The Classic Tales Podcast

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Ep. 727, Armageddon 2419 A D, Part 1 of 3, by Philip Francis Nowlan

The Classic Tales Podcast

04/16/21 • 73 min

Ep. 683, Scaramouche, Part 2 of 12, by Raphael Sabatini

The Classic Tales Podcast

06/12/20 • 78 min

How will Andre-Louis find satisfaction for the murder of his friend, when the law fails him? Raphael Sabatini, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

Thank you to all of our financial supporters. With us giving away so much free material during this time of the pandemic, we need your help more than ever. We’re actually feeling another wave of the virus here in Utah, and things are still pretty topsy-turvy. Thank you so much for helping us stay afloat.

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

You can find the free audiobooks here:

App users can hear Sonnet 94 from William Shakespeare in their special features this week.

Friday, we’ll find out if The Hunchback of Notre Dame wins an Independent Audiobook Award. As of the posting of this episode, I don’t know the result. I’ll be sure to let you know during next week’s episode.

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

Last week, we met our hero, Andre-Louis, a lawyer who was born into the upper-ish classes, and sympathized with them. His friend, Phillipe de Vilmorin, was a seminarist, and was seeking redress of grievances for a poor gameskeeper, Mabey, who had been killed for taking a pheasant from a trap on the Marquis de la Tour d’Azyr’s land. The Marquis had ordered that Mabey be shot, and Phillipe was seeking some settlement for poor Mabey’s widow and children.

It seems the injustice in this week’s episode strikes home rather sharply.

And now, Scaramouche, Part 2 of 12, by Raphael Sabatini

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Ep. 669, Leave it to Psmith, part 1of10, by P.G. Wodehouse

The Classic Tales Podcast

03/06/20 • 61 min

How could Freddy Threepwood possibly raise £3,000 to help a dear relative? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

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

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

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

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Today’s story is by P.G. Wodehouse, and begins the novel Leave it to Psmith (the ‘P’ is silent): part 2 of the Blandings Castle series. The first in the series was Something New, where we met Lord Emsworth, Freddy Threepwood, Beach, Baxter and many others. I’ve tried to keep the character voices consistent with Something New, which we did back in 2014.

A note on the title: Wodehouse has placed the letter “P” in front of the name “Smith”, for reasons which will be explained later on. In the audiobook format, you don’t see that, and miss out on the joke.

And so, rather than try to enunciate “Psmith”, for the audiobook version, I’ll add the term: “The ‘P’ is silent” when it seems appropriate. This is simply to try to convey in audio form, the joke that those who are reading visually get to enjoy.

And now, Leave it to Psmith, part 1 of 10, by P.G. Wodehouse.

Ep. 967, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Part 7 of 9, by Jules Verne

The Classic Tales Podcast

09/20/24 • 65 min

What vicious new dangers lurk in the subterranean sea? Can our explorers hope to cross it? Jules Verne, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

The Vintage Episode for the week is “Oh Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad”, a ghost story by M.R. James. Be sure to check it out on Tuesday.

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

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

It’s looking like The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, by B. Traven is going to be available October 3rd. Preorder pricing will continue until then! If you’re a fan of the film, you’ve got to pick up the audiobook. A link can be found in the show notes, or you can go to classictalesaudiobooks.com and click the appropriate button.

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

And now, “A Journey to the Center of the Earth”, Part 7 of 9, by Jules Verne.

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Ep. 994, A Visit from St. Nicholas, by Clement Moore VINTAGE

The Classic Tales Podcast

12/24/24 • 6 min

T’was the Night Before Christmas – you know how it goes. Clement Moore, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

If you’d like to give the gift of The Classic Tales Audiobook Library to someone during this festive season, you’re in luck. For a limited time, our lifetime passes are 60% off, and what’s more – you can give it as a gift.

This product is not always available, has never been giftable before, and never goes on sale. Go to classictalesaudiobooks.com and get the perfect gift for the Classic Tales enthusiast on your list – a lifetime pass.

But of course, any way you’d like to support the show is welcome. Pick up some titles, or choose from the many support options available. Thank you so much!

This little poem we’re reading today profoundly influenced the American tradition of Santa Claus. Moore had St. Nicholas coming on Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas Day, as did Washington Irving, in his Old Christmas series of essays. The Christmas visitor had many different influences at the time, and the popularity of this poem solidified the character of Santa Claus. Often referred to as “T’was the Night Before Christmas”, it was originally published in 1823.

And now, A Visit from St. Nicholas, by Clement Moore

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Ep. 997, The Maltese Falcon, Part 1 of 8, by Dashiell Hammett

The Classic Tales Podcast

01/03/25 • 56 min

Spade and Archer get hired to tail a shady guy named Floyd Thursby... and one of the greatest detective novels begins. Dashiell Hammett, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

I’m so very grateful to all our supporters who have helped us during this holiday season. If you’d like to ensure the future of The Classic Tales, please visit the website, classictalesaudiobooks.com, and either make a donation, buy an audiobook, or pick up one of our many support options.

And if you can’t support us monetarily, leave us a review or share an episode with a friend. It all helps.

The Boston Globe said, “Dashiell Hammett is a master of the detective novel, yes, but also one hell of a writer.” The London Times Literary Supplement said, “The Maltese Falcon is not only probably the best detective story we have ever read, it is an exceedingly well written novel.”. I am inclined to agree.

The characters are economically written, yes. But Hammett also pauses to set the stage and create a dynamic ambiance in a masterful way. The way he describes Spade’s apartment, or the breeze through the window blowing the cigarette ash on his desk. There are many elements of brilliance with this book, and I’m so excited it’s entered the public domain.

There is a little more course language in this story than in our usual fare, and as with nearly all detective novels of the time, it’s got its share of homophobia and misogyny. Take the time to pause the show and point it out to your kids.

And now, The Maltese Falcon, Part 1 of 8, by Dashiell Hammett.

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Ep. 677, Leave it to Psmith, part 9of10, by P.G. Wodehouse

The Classic Tales Podcast

05/01/20 • 61 min

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can find the free audiobooks here:

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

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

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

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

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Ep. 660, The Lifted Veil, part 1 of 2, by George Eliot

The Classic Tales Podcast

01/03/20 • 70 min

Are the dreamlike musings of a sensitive intellectual truly predictive, or merely the result of an overactive imagination? George Eliot, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

Many, many thanks to our 340 members who support us regularly. Each episode of The Classic Tales Podcast is initially downloaded over 10,000 times in the course of a week from the time it’s released, and we are so grateful for all of our supporters who have stepped up and helped to sustain us. 2020 marks the beginning of our 14th season, and we’d love to keep on going.

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.

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.

This week we are showcasing the amazing work of George Eliot, the pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans. A good friend of mine, Morag Kawasaki, did a recent research project showcasing the role of women in romantic and Victorian literature. George Eliot/Mary Ann Evans came up time and time again as the most important female author at this time. Some key takeaways were: women weren’t judged against the published men of the time, they were only reviewed against each other.

They were also held to a much higher standard than the male writers of the time. Also, Eliot not only spoke but translated four languages: English, German, Greek and Hebrew.

Henry James, when writing about her novel Middlemarch, pointed to the ‘constant presence of thought, of generalizing instinct, of brain’ and he paid passionate tribute to Eliot’s ‘intellectual vigor, her immense facility, her exemption of cerebral lassitude’”.

Today’s story is about an intellectual, who, after suffering an illness, realizes he has gained the ability to read the thoughts of those around him. His name is Latimer, which means ‘one who interprets Latin’. Even this person’s name is indicative of understanding that which is hidden to most others.

The command of the language, and this ability of Eliot’s to see what others don’t are elegantly evident. I hope you like it.

App users can read Morag’s entire research project, The Journey of the Romantic & Victorian Female Author in their special features for this week’s episode.

And now, The Lifted Veil, Part 1 of 2, by George Eliot.

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

Ep. 989, The Fir Tree, by Hans Christian Andersen

The Classic Tales Podcast

12/06/24 • 24 min

Where will the little fir tree’s burning desire for adventure take him? Hans Christian Andersen, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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

Well, we’re in a bit of a fix, and we need your help. And as usual, I’ve left it until the last minute. Last year, Cilla was diagnosed with breast cancer. She’s fine, now. She’d had her surgery and is now considered cancer-free. But we’re still dealing with the aftermath, and let’s just say it’s a pretty blue Christmas around here.

We’re about to start season 19 of the podcast, and I honestly don’t know how I’ve kept the lights on this long. But it’s been my absolute joy to do this show. I’m so very grateful to all of our supporters who have and do support us, but I’m afraid I need your help again. If you’d like to ensure The Classic Tales keeps going strong, please visit the website, classictalesaudiobooks.com, and either make a donation, or pick up one of our many support options.

Not looking to get rich, here. Just trying to make it through this rough patch. So if you can lend a hand, we’d really appreciate it.

And now, “The Fir Tree”, by Hans Christian Andersen.

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