The Classic Tales Podcast

B.J. Harrison
  • 4.7 (2.4K)
  • FICTION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
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 Invisible Eye, by Erckmann-Chatrian VINTAGE

    21 HR. AGO

    The Invisible Eye, by Erckmann-Chatrian VINTAGE

    In a certain chamber on the second story of a wayside inn, men hang themselves. Nobody knows for certain the spell of this benighted room. Erckmann-Chatrian, 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 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 writing duo of Emile Erckmann and Louis Alexandre Chatrian has produced some of the most chilling and influential supernatural fiction in the genre. At the height of their success, they were known as “The Twins”. Their work was quite well known in England, and M.R. James and H.P. Lovecraft have both spoken highly of the duo’s weird fiction.   And now, “The Invisible Eye”, by Erckmann-Chatrian.       Follow this link to save 60% on a giftable lifetime pass for the entire Classic Tales Audiobook Library     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:

    45 min
  2. The Maltese Falcon, Part 2 of 8, by Dashiell Hammett

    4 DAYS AGO

    The Maltese Falcon, Part 2 of 8, by Dashiell Hammett

    With the police running after him with their noses to the ground, Sam Spade needs some answers from his client - starting with who she really is. Dashiell Hammett, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.   Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.   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.   Today we continue with The Maltese Falcon.   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 2 of 8, by Dashiell Hammett.       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:

    43 min
  3. The Castaway, by W. W. Jacobs VINTAGE

    JAN 7

    The Castaway, by W. W. Jacobs VINTAGE

    Mr. Boxer comes home after years believed lost at sea. Maybe. Can a suspicious mother-in-law and a fortune teller suss out the truth? W. W. Jacobs, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.   Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.   Many thanks to all who stepped up your support this 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.   And now, “The Castaway”, by W. W. Jacobs.       Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:       Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:       Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:     Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:     Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

    34 min
  4. The Maltese Falcon, Part 1 of 8, by Dashiell Hammett

    JAN 3

    The Maltese Falcon, Part 1 of 8, by Dashiell Hammett

    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.       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:

    58 min
  5. A Diamond As Big As the Ritz, by F. Scott Fitzgerald VINTAGE

    12/31/2024

    A Diamond As Big As the Ritz, by F. Scott Fitzgerald VINTAGE

    Does Percy’s dad own a diamond larger than the Ritz-Carlton Hotel? If so, why hasn’t anyone else heard about it? F. Scott Fitzgerald, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.   Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.   This is the last day that our lifetime passes are 60% off.   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!   And now, “A Diamond as Big as the Ritz”, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.       Follow this link to save 60% on a giftable lifetime pass for the entire Classic Tales Audiobook Library     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:

    1h 41m
  6. Teacher Jensen, by Karin Michaëlis

    12/27/2024

    Teacher Jensen, by Karin Michaëlis

    A school next to a prison is no joke – for the prison looks like a castle, and the prisoners all wear black masks outside. Karin Michaëlis, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.   Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.   I hope you’re all having a wonderful holiday. I’m so very grateful to all our supporters who have helped us during this rough patch. 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.   We’re just trying to make it through this rough patch. So, if you can lend a hand, we’d really appreciate it. Lifetime passes are still 60% off until the end of the month, so this is your last chance to take advantage of this offer.   Karin Michaëlis, who lived from 1872 to 1950, was a Danish journalist and author. Over the course of 50 years, Karin Michaëlis wrote more than 50 books in Danish, German, and English. Her works have been translated into more than 23 languages from their original Danish. Michaëlis' most famous novel, The Dangerous Age has been championed as a groundbreaking work on women's rights. It has since been adapted for film several times.     And now, Teacher Jensen, by Karin Michaëlis.      Limited time offer: Get a Lifetime Access pass for 60%off     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:

    25 min
  7. A Visit from St. Nicholas, by Clement Moore VINTAGE

    12/24/2024

    A Visit from St. Nicholas, by Clement Moore VINTAGE

    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      Follow this link to save 60% on a giftable lifetime pass for the entire Classic Tales Audiobook Library     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:

    8 min
  8. Christmas Around the World, by Various Authors

    12/20/2024

    Christmas Around the World, by Various Authors

    Shepherds, grandmothers and ice skates - Christmas stories from around the world, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.   Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.   I’d like to thank those of you who have helped us out these last couple of weeks. In case you missed it, Cilla was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. She’s fine, now. She’d had her surgery and is now considered cancer-free. But those cancer bills are no joke.   I’m so very grateful to all our supporters who have and do support us, but I’m afraid I need your help again. 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.   We’re just trying to make it through this rough patch. So, if you can lend a hand, we’d really appreciate it. Lifetime passes are still 60% off until the end of the month.   The following four stories were collected in the volume Christmas Stories and Legends, compiled by Phebe A. Curtiss. The stories were chosen based on their merit for teaching moral lessons, primarily to children.     And now, Christmas Around the World, by various authors.     Limited time offer: Get a Lifetime Access pass for 60%off     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:

    51 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.7
out of 5
2,399 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.

Information

  • Creator
    B.J. Harrison
  • Years Active
    2007 - 2025
  • Episodes
    397
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Performance Copyright 2024
  • Show Website
    The Classic Tales Podcast

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