Classic Ghost Stories

Charles DickensCharles John Huffam Dickens was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England in 1812. He died in Higham, Kent in 1879, aged only 58 and was buried at Poet's Corner, Westminster Abbey—a high honour indeed.Dickens's writing was very popular during his lifetime and he was recognised as a literary genius by the 20th Century.His first success was The Pickwick Papers in 1836, when he was 24. He had been forced to go to work in a factory rather than school. Dickens worked pasting on labels on pots of boot blacking.Dickens's father was locked up in a debtor's prison. Dickens was not formally educated, though his writing shows formal rhetorical devices so he must have studied himself later. He was a voracious reader of the novels of his time and earlier.One of his great tricks was the cliffhanger ending and this came about because most of his fifteen novels and umpteen other works were published in weekly serial publications. Dickens's characters tend to be larger than life and he is especially good at portraying the great poverty and terrible social situations that those in his close family had experienced .By work, his father was a clerk to the Royal Navy, the biggest employer in his home town of Portsmouth. There were eight children in the family. Dickens' third name Huffman came from his godfather, Christopher Huffman, a rigger in the Navy.Unfortunately, the Dickens family lived beyond their financial means, easy to do with a family of ten I should think.Dickens was massively famous and popular throughout his life and worked immensely hard, leading to ill-health in his fifties.He died of a stroke while writing Edwin Drood, leaving that novel unfinished.A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol is possibly Dickens's most famous work, though there are so many to choose from. It is the eve of December, and I have wanted to do this story since last year. It is such a delight to read Dickens's clever, lively prose after Henry James's convoluted sentences. Dickens's words always conjure vivid images, while James is more subtle. I am bound to compare the two. James's characters are subtly drawn too and he can reveal a great vista into a character with a little incident. Dickens's character are more like cartoons, but cartoons are very entertaining.I have enjoyed both stories.In this first part, the scene is set for the coming of the first ghost.A Christmas Carol was published in 1843 on 19 December and the first edition sold out by Christmas Eve. Dickens had self-published, in that he paid for the costs of the printing and publication, which was a shrewd financial bet as it turned out. Dickens was only 31 at the time. A Christmas Carol was so popular that a bootleg edition was published in 1844 and Dickens sued the bootleggers. He did public readings of the story from 1849 and went on tour with it, performing it 127 times until his death in 1870.It turns out that Dickens was always a fan of Christmas. In 1835 he published an article on Christmas Festivities. MusicThe opening music is Some Come Back by The Heartwood Institute. Check out their new release https://theheartwoodinstitute.bandcamp.com (Witchseason). Listen to it for many reasons but at least one of those should be to hear the insane comments in Witchphase 1.5 from the King of The Witches, Alex Sanders. Who knew he was so mad?The closing music is The Unquiet Grave by Grey Malkin of https://thehareandthemoon.bandcamp.com (The Hare & The Moon) from their forthcoming album: Widow's Weeds. Check out their ethereal vibe.https://bit.ly/2GgHv9D (Sign Up For Exclusive Bonus Episodes!)And/Or Buy A Thirsty Podcaster A https://ko-fi.com/tonywalker (KoSupport the show

Visit us here: www.ghostpod.org
Buy me a coffee if you're glad I do this: https://ko-fi.com/tonywalker
If you really want to help me, become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barcud
Music by The Heartwood Institute: https://bit.ly/somecomeback

S02E18 The Ghost of Christmas Eve by J M BarrieJames Matthew Barrie was born in Kirriemuir in Angus in North East Scotland in 1860. His father was a weaver. He was one of nine children, though two died before he was born and Barrie’s brother David died in an ice-skating accident the day before Barrie’s fourteenth birthday. Barrie tried to comfort his mother by wearing his dead brother’s clothes, whistling as his brother used to and taking on his mannerisms.Barrie’s most famous work is of course Peter Pan, and it’s said that his mother took comfort from the fact that his dead brother David would never grow up and leave her.He went to school Glasgow, then Forfar then Dumfries in Scotland. He studied literature at Edinburgh and wrote drama reviews for the local Edinburgh newspaper. He graduated with an MA in 1882.He went to work as a journalist in Nottingham, in England and wrote stories which he submitted to journals. Some fo them were accepted.His short stories and novels were received with what are politely known as mixed reviews.Barrie started writing plays and was drawn to the theatre. He married and moved to London, living in South Kensington. It was his habit to take walks in Kensington Gardens.Unfortunately for Barrie, his wife had an affair with a younger man and they were divorced in 1909. Apparently, Barrie was heartbroken. Even though she had left him, he gave her an allowance every year even after she married her lover.Peter Pan was first performed just after Christmas, on 27 December in 1904. He invented the girls' name Wendy, apparently because a girl called Margaret Henley called Barrie ‘friendy’ but lisped her rs, making it sound like ‘fwendy.’ Apparently.An interesting fact is that Barrie was only 5 foot 3 inches.He gave the copyright of Peter Pan to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children and they continue to get royalties from Peter Pan.He was made a baronet in 1913 by King George V, and became Sir J M BarrieBarrie died in London in 1937 aged 77 and was buried in his home village of Kirriemuir with his family.He has two schools named after him, the Sir James Barrie Primary School in Wandsworth, London and the Barrie School in Silver Spring, Maryland.The Ghost of Christmas EveThis story is very short and intentionally so because I felt I deserved a rest after the marathon that was The Turn Of The Screw.It's a neat little story and falls into the tradition of ghosts that weren't ghosts. I tend to prefer stories about ghosts that actually were ghosts, but there is an honourable tradition of stories that debunk the supernatural. Of course, Scooby Doo is the most famous example of this kind of story, but you will remember that https://player.captivate.fm/episode/c2f5324d-9f32-4086-b3a1-3f79ccd702ef (The Open Door) by Charlotte Riddell is mostly a debunking story, though the door is left open (ha ha!) to the possibility that as well as the fraud, there may have been a ghost there as well.And of course Wilkie Collin's The Woman in White is about a ghost who turns out to be a con-trick.A briar is a pipe used for smoking tobacco. The only other mystery is the hint that his room, when he awoke on Christmas Day smelled of tobacco. his recollection of going to fetch his briar from his coat downstairs is a bit hazy, but what does this smell of tobacco suggest? I missed this. Does it mean the he had a sleep-smoke? Or that there was a ghost?? I don't get it, Ted.Thanks for listening.Listen again soon.Tonyhttps://bit.ly/2GgHv9D (Sign Up For Exclusive Bonus Episodes!)Or Buy A Thirsty Podcaster A https://ko-fi.com/tonywalker (Ko-Fi)https://bit.ly/dalstonvampire (Download A Free AuSupport the show

Visit us here: www.ghostpod.org
Buy me a coffee if you're glad I do this: https://ko-fi.com/tonywalker
If you really want to help me, become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barcud
Music by The Heartwood Institute: https://bit.ly/somecomeback

PhewIt's done! This is the final part of our reading of the The Turn Of The Screw novella.While, I'm pleased the job is done, the race is run and I can take a small break before focusing on Christmas ghost stories, I am somewhat sad to leave the sombre glory of Bly.The last part is full of mysteries. I discuss my take on them at the end of the Podcast.The podcast also includes music by the Heartwood Institute. The intro music a snippet of Some Come Back, and the last track is the very haunting We Are The Past.Thanks all the supporters who bought me coffee (and some cakes). Respect and thanks. Remember if you go to Ko-Fi, you can buy my coffee, yes, but there are free audio stories you can snag. That is an Americanism, but like many Americanisms, cute.Other ConsiderationsDownload A Free Audiobook Of My Story https://bit.ly/dalstonvampire (The Dalston Vampire)Start Music: "https://theheartwoodinstitute.bandcamp.com/track/some-come-back (Some Come Back)" by the Heartwood Institute, Check our their new release for Halloween, Witch Season.End Music: We Are The Past by The Heartwood Institute.Please consider that you can https://ko-fi.com/tonywalker (Buy me a Ko-Fi) to say thanks for all my hard work. Grab some free stuff while you're there.Support the show

Visit us here: www.ghostpod.org
Buy me a coffee if you're glad I do this: https://ko-fi.com/tonywalker
If you really want to help me, become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barcud
Music by The Heartwood Institute: https://bit.ly/somecomeback

S02E16 The Turn Of The Screw Part 7Forgive me not saying much in these show notes. We have one last part of The Turn Of The Screw after this. I hope to get it done within a few days.https://bit.ly/2GgHv9D (Sign Up For Exclusive Bonus Episodes!)Download A Free Audiobook Of My Story https://bit.ly/dalstonvampire (The Dalston Vampire)Start Music: "https://theheartwoodinstitute.bandcamp.com/track/some-come-back (Some Come Back)" by the Heartwood Institute, Check our their new release for Halloween, Witch Season.End Music: "https://soundcloud.com/dvoynik_au/a-drowning (A Drowning)" by Dvoynikhttps://ko-fi.com/tonywalker (Buy me a Ko-Fi) to say thanks for all my hard work. Grab some free stuff while you're there.Support the show

Visit us here: www.ghostpod.org
Buy me a coffee if you're glad I do this: https://ko-fi.com/tonywalker
If you really want to help me, become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barcud
Music by The Heartwood Institute: https://bit.ly/somecomeback

We continue with Henry James's The Turn of the Screw. His language is getting easier. I think he's given up trying to impress me and is just getting on with the story. That is all good because the story is nifty. I do think Quint and Miss Jessel are unfairly maligned. Poor old Mrs Grose. Not sure about those (pesky) kids though. I would be surprised if it turned out they were dead already like in the Sixth Sense.I am knocking out the Turns of the Screw. I think we have about 2 episodes left to do. Should be finished by end November, then I will do Dracula as an exclusive and some Christmas one-offs before starting A Christmas Carol in December.Busy, busy. Hope you all are well. I am well. In any case, I brazenly askhttps://ko-fi.com/tonywalker (Buy me a coffee)? In return you can download some free audio stories. As my old nana used to say: fair exchange is no robbery.I have a stretch goal on the Ko-Fi site that I will buy a laptop for editing the audio, but in fact I have spent all the money on coffee.Download A Free Audiobook Of My Story https://bit.ly/dalstonvampire (The Dalston Vampire)Other LinksStart Music: "Some Come Back" by the Heartwood Institute, Check our their new release for Halloween, https://theheartwoodinstitute.bandcamp.com/album/witchseason (Witch Season.)End Music: "https://soundcloud.com/dvoynik_au/sets/ghost-pieces (A Ghost Story)" by DvoynikSupport the show

Visit us here: www.ghostpod.org
Buy me a coffee if you're glad I do this: https://ko-fi.com/tonywalker
If you really want to help me, become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barcud
Music by The Heartwood Institute: https://bit.ly/somecomeback

The Turn Of The Screw Part 5, being chapters 12, 13, 14 and 15.Hope you're enjoying this. I'm doing lots of recording and editing to finish it before December. I anticipate episodes falling out like apples from a barrel just before 1st December.Sign Up on https://bit.ly/2GgHv9D (Substack) For Exclusive Bonus Episodes!Download A Free Audiobook Of My Story https://bit.ly/dalstonvampire (The Dalston Vampire)Contribute a caffeinated beverage, perhaps? https://ko-fi.com/tonywalker (Ko-Fi). There are some free audio stories there by the way. Yours for the taking.Other LinksStart Music: "Some Come Back" by the Heartwood Institute, Check our their new release for Halloween, https://theheartwoodinstitute.bandcamp.com/album/witchseason (Witch Season.)End Music: "https://soundcloud.com/dvoynik_au/sets/ghost-pieces (A Ghost Story)" by DvoynikDon't you love disturbing music?Support the show

Visit us here: www.ghostpod.org
Buy me a coffee if you're glad I do this: https://ko-fi.com/tonywalker
If you really want to help me, become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barcud
Music by The Heartwood Institute: https://bit.ly/somecomeback

The Turn Of The Screw Part 4, being chapters 9, 10 and 11.Minimal show notes this week as I plough on trying to record and edit this novella.Visit the website at www.ghostpod.org Sign Up on https://bit.ly/2GgHv9D (Substack) For Exclusive Bonus Episodes!Download A Free Audiobook Of My Story https://bit.ly/dalstonvampire (The Dalston Vampire)Other LinksStart Music: "Some Come Back" by the Heartwood Institute, Check our their new release for Halloween, https://theheartwoodinstitute.bandcamp.com/album/witchseason (Witch Season.)End Music: "https://soundcloud.com/dvoynik_au/sets/ghost-pieces (A Ghost Story)" by DvoynikDon't you love disturbing music?Support the show

Visit us here: www.ghostpod.org
Buy me a coffee if you're glad I do this: https://ko-fi.com/tonywalker
If you really want to help me, become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barcud
Music by The Heartwood Institute: https://bit.ly/somecomeback

Part 3 of The Turn Of The ScrewOur part three, not Henry James's. We're getting through the story. It's a good story! The characterisation is skilled. The language is like walking through a forest littered with logs hidden among grass. You keep tripping up. Or I do.Hope you're enjoying. You'd better, be. We have some way to go yet.Sign Up https://bit.ly/2GgHv9D (The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast Substack Newsletter) For Exclusive Bonus Episodes!Downloadhttps://bit.ly/dalstonvampire (Download A Free Audiobook) of my story: The Dalston VampireVisit Our Websitewww.ghostpod.orgMusicStart Music: "http://bit.ly/somecomeback (Some Come Back)" by the Heartwood Institute, Check our their new release for Halloween, Witch Season.End Music: "http://bit.ly/dvoynikdrowning (A Drowning)" by DvoynikSupport the show

Visit us here: www.ghostpod.org
Buy me a coffee if you're glad I do this: https://ko-fi.com/tonywalker
If you really want to help me, become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barcud
Music by The Heartwood Institute: https://bit.ly/somecomeback

S0211 The Turn Of The Screw Part 2I'm not going to say much. James's parenthetical insertions of information interrupt the flow of his sentences. He says something, the elaborates on it, then elaborates on that and sometimes elaborates on that as if his thoughts are sparking tangentially. He always comes back to the main matter, but it makes it hard to read out.That being moaned about, the story is good. He foreshadows well and creates foreboding." It may be, of course, above all, that what suddenly broke into this gives the previous time a charm of stillness—that hush in which something gathers or crouches. The change was actually like the spring of a beast."Nothing has yet happened, but he warns us that it soon will, and we tense up waiting for it.Then he describes a blissful summer evening's walk in the park which is interrupted by her seeing Quint (though she doesn't yet know his name) in the tower. The fact that it is on a beautiful summer night rather than a rainswept Gothic nighttime is well-done and serves to heighten the drama, I think.He ends each chapter with a good cliffhanger.- I wondered why...she was scared.- Mr Quint is .... dead.That's enough rabbiting for me. Check out the Substack newsletter for more news.Sign Up On https://bit.ly/2GgHv9D (The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast Substack Newsletter) For Exclusive Bonus Episodes!https://bit.ly/dalstonvampire (Download A Free Audiobook) of my story: The Dalston VampireMusicStart Music: "http://bit.ly/somecomeback (Some Come Back)" by the Heartwood Institute, Check our their new release for Halloween, Witch Season.End Music: "http://bit.ly/dvoynikdrowning (A Drowning)" by DvoynikSupport the show

Visit us here: www.ghostpod.org
Buy me a coffee if you're glad I do this: https://ko-fi.com/tonywalker
If you really want to help me, become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barcud
Music by The Heartwood Institute: https://bit.ly/somecomeback

So we begin The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. I have wanted to do this story for a long time but have hesitated because it's so long!Of course, we have read out The Beckoning Fair One, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, and Carmilla that ran on over several episodes, but The Turn of the Screw will be the longest so far.I reckon it'll take five weeks or so, though if I crack on well, I might get it squeezed into four. By that I mean, just making the episodes longer rather than cutting bits out of the glorious story.I read The Turn of the Screw donkeys' years ago and liked it, but I'd forgotten much of the story, so it was like reading it for the first time again. A failing memory is one of the blessings of age.Netflix is currently broadcasting their drama series doing The Haunting of Bly Manor based on The Turn of the Screw, so it's probably timely to do the original.I am enjoying rereading it. James has the annoying habit for a narrator of breaking up his sentences with parenthetical information, which makes them hard to speak out. Reading them to oneself isn't such a problem.The Turn of the Screw was published in 1898, and written in 1897-1898 when he had moved to Rye in Sussex, a quaint and picturesque small English town.It was published as an illustrated serial in Collier's Weekly Magazine. Then in 1898, it was published as a whole in an anthology called The Two Magics.Just listen to how he constructs the story. He withholds lots and lots and hints and foreshadows.The introduction, set on Christmas Eve at an English country house, is just a long foreshadowing, whetting your appetite. He sets us up so that, like the guests in the house, we are on pins waiting for the story to begin.James makes us wonder. We wonder about the gentleman owner whom she has taken a fancy to but who does not wish to be disturbed.Miles is heavily foreshadowed, and as we end this episode, we can't wait to meet him to see what he's like: bad or good.Henry JamesJames was born to a well-off New York family. His father was a philosopher, and his grandfather a banker. The grandfather's many allowed the James family to indulge their intellect, talent and tastes.Henry James was the brother of the famous and ground-breaking philosopher and psychologist William James. He was born in 1843 in New York but moved to live in London, where he died in 1916. He took up British citizenship in the last year of his life; technically, he became a subject of the British Crown—just like me.The family moved to Boston in 1864 because his brother William was studying law there. Henry set to studying law, but didn't like it and instead turned to literature. The American author Nathanial Hawthorne (who we will read out one day on the Podcast) was a significant early influence on James. James was particularly fond of French literature and of the French authors, Balzac.Because of a back injury he suffered when fighting a fire, he was not fit to fight in the American Civil War.He first published in 1863 when he was twenty. It has emerged that James was gay, though, during his lifetime, this fact was hidden. Of course, being gay was a crime in both England and the USA when James was alive.James is an enormously influential figure in American literature. He wrote several very well-reviewed novels, for example, The Portrait of a Lady, but also The Bostonians, The Ambassadors and The Wings of a Dove.His work can perhaps better be considered Trans-Atlantic literature rather than purely American or British.He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911, 1912 and 1916.He turned his hand to ghost stories, which of course were allSupport the show

Visit us here: www.ghostpod.org
Buy me a coffee if you're glad I do this: https://ko-fi.com/tonywalker
If you really want to help me, become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barcud
Music by The Heartwood Institute: https://bit.ly/somecomeback