The Classic Tales Podcast
Join award-winning narrator B.J. Harrison on a quest through the greatest stories ever put to paper. From the jungles of South America to the Mississippi Delta, from Victorian England to the sands of the Arabian Desert, come with us on a series of fantastic adventures – unabridged as the authors intended. Critically acclaimed and highly recommended for anyone who loves a good story with plenty of substance. (Shortlisted by The Wall Street Journal, iTunes, and TIME. Winner of multiple w3 and Voice Arts Awards, a HEAR NOW and an Independent Audiobook Award.)

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

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

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

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

The Classic Tales Merchandise store: 

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

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

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

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

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to become an Erudite Troglodyte - The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

 

Direct download: CT_659_Murder_on-the_Links_part7of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

What does Poirot mean when he says that there isn’t just one crime, but two? Agatha Christie, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

The Classic Tales Merchandise store: 

App users can find a special Christmas bonus in their special features for this week’s episode.

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

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

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone.

And now, The Murder on the Links, part 6 of 7, by Agatha Christie

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to become an Erudite Troglodyte - visit The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

 

Direct download: CT_653_Murder_on-the_Links_part1of7B.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:35am MDT

Why is young Jack Renauld under suspicion for murdering his father? Agatha Christie, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

Time is about up if you’d like some Classic Tales merchandise for Christmas. If you’d like an Erudite Troglodyte hoodie, or a Pride and Prejudice tote bag, there’s only a couple of days left to have them in time for Christmas.

Tap here to go to The Classic Tales Merchandise store

 

App users can still find bite size portions of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius in their special features.

Finally, I’d like to talk a bit about a new project.

High school, and I’m not a great reader. For my AP History class, I had to read The Scarlet Letter. It was arguably the worst experience with a book I’d had up to that moment. I was so lost and frustrated. I wanted to read the classics so badly. I could tell there was something amazing there that was hidden from me. But I couldn’t get to it.

Fast-forward ten years or so, and I discover audiobooks. It was literally life changing. Suddenly, the whole world of the classics is open to me, and I can enjoy The Three Musketeers, David Copperfield, Jane Eyre, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. All of these stories I had always wanted to read, I could now enjoy with a little help from a narrator.

I want to other kids who might be struggling to have the same experience.

So that’s why I’m working on an initiative to make my library of Classic Tales free for all public schools. It’s a tricky plan, but I really don’t want other kids to struggle like I did. If they have ready access to these productions, I think I can help to prevent that. But I need your help.

Please become a supporting member, or purchase one of our larger one-time support options. If you can’t do that, please leave us a review, or tell your friends about us. I want to make this free for kids and schools with limited resources. So anything you can do to help us to grow and sustain ourselves will help us put the classics into the ears of the next generation. Thank you.

 

And now, The Murder on the Links, part 5 of 7, by Agatha Christie

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to become an Erudite Troglodyte - The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Direct download: CT_657_Murder_on-the_Links_part5of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

Why does Hercule Poirot suddenly decide that he absolutely must travel to Paris? Agatha Christie, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

We actually have physical merchandise this year. If you’re a Classic Tales fan, we’ve got t-shirts, hoodies, stickers and more at our online merchandise store. Do you know an Erudite Troglodyte? Maybe you know a Jane Austen fan, who would like a Pride and Prejudice tote bag. How about a hoodie from The Count of Monte Cristo, or Wuthering Heights? Click on the link in the description for this episode to get a unique gift for the literary lover in your life.

 

Tap to go to The Classic Tales Merchandise store 

 

And now, The Murder on the Links, part 4 of 7, by Agatha Christie

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to become an Erudite Troglodyte - The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

 

 

 

Direct download: CT_656_Murder_on-the_Links_part4of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 2:36am MDT

Why is Hercule Poirot seemingly ignoring some apparently critical evidence that M. Giraud recently discovered? Agatha Christie, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

For CyberMonday, we actually have physical merchandise this year. If you’re a Classic Tales fan, we’ve got t-shirts, hoodies, stickers and more at our online merchandise store. Do you know an Erudite Troglodyte? Maybe you know a Jane Austen fan, who would like a Pride and Prejudice tote bag. How about a hoodie from The Count of Monte Cristo, or Wuthering Heights? Click on the link in the description for this episode to get a unique gift for the literary lover in your life.

The Classic Tales Merchandise store:

http://tee.pub/lic/yl9wRRWqhnY

 

And now, The Murder on the Links, part 3 of 7, by Agatha Christie

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to visit The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Direct download: CT_655_Murder_on-the_Links_part3of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

What can the hotshot detective from Paris reveal about the case that eludes the great Hercule Poirot? Agatha Christie, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

The Hunchback of Notre Dame has now been released in its entirety. If you are a current supporter of the podcast, and have not received the email an corresponding link for the entire audiobook, please send an email to: support@thebestaudiobooks.com and I’ll get you squared away.

Do you know a student, teacher or researcher who studies a lot? If you’re looking for the perfect gift for them, look no further – for they are Erudite Troglodytes. Intellectual Cave Dwellers. Click on the link in the description for this episode to get an Erudite Troglodyte t-shirt, coffee mug, tote bag or even a sticker for the Erudite Troglodyte in your life. It’s a one of a kind gift that is only available at the Classic Tales online store. I have two shirts, and I wear them all the time!

Well, it looks like I didn’t win any of my SOVAS nominations. But that’s okay. We’ll keep plugging along. Thank you for all of your support.

And now, The Murder on the Links, part 2 of 7, by Agatha Christie

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to become an Erudite Troglodyte - The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_654_Murder_on-the_Links_part2of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:57am MDT

Hercule Poirot receives an urgent message that a man is in danger, and that he must come at once. But will he arrive too late? Agatha Christie, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

The Hunchback of Notre Dame has now been released in its entirety. If you are a current supporter of the podcast, and have not received the email an corresponding link for the entire audiobook, please send an email to: support@thebestaudiobooks.com and I’ll get you squared away.

Cyber Monday approaches, and I’m working on a special gift in the merchandise store. If you know of someone who reads, researches, or studies in rooms, libraries, or labs for extensive periods of time, it sounds like you know an intellectual cave dweller, or and Erudite Troglodyte. Check out my new design at our merchandise store if you have an Erudite Troglodyte in your life. The design makes a great shirt, coffee mug or tote bag.

I’ll find out this weekend if I happen to win an award from the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences. I’m very excited, and I’ll be sure to let you know if any awards come my way. I’ll also let you know if one of the many other amazing nominees took home the prize. It’s been a thrilling journey, and I’m very humbled to be competing with these amazing narrators and podcasters.

This week we will begin a mystery from Agatha Christie that will take us to the end of the year – The Murder on the Links. Hercule Poirot has been portrayed many times on stage, screen and television. My favorite Poirot is Peter Ustinov, and my favorite Poirot film is “Evil Under the Sun”. If you haven’t seen it, you should check it out. It stars James Mason, Maggie Smith, Diana Rigg, Roddy McDowell and many others.

And now, The Murder on the Links, part 1 of 7, by Agatha Christie

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

Tap here to become an Erudite Troglodyte - The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

Hear us on roku:

Direct download: CT_653_Murder_on-the_Links_part1of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

When the parents are suddenly called away from the farm, the children decide to make a Thanksgiving Dinner surprise. What could possibly go wrong? Louisa May Alcott, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

The Hunchback of Notre Dame will be released this weekend. All current supporters - keep an eye on your inboxes for an email from us with a downloadable link. If you haven’t received an email by Tuesday, please reach out to support@thebestaudiobooks.com. Sometimes the email list can be wonky. I hope you like it!

The next title to be released as a bonus for supporters will be The Ghost Kings, by H. Rider Haggard. It’s one of his most well written, and underappreciated treasures, where he integrates his trademark lost world adventure with supernatural mysticism.

Supporters who donate at the $5/month level with receive two bonus titles/year. Hunchback will count as two, because of its length. Most titles will be around 8-10 hours in length. Supporters who donate at the $10/month level or more will receive three titles.

Well, I’ll be going to the SOVAS awards next week, so we’re releasing one of our favorite titles from the archives this week. We’re going to start a mystery novel next week that will take us to the end of the year, and I didn’t want to split it up. 

The Society of Voice Arts and Sciences has nominated The Classic Tales Podcast as Best Podcast of 2019. Not sure if we’ll win, but the SOVAS awards are a big deal. There aren’t a ton of awards for voice acting, and it will be fun to see some of the heroes who have inspired me over the years. Some of whom I’m actually competing with. The two thrillers I’m nominated for are going up against some A list talent. It’s such an incredible honor to be nominated.

And now, An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving, by Louisa May Alcott

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_652_Old_Fashioned_Thanksgiving.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And now, The Ebony Frame, by Edith Nesbit

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

  

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_651_The_Ebony_Frame.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

Why is the hound considered a traitor to the forest creatures? Felix Salten, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is recorded and proofed. The artwork is done as well. Now, I have to record the pickups, drop in the edits, and do the final mixing of the audio and blah, blah, blah. There’s still a ways to go, but we’re getting very close. Be sure to keep your subscription current, as I’ll be sending the entire audiobook to all current supporters.

Next week, I’ll announce what the next bonus title is going to be. I’ve already got it picked out.

If you’re dying for some horror stories during Halloween season, App users can discover a scary story in the special features during the month of October. This week, we feature The White Maniac, by Mary Fortune. Marcus Aurelius will continue in November.

And now, Bambi, part 4 of 4, by Felix Salten.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

  

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

  

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_650_Bambi_Part4of4.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:26am MDT

How does Bambi negotiate the twists and turns of growing up without his mother? Felix Salten, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

I only have a few chapters left to record of The Hunchback of Notre Dame I have one of my proofers going through it now, and I hope to have it available soon. Be sure to keep your subscription current, as I’ll be sending the entire audiobook to all current supporters. This was quite a feat, and I’m excited to see it coming to successful close.

Again! We’ve been nominated for a SOVAS award! Best Podcast of 2019 , along with TWO nominations in the thriller audiobook category– can you believe it? The awards gala is on November 17th. Hopefully the stars will align so I can walk the red carpet. Previous winners in other categories include Lily Tomlin, James Earl Jones, Scott Brick, and Sigourney Weaver. It’s a pretty prestigious award, and I’m very excited.

If you’re dying for some horror stories during Halloween season, App users can discover a scary story in the special features during the month of October. This week, we feature The Squaw, by Bram Stoker. Marcus Aurelius will continue in November.

I discovered a connection between my son Basil, Bambi, and Frankenstein! Okay, so the third Frankenstein film, Son of Frankenstein (1939), starred Basil Rathbone as Wolf von Frankenstein, and Donnie Dunagan as his son, Peter von Frankenstein. This is where it gets crazy – little Donnie Dunagan is the voice of young Bambi in the Disney film, and I named my son after Basil Rathbone. Son of Frankenstein is also the last time Boris Karloff would play the monster. Yeah, I think if you look hard enough, you find connections kind of anywhere.

And now, Bambi, part 3 of 4, by Felix Salten.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

  

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_649_Bambi_Part3of4.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

What could two leaves possibly have to say to each other? Felix Salten, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

Thank you for your patience over the last little while. I’m scheduling to have some new releases coming soon to the website. Keep an eye open for some new titles!

Now, if you’re dying for some horror stories during Halloween season, App users can discover a scary story in the special features during the month of October. This week, we feature The Burned House, by Vincent O’Sullivan. Marcus Aurelius will continue in November.

In today’s episode of Bambi, things get pretty real, especially in the last chapter. It might be upsetting to younger readers, so keep a sharp eye out for that. 

Also, in today’s episode, the deer run into some elk. Now, in the Disney movie, I thought that Bambi was the chosen one, and a prince among deer. But in the original book, the adult deer are related to as princes and the adult elk are kings. Bambi is awed by the elk calling to each other in the night. Salten’s description of the elk call is brilliant. Here’s what a wild elk call sounds like, in case you’ve never heard one:

I think one of the most beautiful pieces I’ve ever recorded is Chapter 8 of Bambi, with the two leaves. I hope you enjoy it.

 

And now, Bambi, part 2 of 4, by Felix Salten.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_648_Bambi_Part2of4.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:51am MDT

Why is Bambi forbidden to enter the meadow during the daytime? Felix Salten, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

 Surprise! We’re doing the complete book of Bambi for the month of October. And to kick things off, I’ve created some really fun artwork that is available at the merchandise store. I got a Bambi long sleeved tee shirt, and I just love it. If you like the artwork I design for the Classic Tales covers, please check it out!

Go to the merchandise store by tapping here 

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

Now, if you’re dying for some horror stories during Halloween season, App users can discover a scary story in the special features during the month of October. This week, we feature The Ring of Toth, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Marcus Aurelius will continue in November.

I’m pleased to announce that The Society for Voice Arts and Sciences has nominated The Classic Tales Podcast as one of the Best Podcasts of 2019. I’m also nominated for two thrille audiobooks I’ve done. It’s such an honor to be nominated at all, and to be nominated three times is outrageous. Thank you for listening to the podcast, and telling your friends. Apparently, we still go it!

Now, I had always heard that the original Bambi was much edgier and darker than the Disney film, but I had never read it. It just came into the public domain this year, so I thought I’d give it a go. I was blown away. It’s written so beautifully, so poetically. But there is a deeper, resounding philosophy as the creatures are forced to face their own mortality in so many ways. I

t reads more like Watership Down or Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh. But there is no substitute for reading the original, unabridged work. Once Bambi starts to understand the way things work, things start to get really real.

I had to do it in October, because in Utah, our kids actually get out of school for the deer hunt.

And now, Bambi, part 1 of 4, by Felix Salten.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_647_Bambi_Part1of4.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

What happens when an author fills is the seemingly simple gaps in the history of a girl who lived 200 years ago? Gertrude Atherton, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

I don’t know about you, but I love wearing t-shirts that are literary. I’ve been adding to the designs in our merchandise store. If you like the artwork I design for the Classic Tales covers, please check it out! 

Go to the merchandise store by tapping here 

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

And app users can check out more Meditations of Marcus Aurelius in their special features.

Today’s episode is by the prolific Gertrude Atherton. We heard another of her stories earlier in March – The Dead and the Countess.

Today’s story, The Bell and the Fog, is a well-crafted short story with some gothic elements. It takes place on a large English estate, there are hints of darkness and the occult here and there, but the style of the writing, and the subtlety of the strong women is what I particularly enjoyed.

And now, The Bell and the Fog, by Gertrude Atherton

 

Tap here to become a monthly supporter of The Classic Tales!

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_646_The_Bell_and_the_Fog.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

Is there, in fact, a curse on the actual House of Usher, or just the inhabitants? Edgar Allan Poe, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

I don’t know about you, but I love wearing t-shirts that are literary. I guess it’s kind of my thing, if I have one. If you like the artwork I design for the Classic Tales covers, please check out our merchandise store. They are having a sale right now! 

Go to the merchandise store by tapping here 

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

And app users can check out more Meditations of Marcus Aurelius in their special features.

For the rest of September, we will be stocking up on scary stories, because we have a special seasonal title for October this year.

This story, the original Fall of the House of Usher, by Edgar Allan Poe, hasn’t been released through the podcast before. And this recording is one I did for an anthology of classic horror stories recently released on Audible: The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Creepy Classics.

A group of local audiobook narrators get together once a month for lunch to talk shop and shoot the breeze. It’s so great to be able to talk to people who understand all the tricks and pitfalls with this crazy vocation of narrating audiobooks. 

Today’s episode is one of the stories in the anthology that we created. Audie Award-winner Nancy Peterson spearheaded the project, and it was very fun to collaborate with these amazing colleagues. You can check out the complete anthology here: 

And now, The Fall of the House of Usher, by Edgar Allan Poe

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

  

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

 

Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show!

  

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

 

 

  

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_645_TheFalloftheHouseofUsher.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’ve gotten slammed with work this week, and I wasn’t able to get any of Hunchback recorded. I’ll let you know how next week goes. I apologize for the delay. While recording Hunchback is one of the highlights of my week, it unfortunately has to take a back seat to the work that pays.

And if you like today's story, I have the first two audiobooks of the Arséne Lupin series available at the website. www.classictalesaudiobooks.com  

And now, The Infernal Trap, by Maurice Leblanc

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show!

  

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

  

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_644_The_Infernal_Trap.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:48am MDT

How can The Four Just Men accomplish their nefarious plan – in spite of the herculean precautions of Scotland Yard? Edgar Wallace, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

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

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

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is coming along. I’ve been a little under the weather this week, and I only got half an hour recorded. But I’m back at it. I’d like to send out Part One next week, so keep an eye on your inboxes. I still have a few more hours to record until we are finished. 

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

I’m going to be at the Fan X Comic Con in Salt Lake City! I’ll be on a panel called: The Life Changing Magic of Embracing your Inner Nerd. It will be on Saturday the 7th at noon. Apparently, I’m a bit of an authority on nerding loud and proud. If you’re in town, drop by. I’d love to see you, and I have stickers!

 

And now, The Four Just Men, part 4 of 4, by Edgar Wallace.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

   

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_643_TheFourJustMen_part4of4.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

Will the Four Just Men be caught when they deliver their final threat in person? Edgar Wallace, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

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

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

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is coming along. I’m going to release this in two shots, as a Part One and Part Two, since it runs around 20 hours. So keep an eye open for Part One.

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

I’m going to be at the Fan X Comic Con in Salt Lake City! I’ll be on a panel called: The Life Changing Magic of Embracing your Inner Nerd. It will be on Saturday the 7th at noon. Apparently, I’m a bit of an authority on nerding loud and proud. If you’re in town, drop by. I’d love to see you, and I have stickers!

And now, The Four Just Men, part 3 of 4, by Edgar Wallace.

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_642_TheFourJustMen_part3of4.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:20am MDT

Why is one of the Four Just Men being treated as a prisoner amongst his fellow conspirators? Edgar Wallace, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

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

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

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is coming along. It’s tricky to try and sneak in a few hours to record over the weekend. I’m going to release this in two shots, as a Part One and Part Two, since it runs around 20 hours. So keep an eye open for Part One.

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

And now, The Four Just Men, part 2 of 4, by Edgar Wallace.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

  

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

Direct download: CT_641_TheFourJustMen_part2of4.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:58am MDT

How does a vigilante group styling themselves The Four Just Men raise the stakes against an inflammatory act of Parliament? Edgar Wallace, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

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

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

This week we have another sponsor: AudioFile Magazine. They have an amazing podcast that highlights the best of the best in audiobooks. Their episodes are frequent, and run around 5 minutes long. Continue listening after the story to hear an entire episode of their podcast: Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is coming along. I’m running a little behind this week. It’s tricky to try and sneak in a few hours to record over the weekend. I’m going to release this in two shots, as a Part One and Part Two, since it runs around 20 hours. So keep an eye open for Part One.

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

Today’s story is Edgar Wallace who co-wrote the groundbreaking story of King Kong with Merriam C. Cooper. Wallace was a prolific author, and at the time of his death, was known as “The King of Thrillers”. 

When Wallace finished writing The Four Just Men, he was sure he had a hit. The problem was, nobody else thought so. He couldn’t get it published. So, he self published it, and decided to advertise the novel on an unprecedented scale. He came up with a bold advertising gimmick: a £500 reward was offered to any reader who could guess how the murder in the novel was committed. Wallace was working for The Daily Mail newspaper at the time, and here he published the serialized version of the story along with the competition.

Well, it didn’t work out quite like he’d anticipated. While the book did well, it didn’t do that well. Furthermore, Wallace wasn’t quite as clever as he thought. Some people were guessing the ending. After three months, Wallace still hadn’t recouped his advertising investment, and he had more contest winners than he was planning for. So, the official list of winners kind of went unpublished, which kind of made a lot of people lose trust in The Daily Mail, which is really a bad thing when you’re, you know, a news source.

In the end, Wallace had to borrow £5,000 from his boss, so the newspaper could save face with their readers. Wallace’s working relationship with the paper soured after that, when it became evident that Wallace was in no hurry to pay the money back. But while the publishing of The Four Just Men was a bit of a fiasco, it did establish Wallace’s name as a writer.

The reason I chose this story was because while I was reading it, I was constantly fighting with myself. This was Wallace’s intention. Of The Four Just Men, he said, “The most lawless of us would hesitate to defend them, but the greater humanitarian could scarcely condemn them.” We aren’t supposed to be completely for or against them.

The story takes place before the two World Wars, when anarchists were big news in Europe. Today, we would likely dub them terrorists. They are vigilantes, who seek their own version of justice from the world. I hope you like it.

Warning: there are a couple offensive racial epithets in today’s episode, including the “n” word. 

And now, The Four Just Men, part 1 of 4, by Edgar Wallace.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

 

Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store! 

 

Direct download: CT_640_TheFourJustMen_part1of4.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:26am MDT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show! 

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

  

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

  

Hear us on roku:

Direct download: CT_639_TheRivalMechanicians.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

How can Khemsa’s dying words about following a golden thread possibly help Conan defeat the evil Master of Yimshah? Robert E. Howard, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

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

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

I’m very excited to announce that Annie, from the Join Us In France podcast, has agreed to write a special introduction for the Classic Tales Audiobook edition of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. She is a licensed historian and tour guide, and her insights into the history of the Notre Dame cathedral will deepen the experience of the audiobook.

After searching many different translations, the one I landed on by J. Carroll Beckwith was only published in a very limited edition of only 1000 copies. But it is by far the best I’ve come across.

Please make sure your supporter status is up to date, so you don’t miss out on this amazing production. Once it’s done, I’ll be sending the entire 20 hour-long audiobook to all current supporters.

This week we finish our story of Conan. It’s got some pretty gruesome violence, and the misogyny is back, too. The violence is pretty obvious, but parents might also want to stop and talk about the misogyny. If we point it out and talk about it, we can make sure it stops.

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

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show!

  

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

  

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_638_PeopleoftheBlackCircle_Part4of4.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:24am MDT

How can Conan possibly prevail against the wizards of the Black Circle? Robert E. Howard, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hunchback is coming along nicely, and I’ll be recording another episode on Saturday. I’d like to get it done by the end of September. So, please make sure your supporter status is up to date, so you don’t miss out on this amazing production. Once it’s done, I’ll be sending the entire 20 hour-long audiobook to all current supporters.

And now, The People of the Black Circle, Part 3 of 4, by Robert E. Howard.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter! 

 

Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

https://www.amazon.com/author/bjharrison

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

  

Hear us on roku:

 

 

 

Direct download: CT_637_PeopleoftheBlackCircle_Part3of4.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

Direct download: CT_636_PeopleoftheBlackCircle_Part2of4.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

Will Conan the Cimmerian help Yasmina avenge her kingly brother’s death? Robert E. Howard, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

If you’d like to share a snippet of today’s show with your friends, join us in beta testing the Airr app. Links can be found in the show notes.

We also have a merchandise store where you can get shirts and tote bags with your favorite Classic Tales Covers. Again, links are in the show notes.

And check us out on Spotify – our new podcast partner.

We’re still chipping away at Hunchback. It’s on its way. Be sure you don’t miss is, and become a monthly supporter. Once it’s ready, I’ll send an email out to all of our current supporters. If you’ve let your membership lapse, be sure and resubscribe.

And by the way, the only reason I’m being skittish about announcing a release date for Hunchback is simply because I don’t know how much more of my time I can throw toward it. I’m not trying to be like an enigmatic jerk, but at this point, it’s kind of what I can commit to. I can get it done in the near future, send it out to the supporters and move on.

I hope you don’t mind. If you have any suggestions, feel free to send me an email at support@thebestaudiobooks.com

Today we are dipping our toe into the world of Conan the Cimmerian. Now, I decided to do this book for a couple reasons.

1) Howard’s Conan series was a very important chapter in the history of fantasy. Many authors continued the series after Howard’s death – over 50 novels and dozens of short stories of Conan were written by authors other than Howard.

2) This method of story telling, using the cycle of the hero and using larger than life archetypal characters, is something that we have largely moved away from. I’ll explain it in Star Wars:

         So, in the original trilogy, you had the archetypal characters: The hero, the damsel in distress, the adventurer, the evil villain. This collection of characters are seen in millions of stories, and resonate with something deep within us. This is how storytelling has been done for centuries. This Conan story is a fantastic example of this method.

Today, we tend to demand that our characters are more nuanced, complicated, and multi-faceted. The stories that follow the same traditional pattern, using the archetypal characters, seem to not do too well. And so this Conan story is an interesting look at how it used to be done, and hopefully if parts ring a bit shallow, we can realize that we’ve become more developed in our storytelling nowadays.

And now, The People of the Black Circle, Part 1 of 4, by Robert E. Howard.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

  

Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show!

  

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

  

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_635_PeopleoftheBlackCircle_Part1of4.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:09am MDT

What shocking truths does Lady Bracknell discover (and reveal)? Oscar Wilde, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

If you’d like to share a snipped of today’s show with your friends, join us in beta testing the Airr app. Links can be found in the show notes. Tap here to try the Airr app

We also have a merchandise store where you can get shirts and tote bags with your favorite Classic Tales Covers. Again, links are in the show notes. Tap here to go to the merch store

And check us out on Spotify – our new podcast partner

Okay, I think I’m back in a place where I can begin production on The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and finish the story. There are still 8 hours to record, so it will take a while, but it is happening.

I’m going to try a new thing, though. I’m going to wait until it’s totally complete, and then send out a link to a free copy in one email to all of the current Classic Tales supporters. I will not announce when this will happen, and it will be a one-time type of situation. 

So if you’ve let your membership lapse for whatever reason, It’s time to get back in the game. Thank you so much for your support.

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

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_634_TheImportanceofBeingEarnest_Part4of4.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show!

  

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

 

Direct download: CT_633_TheImportanceofBeingEarnest_Part3of4.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

Though Jack announces that his brother Ernest is dead, what happens when his brother himself appears at Jack’s country home? Oscar Wilde, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And now, The Importance of Being Earnest, Part 2 of 4, by Oscar Wilde.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show!

  

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

  

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

  

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_632_TheImportanceofBeingEarnest_Part2of4.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

Where, (and when) does Dr. Nikolai Rostof disappear to while teaching a classroom full of children? Charles F. Hall, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. If you’ve enjoyed The Classic Tales over the years, please consider becoming a supporting member. We really need your help right now. Making a monthly donation really helps us to create a support flow we can count on. If you can step up with just $5/month, that really helps us out. Go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter. You’ll get a monthly code good for $8 toward any digital audiobook download, as a ‘thank you’ gift. It’s a great deal, and a great feeling. Thank you so much.

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

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

Join us in beta testing the Airr app, and sharing your favorite Classic Tales moments with your friends on social media. Share your AirrQuote with me on my twitter feed, @bjharrisonaudio, and I might give you a shout out and feature you on the podcast! You can find a link to the Airr app in the show notes for this episode.

We’re also on Spotify, who has recently featured our show on one of their curated podcast playlists, “Mind Massage”. Check us out on Spotify!

And now for something completely different.

I am heading out of town with my family this week, and so we’re bringing you a rare story from the vaults.

C.S. Lewis wrote, in his preface to The Great Divorce: “I must acknowledge my debt to a writer whose name I have forgotten and whom I read several years ago in a highly coloured American magazine. The unbendable and unbreakable quality of my heavenly matter was suggested to me by him, although he used the fancy for a different and more ingenious purpose. His hero traveled into the past and there very properly found raindrops that would pierce him like bullets and sandwiches that no strength would bite because, of course, nothing in the past can be altered. If the writer of that story ever reads these lines I ask him to accept my grateful acknowledgment.”

Lewis was wrong about the story appearing in an American magazine. In fact, it appeared in a short-lived British Magazine, Tales of Wonder. And it’s small wonder that the author’s name slipped Lewis’ mind. He published two stories for this obscure magazine in 1938, and then disappeared. Today’s story is the first, and the one that Lewis referred to as influencing his writing in such a unique way.

This recording was originally released in 2011, in Season Five of The Classic Tales Podcast.

Rest assured, we will return to The Importance of Being Earnest next week. 

And now, The Man Who Lived Backward, by Charles F. Hall.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show!

  

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

  

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_631_ManWhoLivedBackwards.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

Who is the owner of the mysterious cigarette case? The answer is anything but simple. Oscar Wilde, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. If you’ve enjoyed The Classic Tales over the years, please consider becoming a supporting member. Making a monthly donation really helps us to create a support flow we can count on. If you can step up with just $5/month, that really helps us out. Go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a monthly supporter. You’ll get a monthly code good for $8 toward any digital audiobook download, as a ‘thank you’ gift. It’s a great deal, and a great feeling. Thank you so much.

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

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

That's why I'm excited to announce that I’m experimenting with a great new tool, Airr, that lets you save and share the best moments of Classic Tales episodes. Their app lets you capture the moments that stand out to you while listening, and then send these clips to your friends or share them on social media.

Airr is a free, iPhone app that is currently in private beta. Now, this isn't a paid sponsorship or an ad of any sort. Instead, the founders are working with me to give Classic Tales listeners early access to the app, which launches publicly this August. You can sign up for early access through the link, which I will also link in the show notes.

And, perhaps most importantly, I want all of you to share your favorite moments from Classic Tales with me! If you use Airr and tweet your favorite moment from the latest episodes @bjharrisonaudio, you might just appear on a Classic Tales episode. Each week, before the story begins, I’ll shoutout the fan who submitted my favorite moment, read their accompanying tweet, and play their clip on the show!

This week we are doing a play that I have adapted into the audiobook format. I’ve done this before with Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Coriolanus. I think I’m finally hit my stride. I’m very happy with the way this turned out. I hope you enjoy it.

And now, The Importance of Being Earnest, Part 1 of 4, by Oscar Wilde.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show!

 

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_630_TheImportanceofBeingEarnest_Part1of4.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:02am MDT

What is the secret desire that needles the reptilian mind of the Mugger of Mugger-Ghaut? Rudyard Kipling, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

 People are picking up Pride and Prejudice tote bags, and t-shirts of The Count of Monte Cristo. Check out our merchandise store! Links can be found in the episode’s details.

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

This week, we hear from Rudyard Kipling. Today’s story comes from the second of his Jungle Book stories.

Not sure if it’s super well known or obvious, but Kipling was a bit of a racist and misogynist. He truly believed that the white man was superior. You can see it in his writing in his attitude toward the indigenous people of India, and the way he depicts the women in this story.

When I run into stuff like this, I don’t think it’s right to ignore it. I also don’t want to cut out the objectionable parts, and pretend that these things didn’t happen. They did. And I think if we look at them and talk about them, it helps to keep them from recurring. I also think it helps to keep these attitudes from gaining acceptance through the revisiting of these pieces.

And now, The Undertakers, by Rudyard Kipling.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

  

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

  

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_629_The_Undertakers.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

  

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

  

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_628_Hand_of_Fu-Manchu_Part8of8.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_627_Hand_of_Fu-Manchu_Part7of8.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

  

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

  

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_626_Hand_of_Fu-Manchu_Part6of8.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

What does the cryptic cypher ZAGAZIG mean, and how can it be used to set a trap for Fu-Manchu’s minions? Sax Rohmer, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. We’re currently struggling a little bit to keep up on our bills to keep the podcast going strong. If you can step up with $5/month, that will really help us out. We’ll give you a thank you code in return to help your audiobook library of the classics continue to grow. Everybody wins, and you get to throw in your voice of support in keeping the Classic Tales Podcast going strong. Thank you so much for your support.

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

 

I recently ordered a long sleeve t-shirt of The Island of Dr. Moreau and a short sleeve tee of Treasure Island. I’m very happy with them. Now, my boys want one, too. Links to our merchandise store, and my invention of the hybrid audiobook are available in the description for this episode.

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

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

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

 

And now, The Hand of Fu-Manchu, part 5 of 7, by Sax Rohmer.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

  

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_625_Hand_of_Fu-Manchu_Part5of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:33am MDT

Why has Sir Baldwin Frazer, England’s most celebrated brain surgeon, been kidnapped by the Si Fan? Sax Rohmer, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

Thank you so much for your support. Since we first started in 2007, this podcast has been downloaded over 20 million times. We are still in the top 5% of all podcasts, and we’ve helped thousands of people become more familiar with the best books ever put to paper. Many thanks to all of you who have stepped up and donated over the years.

Please chip in by going to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com.

If you can step up with $5/month, that really goes a long way. I just love the ‘thank you’ code system we’ve got going. I’ve always tried to over deliver, and when it comes to saying ‘thank you’, I like to go all out. Thank you so much for helping us out.

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

We also have a merchandise store, and my invention of the hybrid audiobook you can check out. Links for all of these are available in the description for this episode.

I hope you are enjoying the bite size portions of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. The Meditations are being released exclusively through the special features on the Classic Tales App. In the app, tap on the box with a bow on the left when you play the episode. That’s the special features area. It’s like a present!

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

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

For those of you who like epic World War III sagas, continue listening after the end of the episode to hear a special sneak peek of a book I have recorded that just recently hit the virtual shelves at Audible. Don’t miss “Battlefield Pacific”, by James Rosone and Miranda Watson. Military adventure that’s profanity free. It’s special to me because it’s also my 500th audiobook.

And now, The Hand of Fu-Manchu, part 4 of 7, by Sax Rohmer.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_624_Hand_of_Fu-Manchu_Part4of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

What critical and deadly mystery surrounds the golden pomegranates? Sax Rohmer, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

For those of you who like supernatural mysteries, continue listening after the end of the episode to hear a special sneak peek of a book I have recorded that just recently hit the virtual shelves at Audible. It’s called “The Keeper”, by T.F. Allen. It’s a page turning thriller with a twist of the supernatural. Now available at Audible.com – just search for “The Keeper”.

Tap here to find "The Keeper", by T.F. Allen on Audible

 

And now, The Hand of Fu-Manchu, part 4 of 7, by Sax Rohmer.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

  

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_623_Hand_of_Fu-Manchu_Part3of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_622_Hand_of_Fu-Manchu_Part2of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:03am MDT

Why has Sir Gregory Hale kept to his room for two weeks in such a paroxysm of frantic paranoia? Sax Rohmer, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

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

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

Now, before we jump in, I really need to say a word about the material. The Fu-Manchu series is basically built around the racist idea of a Yellow Peril. This term is used to express Western fears about East Asian Immigration, and builds on the fear to concoct an idea that someday the East Asians may get too much political and economic power – too much for the existing people in power, that is.

Sax Rohmer was quite a craftsman, using many devices from Sherlock Holmes and other popular detective stories, and integrating them with the contemporary British fear of the immigrants from the East. Seriously, by the time you’re a few minutes in to any Fu-Manchu story, you’re steeped in some serious Chinaphobia.

That being said, you may wonder why I chose to do this title? The reason is that I really think this needs to be looked at and talked about. When we brush racist history under the rug, or try to ignore it, it doesn’t make it go away. It empowers it. It enables it. And we really shouldn’t pretend that it didn’t happen. In coupling his page-turning popular writing with literally vilifying an entire race of people, The Fu-Manchu series brought Chinaphobia into the mainstream. We shouldn’t be okay with that.

And so, as you run into some objectionable stuff today, talk about it with your friends. Point out the problems with your kids. Let’s see where we were, and clean this out of our culture through honest and informed discussion.

If you’d like to learn more, check out Dr. Fu-Manchu and the Rise of Chinaphobia, by British educationalist and writer, Sir Christopher Frayling. 

And now, The Hand of Fu-Manchu, part 1 of 7, by Sax Rohmer.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

  

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

  

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_621_Hand_of_Fu-Manchu_Part1of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

What happens when a person hears the tolling of the bell that still hangs in the ruins of St. Sépulcre? M.P. Shiel, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

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

Today we finish our journey into the purveyors of the ghost story. Next week, we will begin a multipart series of The Hand of Fu-Manchu, book three in the Fu-Manchu series by Sax Roemer. I tell you this now, so you can get caught up if you need to, and listen to the first two books. I’ve priced both The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu, and The Return of Fu-Manchu at 7.99 each. So you can use a coupon code to pick them up, if you haven’t already done so.

In case you can’t tell, I’m a little under the weather today. But fear not, I have another short story I recorded earlier from M.P. Shiel, which fits the bill nicely.

And now, The Bell of St. Sépulcre, by M.P. Shiel.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

  

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_620_BellofStSepulcre.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

Why are the dead suddenly restless in a quiet graveyard in Brittany? Gertrude Atherton, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

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

Today we continue our theme highlighting some of the masters of the ghost story.

Gertrude Atherton was a prolific American author, who lived from 1857 to 1948, and frequently set her novels in her home state of California.

She wrote novels as well as short stories, supernatural horror stories, essays, and articles for magazines and newspapers on such issues as feminism, war, and politics. Today’s story is elegant in so many ways. I hesitate to say more than that. I was thrilled when I discovered Gertrude Atherton. If this is your first introduction into her work, I hope you enjoy it.

And now, The Dead and the Countess, by Gertrude Atherton.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

  

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store! 

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_619_TheDeadandtheCountess.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:54am MDT

Who is the mysterious woman who bewitches our hero? Has she enchanted him before? M.P. Shiel, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. 

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

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

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

And for those of you with the Classic Tales App, check out your special features for more Meditations of Marcus Aurelius - just enough to wet your whistle.

Now, during the month of March, we continue to explore the masters of the ghost story.

Matthew Phipps Shiel , who lived from 1865-1947, was a prolific British writer of West Indian descent. His work was lauded by both H.G. Wells and H.P. Lovecraft as essential to the development of weird fiction. Shiel’s dark imagination continues to influence writers of supernatural fiction to this day. I hope you enjoy today’s story of a courtesan who returns to torment her tormentor.

And now, Xélucha, by M.P. Shiel

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Hear us on roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_618_Xelucha.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:38am MDT

Duels, death and chicanery all cavort with cynical discipline in two stories by the devil’s lexicographer. Ambrose Bierce, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

And for those of you with the Classic Tales App, check out your special features for more Meditations of Marcus Aurelius - just enough to wet your whistle. 

And finally, we are now on the Roku network. If you have a Roku, which is kind of like Chromecast, where you plug it into your tv, and can stream media, you can now listen to The Classic Tales through your Roku. We are on the Audiobooks Network Channel. A link is also in the show details. Alice in Wonderland is available to stream for free on The Audiobook Networks.

And now for something completely different. Ambrose Bierce is kind of like Mark Twain without a filter. His gift for writing is undeniable, but his stories always have a biting wit that sometimes can bite pretty deep.

For the month of March, we’ll be having Moonlight March, where we’ll be featuring writers who have a distinct proficiency in the medium of the ghost story. Today we’ll have first a bit of a jocular tale called “The City of the Gone Away”, followed by the chiller, “The Middle Toe of the Right Foot”.

H.P. Lovecraft said of Bierce, “Virtually all of Bierce’s tales are tales of horror; and whilst many of them treat only of the physical and psychological horrors within Nature, a substantial proportion admit the malignly supernatural and form a leading element in America’s fund of weird literature”. 

And now, The City of the Gone Away, and The Middle Toe of the Right Foot, by Ambrose Bierce.

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to check out The Hybrid Audiobook - Developed and Patented by B.J. Harrison

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Listen to us on Roku:

 

 

Direct download: CT_617_Middle_Toe_of_the_Right_Foot.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

Bertie and Bingo both find themselves knee deep in the proverbial consommé, and Jeeves must rally round before we come to our ripping finish. P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

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

We have had a few developments at The Classic Tales this last week. I’m not sure how many of you are familiar with the Roku technology, but I may have some news about this in the up and coming weeks. Should be fun.

Also, I’m going to begin producing regularly special content for those who have the Classic Tales App. In the special features, you’ll find every week, a brief audio segment of a longer poetical or philosophical work.

I’ve noticed that there is something about hearing poetry or listening to the amazing scholars from the past that really hits a special note deep down inside. Now, the problem is, they can wear out their welcome pretty quickly. And so, we’re going to have just a smattering of the good stuff on the reg, as it were. We are going to start with The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.

Marcus Aurelius was one of the stoic philosophers, as was Epictetus who penned the most famous Enchiridion. Now, the thing that really struck me about the Meditations is when I discovered that these incredible, uplifting and memorable words were not written for the annals of history. They weren’t written for his contemporaries, or even his family’s perusal. These meditations were written for Aurelius and Aurelius himself. These are the intimate innerworkings of an incredible mind, written as he travelled from battlefield to battlefield. And through his triumphs and his losses, he records his meditations for his own later contemplation.

Enough’s as good as a feast. So if you have the app, check out your special features. I hope you like it.

 

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

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

 

Direct download: CT_616_Inimitable_Jeeves_Part9of9.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:38am MDT

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

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

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

We also have several other ways to support the podcast.

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

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

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

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

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

  

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

 

Direct download: CT_615_Inimitable_Jeeves_Part8of9.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

Will Bingo edge out a rival for the affections of his latest amour? Jeeves thinks this one’s a winner. P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well, you probably noticed that the number of parts changed in today’s title. Usually I’m better at this, but I wanted to take old Pelham Grenville Wodehouse as I found him. And so, I’ve been splitting the podcast episodes up when I got to a good stopping place. The problem was, when I got to part 6 of 7, I still had 30% of the book left. So, we’ll just keep stretching out the good times, if you don’t mind.

And now, The Inimitable Jeeves, part 7 of 9, by P.G. Wodehouse

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

 

 

Direct download: CT_614_Inimitable_Jeeves_Part7of9.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

Direct download: CT_613_Inimitable_Jeeves_Part6of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

Bingo Little is in love…again. Will he secure the affections of the latest woman of his dreams, even through he must wear a disguise? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

And now, The Inimitable Jeeves, part 5 of 7, by P.G. Wodehouse 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

  

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

 

Direct download: CT_612_Inimitable_Jeeves_Part5of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:10am MDT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

 

Direct download: CT_611_Inimitable_Jeeves_Part4of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT

Will Bertie’s scheme to help Bingo Little come off without a hitch, or are there many more spring-ready hitches hiding in the bushes? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

I had the opportunity last week of chatting with Rob Walsh, podcasting guru and executive at Libsyn, the largest podcast hosting company. We took a look at my statistics, and it seems that The Classic Tales Podcast is in the top 5% of all current podcasts. Like, all of them. There are 639,000 currently updated podcasts, and mine is in the top 5%. Congratulations for listening to a winner!

Rob also mentioned that the largest genre of new podcasts is business podcasts. I asked what he meant. He said that the podcast is to businesses what websites were 13 years ago. Everybody needs one, and everyone’s getting one. It gives your business a voice, and creates a unique space where you can engage with your clients and customers.

Your clients love to hear how you develop your product, or come up with your ideas. They’d love to hear to describe your creative process, or how you overcame crazy obstacles. Hey, I know content creation, and I can help make it happen.

So if you’d like to have a podcast for your business, let me help you. I can help to develop, write, record and set up your very own podcast. And the kind folks at Libsyn have worked out a deal with me where if you hire me to help to set up your podcast, you can get your first TWO months of podcast hosting free.

Maybe you’re a writer wanting to expand your readership. Maybe you’re a new company with an amazing product. Maybe you’d like to polish your brand with added sophistication. Podcasting can take you to the next level, and I can help you get there.

If you would like me to develop a podcast for your business, please send me an email at: bj@thebestaudiobooks.com. Only a limited number of slots are available. I’d love to work with you.

And now, The Inimitable Jeeves, part 3 of 7, by P.G. Wodehouse

 

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter! 

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

 

Direct download: CT_610_Inimitable_Jeeves_Part3of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:20am MDT

How can Jeeves help to keep Aunt Agatha from hounding Bertie to marry, when he’s turned frosty about a certain scarlet cummerbund? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it, but do you know why you don’t hear a whole bunch of credits at the end of the show? That’s because this show is a bit of a one-man band.

Where other podcasts and shows have artists to come up with the artwork, producers to choose the content, directors to direct and actors to narrate the piece, copywriters to write any additional copy, proofing editors to proof the audio against inconsistencies, audio engineers to mix the audio, marketers to load the podcast and announce the show on social media, and run the website, well, here at The Classic Tales, we just have one person to do all of that. Just lil’ old me.

And we have just started our 13th season.

So if you’re wondering why you don’t hear of any amazing sponsors or partners, that’s because there aren’t any.

And when you subscribe to pay $5 or $10 a month. That money doesn’t go to some corporate account we’re hiding on the sly. If there’s any left over after covering the expenses of the podcast, I buy groceries with it. Seriously, I do. I did it today.

Thank you so much for supporting the podcast, and my efforts to bring these amazing stories to life.

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

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

 

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

 

 

Direct download: CT_609_Inimitable_Jeeves_Part2of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 9:57pm MDT

How can Jeeves help Bertie’s friend Bingo Little get out of the soup? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

And if you’re in the mood for more hands on stuff, we also have our merchandise store, where you can order t-shirts, hoodies, tote bags and other merchandise sporting your favorite Classic Tales covers.

And you can also check out our new innovation: The Hybrid Audiobook by clicking in the link in the show notes.

Thank you again for your generous support.

Today we celebrate the end of the 20-year freeze of the public domain. Four days ago, The Inimitable Jeeves entered the public domain, along with two Agatha Christie novels, and works by Edith Wharton and many, many others. And going forward, every year more will be released, and soon the works of Steinbeck, Hemingway and others will be free to produce through the podcast. It’s gonna be great!

It’s been so fun to revisit my old friends Wooster and Jeeves.

And now, The Inimitable Jeeves, part 1 of 7, by P.G. Wodehouse

Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!

Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook

 

 

Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!

 

 

Direct download: CT_607_Inimitable_Jeeves_Part1of7.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:30am MDT