The Classic Tales Podcast

B.J. Harrison
The Classic Tales Podcast

Every week, join award-winning narrator B.J. Harrison as he narrates the greatest stories the world has ever known. From the jungles of South America to the Mississippi Delta, from Victorian England to the sands of the Arabian desert, join us on a fantastic journey through the words of the world's greatest authors. Critically-acclaimed and highly recommended for anyone who loves a good story with plenty of substance.

  1. The Black Monk, Part 1 of 2, by Anton Chekhov

    4 DAYS AGO

    The Black Monk, Part 1 of 2, by Anton Chekhov

    Legends tell of a spectral Black Monk who last appeared a thousand years ago. When he appears to Kovrin, does it mean he insane or inspired? Anton Chekhov, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.   Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.   The Vintage Episode for the week is “Frankenstein, Part 8 of 8”, by Mary Shelley. 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. I think you’ll find we make it worth your while.     Insanity or inspiration? Today’s story follows Kovrin, an overworked scholar and young professor, who takes a long break in visiting the family who raised him. But when he sees the fabled Black Monk, is it a sign of insanity? Or is it inspiration? Chekhov explores themes of the selfish genius, contrasting that with selfless sacrificing for family. I hope you like it.   And now, “The Black Monk”, Part 1 of 2, by Anton Chekhov.     Follow this link to order The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, by B. Traven     Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:     Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:     Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:     Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:     Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:       Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

    55 min
  2. Asleep in Armageddon, by Ray Bradbury

    15 NOV

    Asleep in Armageddon, by Ray Bradbury

    After a crash landing while waiting for the rescue ship, Leonard Sale has food, water, air, everything he should need. Now, he just needs to get some sleep… Ray Bradbury, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.   Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.   The Vintage Episode for the week is “Frankenstein, Part 7 of 8”, by Mary Shelley. 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. I think you’ll find we make it worth your while.     I feel like Ray Bradbury almost needs no introduction. As a kid in the 80s, I was astounded at the Disney film, Something Wicked This Way Comes. It ticked all the boxes to my young mind. When I was in high school, I discovered the richness of his storytelling in Dandelion Wine. When I discovered audiobooks, I heard him read to me The Martian Chronicles. He was a great friend of Ray Harryhausen, the great pioneer of stop motion fantasy and adventure films in the 70s and 80s. My father-in-law painted something for Mr. Bradbury, who wrote him back, saying that he had placed his art above his typewriter. Ray Bradbury died in 2012.   Today’s story was originally written in 1948, in the winter edition of Planet Stories. After extensive research it appears the copyright was not renewed.   And now, “Asleep in Armageddon”, by Ray Bradbury.     Follow this link to order The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, by B. Traven     Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:     Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:     Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:     Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:     Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:     Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

    42 min
  3. Psychology, by Katherine Mansfield

    8 NOV

    Psychology, by Katherine Mansfield

    Can two people really communicate wordlessly with one another? Katherine Mansfield, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.   Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.   The Vintage Episode for the week is “Frankenstein, Part 6 of 8”, by Mary Shelley. 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. I think you’ll find we make it worth your while.     I learned about Katherine Mansfield from the Pens and Poison Podcast. Professor Alex Moffett talked extensively with host Liza LEEza Libes about Telepathy in literature. I’ve included a link to the episode in the show notes.   Apparently, today’s story, written in 1920, is one of the first instances of communicating telepathically in fiction. Keep in mind it was written over a hundred years ago. It reads like contemporary fiction to me. Mansfield was a friend of Virginia Woolf, and you can really feel her influence, as we weave in and out of the thoughts of each character. It’s almost an experimental piece, feeling out the world of unspoken communication. I hope you like it.   And now, “Psychology”, by Katherine Mansfield.   Follow this link to hear the Pens and Poison episode about Telepathy in Literature with professor Alex Moffett.     Follow this link to order The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, by B. Traven     Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:     Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:     Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:     Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:     Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:     Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:

    24 min
  4. 1 NOV

    A Thumbprint and What Came of It, by Mark Twain

    How can a Civil War era murder be solved with a thumb print? Mark Twain, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.   Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.   The Vintage Episode for the week is “Frankenstein, Part 5 of 8”, by Mary Shelley. 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.   Today’s program is part of the larger anthology “For the Blood Is the Life, and Other Creepy Tales”, a collection of classic spooky stories curated by me, and narrated by the Utah Audiobook Narrators. We each took a story and ran with it! So if you like today’s tale, follow the link in the show notes to pick up your copy of this collection of creepy classics – narrated by my Utah Audiobook Narrator friends.     Today’s story is taken from Chapter 31 from Life on the Mississippi. Twain was fascinated with the new science that came from fingerprinting, and also used it as a plot device in his novella Pudd’nhead Wilson.   And now, “A Thumb Print, and What Came of It”, by Mark Twain.   Follow this link to get “For the Blood Is the Life, and Other Creepy Classics” narrated by the Utah Audiobook Narrators.     Follow this link to order The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, by B. Traven     Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:     Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:     Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:     Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:     Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

    42 min

Hosts & Guests

4.5
out of 5
193 Ratings

About

Every week, join award-winning narrator B.J. Harrison as he narrates the greatest stories the world has ever known. From the jungles of South America to the Mississippi Delta, from Victorian England to the sands of the Arabian desert, join us on a fantastic journey through the words of the world's greatest authors. Critically-acclaimed and highly recommended for anyone who loves a good story with plenty of substance.

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