The Classic Tales Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

 They say that one who whistles on the seashore summons the wind. But Professor Parkins discovers that a seashore whistle beckons something much more nefarious. M.R. James, 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.  It’s looking like The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, by B. Traven is going to be available October 3rd. Preorder pricing will continue until then! If you’re a fan of the film, you’ve got to pick up the audiobook. 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, Oh Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad, by M.R. James. Follow this link to get The Treasure of the Sierra Madre:   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:          

 What vicious new dangers lurk in the subterranean sea? Can our explorers hope to cross it? 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 “Oh Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad”, a ghost story by M.R. James. 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. It’s looking like The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, by B. Traven is going to be available October 3rd. Preorder pricing will continue until then! If you’re a fan of the film, you’ve got to pick up the audiobook. 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 7 of 9, by Jules Verne.   Follow this link to preorder The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, by B. Traven   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:        

Hosmer Angel has disappeared – and on his wedding day! Will Sherlock Holmes be able to find him? 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.  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.  https://store.classictalesaudiobooks.com/classic-tales-for-children-volume-1-p366.aspx   And now, A Case of Identity, by Arthur Conan Doyle  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:      

Father and son enter a magic shop where the shopman is a genius at sleight of hand. But, as the son becomes more and more enthralled, the father feels an icy hand grip his heart. H.G. Wells, 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.  H.G. Wells. Yeah, when he invents a genre, he invents a genre. Think of all the stories with magic shops like the one in today’s story – Harry Potter, The Twilight Zone, Gremlins, Little Shop of Horrors, the list goes on and on.  This story is a little lighter than Wells’ typical fare, and is perfect for Halloween listening. So, let’s journey to a magic shop where “All goods (are) of the same quality…and that is the best” And now, The Magic Shop, 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:    

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 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:    

Enter the tormented mind of a prisoner in his quest for hope in a world of darkness. Edgar Allan Poe, 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. Edgar Allan Poe. This master of the short story was such a pioneer, defining the sleuth mystery, expanding the realm of science fiction. And of course, he gave us the definitive canon of horror stories.  Today’s story was published 180 years ago, in 1843. There are no supernatural elements in the story itself. The realism of the story is enhanced through the reported sensations of the narrator. It’s a thrill ride, moving from one thrilling episode to the next. It seems as though Poe is experimenting with the effectiveness of several devices to create a desired thrilling effect. 16 years ago, this episode rocketed The Classic Tales Podcast to the #3 Top Podcast in Apple Podcasts (then iTunes). Let’s see how it holds up.  And now, The Pit and the Pendulum, Edgar Allan Poe.  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:

Everyone says Henry’s wife, Phoebe, has died. But to Henry, she’s still alive. Theodore Dreiser, 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.  Theodore Dreiser was a leading figure of a new literary movement in America, replacing the observances of the Victorian days with new social problems that reflected the industrialization of America. His best known works are Sister Carrie (1922), and An American Tragedy (1925).  Dreiser’s works are far from perfect, and tend to get longer as you read them. However, like many who brave new paths, the writers before Dreiser were remarkably different than those who followed him. While perhaps not a perfect guidepost, he nevertheless showed a new path and took a few wavering steps. The Lost Phoebe is the only one of Dreiser’s titles in the Classic Tales canon. I’ve tried to return to him over the past 16 years and it just hasn’t worked out. Strange, because The Lost Phoebe has some absolutely masterful moments.  And now, The Lost Phoebe, by Theodore Dreiser. 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:    

Have 30 years dimmed the memory of music in Clark’s aunt? What will happen if it’s awakened? Willa Cather, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.  Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.  The Vintage Episodes of The Classic Tales Podcast just keep coming. 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 Theodore Dreiser’s incredible story The Lost Phoebe, and on Wednesday, Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum. Believe it or not, when this episode of The Pit and the Pendulum was originally released, The Classic Tales Podcast was the #3 podcast in all of iTunes (Apple Podcasts) not just fiction, but in ALL podcasts, in between This American Life and Car Talk. Times have changed, and I’m glad we’ve kept up, to some extent. If you’d like more Vintage Episodes, head on over to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com and let us know one way or another. And thanks for your support!  Today’s story is about a gifted musician who fell in love, and eloped to the frontier, forsaking her promising career as a professional musician. It’s interesting to think of this time when her life was wholly unconnected. Talk about off the grid. No internet, television, movies, or even a band concert. Hymns in church – that’s entertainment.  Beautifully written by the great Willa Cather, A Wagner Matinee takes us to a simpler time, while still capturing much of the darker complexities we don’t want to talk about.  And now, A Wagner Matinee, by Willa Cather. 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:    

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.  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:      

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.  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: