The Classic Tales Podcast
By B.J. Harrison
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Podcast Description
The Classic Tales Podcast delivers professional performances of unabridged classics. Enjoy classic short fiction from Poe, Dickens, Hardy, and others. Performed by character actor B.J. Harrison.
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
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1 |
Episode 264, The Golden Anaconda, Part 1 of 2, by Elmer Brown Mason | While capturing anacondas in the jungles of South America, adventurer Wandering Smith spies an orchid hunter, fleeing from a troupe of angry natives spewing poisoned arrows. But when this orchid hunter joins the hunting expedition, it becomes clear that | 6/1/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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2 |
Episode 263, Tom Sawyer, part 10 of 10, by Mark Twain | Many have given up Becky and Tom as lost for good. After three days lost in the darkness of the caves, all hope seems to have petered out. How will they escape from the cave? How will they escape from Injun Joe? Mark Twain, today, on The Classic Tales P | 5/25/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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3 |
Episode 262, Tom Sawyer, part 9 of 10, by Mark Twain | Becky Thatcher returns from her long visit to her relations. She celebrates by persecuting her parents into agreeing to host the long promised picnic near McDougal's Caves. But when Tom and Becky don't return with the rest of the party, the whole town beg | 5/18/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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4 |
Episode 261, Tom Sawyer, part 8 of 10, by Mark Twain | All boys at some time or other get a hankering to search for buried treasure. But when Tom and Huck decide to explore the haunted house, they accidently discover more than what they bargained for. Mark Twain, today, on The Classic Tales Podcast. | 5/11/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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5 |
Episode 260, Tom Sawyer, part 7 of 10, by Mark Twain | School ends in a singularly dramatic fashion. But Tom Sawyer finds the summer vacation time weighs heavily on his hands. But when the murder trial comes up, the boys are forced into a choice between what is right, and what is easy. Mark Twain, today, on | 5/4/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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6 |
Episode 259, Tom Sawyer, part 6 of 10, by Mark Twain | Tom's secret is revealed, and the red-handed pirates return to civilization through one of the most famous scenes in literature. Mark Twain, today, on The Classic Tales Podcast. | 4/27/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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7 |
Episode 258, Tom Sawyer, part 5 of 10, by Mark Twain | Well, it looks like the abuses of home and hearth cannot be endured any longer. And Tom Sawyer makes a life changing decision - he will lead a life of crime, and become a pirate. With Joe Harper and Huckleberry Finn by his side, this small band of miscrea | 4/20/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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8 |
Episode 257, Tom Sawyer, part 4 of 10, by Mark Twain | A grave is robbed, and a man is murdered - right in front of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Will any amount of blood oaths and schoolboy superstitions keep them safe? What will happen when Sid hears Tom talking in his sleep? Mark Twain, today, on The C | 4/12/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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9 |
Episode 256, Tom Sawyer, part 3 of 10, by Mark Twain | Devils, witches and other superstitions haunt the imaginations of Tom and Huck. They concoct a great way for getting rid of warts - but they'll need a recently dead felon, a graveyard at midnight, and a dead cat. Mark Twain, today, on The Classic Tales | 4/5/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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10 |
Episode 255, Tom Sawyer, part 2 of 10, by Mark Twain | Sunday School is a definite point in the week. For Tom Sawyer, it's not a particularly high one. From having to wash, wear uncomfortable clothes, and above all- wearing shoes, how is a boy to survive? Mark Twain, today, on The Classic Tales Podcast. | 3/29/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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11 |
Episode 254, Tom Sawyer, part 1 of 10, by Mark Twain | Tom Sawyer emanates self-confidence wherever he goes. With his buddy Huck Finn, pretty Becky Thatcher, cantankerous Aunt Polly and a host of others, let's begin a journey to the time of riverboats, fishin' holes, and midnight grave robbers. Mark Twain, to | 3/23/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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12 |
Phantom of the Opera Sample | A malicious spectre haunts the Parisian Opera house. This murderous fiend speaks through walls, abducts innocents through mirrors, and holds the opera management in a cruel state of hostage. But when this monster falls for the beautiful Christine Daae, hi | 3/16/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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13 |
Episode 253, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Part 5 of 5 | Poison, Swordplay, Vengence. Now is everything revealed, and the whirlwind of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark comes to its tragic and dramatic conclusion. William Shakespeare, today, on The Classic Tales Podcast. | 3/16/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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14 |
Episode 252, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Part 4 of 5 | The hunter becomes the hunted. Because of his bloody deed, Hamlet must pit wits with the King, who begins a stealthy campaign for his nephew's destruction. William Shakespeare, today, on The Classic Tales Podcast. | 3/9/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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15 |
Episode 251, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Part 3 of 5 | The crafty play wrings a vehement reaction from the king, and Hamlet resolves anew to avenge himself of his father's unnatural murder. But in the high emotions of the moment, mistaken identity brings about a sudden and violent tragedy. William Shakespeare | 3/2/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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16 |
Episode 250, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Part 2 of 5 | Every soul wonders at Hamlet's apparent madness. Friends are recruited, and a troupe of traveling players comes to offer artistic distraction. But unbeknownst to them all, Hamlet hatches a scheme to trap a murderer into confession. William Shakespeare, to | 2/24/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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17 |
Episode 249, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Part 1 of 5 | The ghost of a murdered king calls upon his son to avenge him, and an epic presentation of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark begins. William Shakespeare, today, on The Classic Tales Podcast. | 2/17/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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18 |
Episode 248, The 39 Steps, Part 6 of 6, by John Buchan | Hannay takes the lead in a frantic manhunt for the German spies that have so adeptly eluded the greatest minds in Britain. What are his only clues? The fact that high tide is at 10:17, and the enigmatic phrase: 39 steps. John Buchan, today, on The Classic | 2/10/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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19 |
Episode 247, The 39 Steps, Part 5 of 6, by John Buchan | Hannay finds a sort of safety in the home of Sir Walter Bullivant. Here he breathes a sigh of relief, only to have his stomach tie itself into knots. For the higher echelon of British Intelligence isn't what it seems. John Buchan, today, on The Classic Ta | 2/3/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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20 |
Episode 246, The 39 Steps, Part 4 of 6, by John Buchan | While fleeing from the hordes of volunteers who are scouring the countryside for him, Richard Hannay ducks into a country house. But this house holds a death more certain than any punishment the police can invent. John Buchan, today, on The Classic Tales | 1/26/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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21 |
Episode 245, The 39 Steps, Part 3 of 6, by John Buchan | Richard Hannay finds he can't compete with the resources of the German spies. He finds himself surrounded by informants wherever he turns, culminating in a face to face interview with the leaders of the spy ring. How will he escape? Find out, today, on T | 1/19/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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22 |
Episode 244, The 39 Steps, Part 2 of 6, by John Buchan | On the run from the police and international assassins, Richard Hannay flees across Scotland. All the while, seeking to decode the mysterious black book of the murdered agent that lay pinned to his apartment floor, back in London. John Buchan, today, on | 1/12/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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23 |
Episode 243, The 39 Steps, Part 1 of 6, by John Buchan | Richard Hannay is bored out of his skull with London. That is, until he is stopped on the street by a desperate man who tells him an outlandish tale of political turmoil and intrigue. But as the story deepens, Hannay himself is soon absorbed into the web | 1/5/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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24 |
Episode 242, The Man Who Lived Backwards, by Charles F. Hall | Where can you find a world where raindrops cut through you like bullets, and sandwiches are as hard as concrete? Why, in the past of course. For the past cannot be altered. Journey backwards in time, today, on The Classic Tales Podcast. | 12/30/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 24 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
Great Stories
Great selection of literature, that is flawlessly read by Mr. Harrison. Mr. Harrison's enthusiasm and character voices draw you in, and every podcast leaves you well entertained. His purpose is to bring back those classic stories,and it is being acheived outstandingly. You will be surprised, as was I, when you listen to how well this podcast is produced.
Just what I want
The selection of tales is nearly perfect for what is available. People who have complained need to realize a few things: 1) Mr Harrison has to choose short stories from the public domain. It just so happens that most "classic tales" are already there. 2) Many classic tales are, uh, by definition OLD. Complaining about the narrator's "accent" makes little sense. Mr Harrison has to choose a voice that doesn't sound like it's someone from 2008. Some people have wondered why he sounds British--well, urm, a few centuries ago many Americans were only a few generations removed from England, and most of the authors showcased in this podcast are from nineteenth-century America or else actually from England. Does Mr Harrison's accent sound phony? I don't know, I never really thought of it as an "accent" but as an effected (and effective) reading voice. I'm an American living in Britain--but like most people I'm not two hundred years old, so I've never heard "accents" from a century or a century and a half ago on either side of the Atlantic. I would imagine that genuine voices of people from those times would inescapably sound "phony" to some listeners today. Moreover, this artificial quality is sort of the point. If I'm listening to Dickens read aloud, it would displease me NOT to hear a Victorian-era voice. If I'm listening to Twain, I want to hear an old American accent much like the one Mr Harrison provides. Is his reading voice perfect? No, but I think it's very good. Do I think he puts a lot of emotion into certain passages? Yes. Too much emotion? Sometimes I think so, when I'm not particularly into the story. But I don't think he "hams it up" too much. I've never found his voice or accent to be a problem. Sometimes I want reverence and (slightly reserved) enthusiasm for the classics. Sometimes I want to hear sophistication and excitement for our American literary heritage and the heritage of many European writers from the past centuries. Not only is it escapism--to imagine how these authors lived, how they managed to write--but it is edifying. This podcast gives me that once a week. I love it. It's a shame that there aren't other podcasts like it, completing with it, being inspired by it, trying to outdo it, just as those featured writers from centuries ago were inspired by each other with each tale. ...I don't understand one reviewer's "Frasier Crane" comment. Frasier Crane wasn't British, but I guess anything "smart sounding" must be British, right? I guess "talking smart" is just an intolerable crime to some ears. Maybe when Mr Harrison reads some of these sophisticated or wordy, purple-prose authors (e.g. Poe) he should just not read the words that are there or read them in more of a Homer Simpson voice? Thank God for this podcast. It's my one hour a week of contemporary entertainment media that is actually smart, enjoyable and literary.
Very high quality and value!
I'm always impressed when someone takes their huge talent and a large chunk of their time and gives it away for free. B.J. Harrisson has a beautiful voice and does a wonderful job of bringing to life all the characters in these classic stories. Some I've heard, some are new to me, but they are all wonderful. Thank you for upping the turn-out to once a week! This is right up there with Wait-wait and This American Life on my list of the podcasts I most look forward to every week. You will not be disappointed!
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