 

And now, Ukridge sees her through, by P.G. Wodehouse. 

Follow this link to order your Lifetime Access License for all Classic Tales Audiobooks:

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Check out our blog about how audiobooks are made:

Corky’s flat is invaded by an unknown woman whose stripling in tow is bent on seeing the sights of London – the murderey ones. P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

For a limited time, you can purchase a license for lifetime access to the entire Classic Tales library by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com. Only 10 licenses remain available. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. We don’t know when we will make this offer again, if ever. This grants immediate access to all the titles now in the library, and all the Classic Tales titles I will ever record in the future. No coupon codes needed.

Do you want to binge the Lupin series? You’re in luck. How about the Barsoom series? Sherlock Holmes? Hercule Poirot? Dickens? Shakespeare? All titles are available to brighten your commutes and road trips, or help you relax at bedtime.

It's a rare opportunity to gain access to award-winning classic audiobooks anytime, anywhere, forever.

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and purchase your lifetime access license today. Thank you so much.

We’re going to continue with the adventures of Ukridge. Wodehouse uses this character elsewhere, but I think that this collection of stories from Corky’s point of view, and seeing Ukridge as the well-meaning antagonist is quite effective.

The first few stories in this series are available in the podcast feed. You can hear them if you scroll back to episodes 748, to 751, back in September of 2021.

And now, The Return of Battling Billson, by P.G. Wodehouse.

Follow this link to order your Lifetime Access License for all Classic Tales Audiobooks:

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Check out our blog about how audiobooks are made:

Dora has lost her position because of Ukridge’s gratuitous “help”. But Ukridge has a plan to make it right – with a little help from his friend. P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

I have a special announcement to make: For a limited time, you can purchase a license for lifetime access to the entire Classic Tales library by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com. We’re in need of a shot in the arm, so we are offering this rare offer. Only 15 licenses are available. We don’t know when we will make this offer again, if ever. This grants immediate access to all the titles now in the library, and all the Classic Tales titles I will ever record in the future.

It's a rare opportunity to gain access to award-winning classic audiobooks anytime, anywhere, forever.

Go to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and purchase your lifetime access license today. Thank you so much.

And now for something completely different.

P.G. Wodehouse’s Ukridge series begins with a collection of short stories featuring Stanley Featherstonhough Ukridge, a bombastic, leather-headed sentimentalist. He frequently tries to help friends of his, but his schemes seem to always get twisted around. His adventures are seen through the lens of writer James “Corky” Corcoran, an old school chum of Ukridge’s, and a friend of Bertie Wooster’s.

And now, First Aid for Dora, by P.G. Wodehouse.

Follow this link to order your Lifetime Access License for all Classic Tales Audiobooks:

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Check out our blog about how audiobooks are made:

When Uncle Pio discovers his protégé, his life seems complete. But the protégé’s tragedy is only beginning. Thornton Wilder, 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.

One of the main themes in this book, The Bridge of San Luis Rey is the nature of love. Wilder deftly dissects it, and we examine it in the many ways love manifests itself. We’ve seen it in the parent-child relationship, and the sibling relationship. We’ve also seen it in the romantic relationship, with Camilla Perichole and the brothers Manuel and Esteban. Today we’ll examine the surrogate parent relationship. Afterwards, we’ll conclude our journey.

And now, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Part 3 of 3, by Thornton Wilder

Follow this link to order your copy of Bellarion, by Raphael Sabatini:

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Check out our blog about how audiobooks are made:

Do the English just not like Americans? Seriously, why won’t Chev’s family warm up to Skip? Margaret Prescott Montague, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

The Vintage Episode for the week is “The Blue Hotel”, by Stephen Crane. 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.

Also, please follow the link in the show notes to support a Kickstarter campaign to fund the audiobook Immortal, by Joanna White: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joannawhite/immortal-a-valiant-prequel 

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! 

Today’s story won the O. Henry Memorial Award in 1919. World War I had just ended, and there were many military stories written at the time, as most everyone in the world had some connection to the war.

 Margaret Prescott Montague was a short story writer and novelist. Four of her stories were made into films in the 1920s. Winning the O. Henry Memorial Award is the most prestigious of her accomplishments. She lived from 1878 – 1955. 

From the introduction to the O. Henry Memorial Award volume: “…the young Virginian of "England to America" will bring back, to all who read, their own heroes. It is fitting that Miss Montague's story should have received the first prize: poignant, short in words, great in significance, it will stand a minor climactic peak in that chain of literature produced during the actual progress of the World War.”

It is interesting to look back on this story over a hundred years later, and see how it fared. I think it’s safe to say that most people have never heard of the story, or its author, which is a shame. Let’s give it a go. 

And now, “England to America”, by Margaret Prescott Montague.

Follow this link to the Kickstarter page for Immortal, and help to fund the audiobook:

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:

Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:

Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

Manuel and Esteban are identical twins that no one can tell apart – they even have their own language. It seems to everyone that they have an almost supernatural connection.  Thornton Wilder, 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 now, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Part 2 of 3, by Thornton Wilder

Follow this link to order your copy of Bellarion, by Raphael Sabatini:

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Check out our blog about how audiobooks are made:

Five people fall to their deaths when a bridge collapses in Peru. Can Brother Juniper discover the reason that these five individuals had to die?  Thornton Wilder, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

Welcome to Season 17 of 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.

Thornton Wilder won two Pulitzer Prizes: one for the novel we’ll begin today: The Bridge of San Luis Rey, and another for his play: Our Town.

In The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Brother Juniper witnesses the tragedy of five people falling to their deaths when a bridge collapses in Peru. He takes it upon himself to study the lives of those who fell in the accident, in an effort to figure out why these five people had to die.

In 1998, the book was selected by the American Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of the twentieth century.

It has also been hinted that this book is the progenitor of the modern-day disaster epic, where a single disaster intertwines the lives of the victims, whose previous histories are then explored through a series of flashbacks.  

British Prime Minister Tony Blair quoted the final words of the book in a memorial service for the victims of the September 11th attacks. Nine days after the attacks, he read:

"A witness to the deaths, wanting to make sense of them and explain the ways of God to his fellow human beings, examined the lives of the people who died, and these words were said by someone who knew the victims, and who had been through the many emotions, and the many stages, of bereavement and loss.

"But soon we will die, and all memories of those five will have left earth, and we ourselves shall be loved for a while and forgotten. But the love will have been enough; all those impulses of love return to the love that made them. Even memory is not necessary for love. There is a land of the living and a land of the dead, and the bridge is love. The only survival, the only meaning."

And now, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Part 1 of 3, by Thornton Wilder

Follow this link to order your copy of Bellarion, by Raphael Sabatini:

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Check out our blog about how audiobooks are made:

Can Poirot discover the critical whereabouts of a missing will? It’s worth a fortune! 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.

I’m still beaming with gratitude at our Voice Arts Awards this year. Having won not one, but TWO such prestigious awards is something I never dreamed of. Yet here we are. Thank you all for your generous support. We have some great things lined up for next year! Thanks for stepping up and chipping in.

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 the Missing Will, by Agatha Christie.

Follow this link to order your copy of Bellarion, by Raphael Sabatini:

Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:

Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:

Check out our blog about how audiobooks are made: