Snoozecast

Tonight, as we are beginning the month that ends with Halloween, we’ll read the first half of “The Diamond Lens”, a short story by Fitz James O’Brien first published in 1858.
Every October, Snoozecast features our Spooky Stories Series—tales with a spectral or uncanny quality, meant to set a certain mood, without keeping you awake. This marks our seventh year of SSS, and we’re beginning with something more curious than chilling.
O’Brien’s tale is steeped in the oddity of early scientific obsession, centering on microscopy—the study of the unseen through magnification. In the author’s hands, the microscope becomes not just a tool of science, but a gateway to another world, blurring the line between discovery and delirium.

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Tonight, we’ll read the 33rd chapter of “Anne of Green Gables”, the classic 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This chapter is titled “The Hotel Concert”

In the last episode, Anne anxiously awaits the results of the Queen’s entrance examinations along with her friends. When the list is finally published, it reveals that Anne has come in first among all the candidates on the Island, with Gilbert Blythe placing second. Her friends Diana and the Barry family celebrate her success, and Matthew and Marilla express their quiet pride. For Anne, this achievement feels like the fulfillment of her long-held academic dreams and the beginning of new possibilities for her future.

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Tonight, for our monthly Snoozecast+ Deluxe bonus sleep story, we’ll read the opening to Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” published in 1889. While we at Snoozecast adore ALL our listeners equally, our monthly bonus episodes like this one are specifically made for our Snoozecast+ Deluxe premium subscribers.

If you are not a Deluxe subscriber, you will here a trimmed version of the story. To learn more about our 2 premium subscription options, go to snoozecast.com/plus. As a non-Deluxe listener,

Tonight’s satirical novel tells the story of Hank Morgan, a 19th-century engineer from Hartford, Connecticut, who, after a blow to the head, finds himself transported back in time to the England of King Arthur.

The book was one of the earliest major works of time-travel fiction, predating H. G. Wells’ The Time Machine by six years. At the same time, it sat firmly in Twain’s style: humorous, biting, and rooted in American sensibilities. Though filled with fantastical elements like knights, castles, and magic, the story is just as much a sharp social commentary as it is an adventure.

When first published, the novel stirred controversy for its irreverent treatment of Arthurian legend, but over time it has come to be recognized as a clever and influential blend of satire, science fiction, and historical fantasy.

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Tonight, we’ll read the second half of "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter," one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The first half aired last week.

In this tale, we were introduced to Sherlock’s elder brother, Mycroft—whose deductive gifts may surpass even Sherlock’s, though he lacks the drive to apply them in the field. Mycroft brings Holmes into the confidence of his neighbor, Mr. Melas, a professional interpreter who recently endured a disturbing ordeal. Melas was hired under mysterious circumstances, blindfolded, and taken by cab to an unknown house, where he was compelled to translate under threats from a ruffian named Latimer.

We rejoin the story as Melas recounts to Holmes what he observed inside the house, despite the attempts to conceal its location.

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Tonight, we’ll read the first half to "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter", written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is one of 12 stories in the cycle collected as “The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes”.

Out of all 56 Sherlock stories, Doyle ranked "The Greek Interpreter" seventeenth in a list of his nineteen favorites. This tale is especially notable for introducing us to Sherlock Holmes’s older brother, Mycroft, whose intellect may even outshine Sherlock’s own, though he lacks his brother’s energy for detective work in the field. Mycroft instead spends his days in government offices and evenings at the Diogenes Club, a setting that itself became an iconic part of the Holmes universe.

When it was first published in 1893 in The Strand Magazine, the story added an intriguing new dimension to the detective’s world, showing readers that Holmes’s brilliance was not entirely unique within his family. The case itself revolves around a kidnapped interpreter and a sinister plot, combining Doyle’s flair for atmosphere with clever twists of reasoning.

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Tonight, we’ll read the next chapter of “Good Wives” written by Louisa May Alcott titled “Under the Umbrella”. This is also known as the second half of the “Little Women” novel and is considered the 46th chapter as part of that work as a whole.

In our last chapter, “Daisy and Demi,” Meg’s twins become the delight of the March household. Meg devotes herself to their care, while John takes special pride in his son, dreaming of the man he will grow into.

The babies charm the entire family—Jo, at first unsure of them, warms up and plays the lively aunt, while Laurie and the others also share in the joy of helping raise the little one.

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Tonight, we’ll read about the history of jewelry around the world, from Jewels and the Woman written by Marianne Ostier and published in 1958.

Ostier was the principal designer and artistic driving force behind Ostier Inc., the New York jewelry firm she founded in 1941 with her husband, Oliver. Marianne was an accomplished painter and sculptor before her marriage, while Oliver came from a distinguished line of Austrian court jewelers. The couple emigrated to the United States to escape war, where they rebuilt their lives and careers.

Their firm became known for its distinctive approach to jewelry design. The workshop specialized in bespoke commissions—one-of-a-kind pieces crafted for private clients, often film stars, collectors, or patrons of the arts.

The book reflects Marianne Ostier’s deep understanding of both the artistry and the history of jewelry. In it, she traces how cultures across centuries and continents have used ornaments not merely as decoration, but also as symbols of power, wealth, protection, and devotion. From ancient amulets and royal regalia to modern design innovations, the story of jewels is inseparable from the story of civilization itself

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Tonight, we’ll read all about gemstones from the book Jewels and the Woman, written by Marianne Ostier and published in 1958.

Marianne Ostier was not only an author but also a celebrated jewelry designer in mid-20th century New York. Along with her husband, she ran a renowned atelier that catered to an international clientele, including film stars, royalty, and collectors. Her training as a painter and sculptor in Vienna gave her designs a distinctive artistic sensibility, blending classical elegance with modern lines.

The history of gemstones is as fascinating as their appearance. Ancient cultures ascribed protective and mystical powers to stones, such as amethyst for clarity of mind, or turquoise for safe travel. Over centuries, classification systems emerged to group gems by their mineral composition, as well as their beauty and rarity. Beyond color, jewelers also considered “water”—a poetic term describing the clarity and brilliance of the stone. A gem of “first water” is one of near-perfect transparency, prized above all others.

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Tonight, we’ll complete the 1928 children's book by A. A. Milne “The House at Pooh Corner” with the last section titled “IN WHICH Christopher Robin and Pooh Come to an Enchanted Place and We Leave Them There”.

In the last episode, Owl’s house had blown down, so Rabbit sent everyone searching for a new one while Pooh tried to make up a song about it, which turned instead into a long hum praising Piglet’s bravery during the storm. Eeyore, feeling left out, announced he had found Owl a new home—but it turned out to be Piglet’s. Thinking of Pooh’s song, Piglet did a noble thing and offered it anyway. Christopher Robin gently agreed, and Pooh promised Piglet could live with him. So Owl got a house called The Wolery, and Piglet discovered that bravery sometimes means giving up what’s yours—and finding comfort in a friend’s paw to hold.

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Tonight we’ll read another Australian fairy tale called “The Fairy City” written by Hume Cook and published in 1925. This story can stand independently on its own, or as a follow up to "The Magic Well" episode that we aired last week.

James Newton Haxton Hume Cook, the author, was an Australian politician who served in Parliament for almost a decade. Beyond his political career, he wrote collections of fairy tales that blended imaginative storytelling with touches of local color, reflecting the desire of early twentieth-century Australians to see their own landscapes and culture represented in children’s stories.

“The Fairy City” is particularly curious in that it draws on imagery of architecture and civil engineering—disciplines often thought of as practical and technical—yet here given a whimsical treatment. Civil engineering, as a field, is one of humanity’s oldest pursuits, shaping daily life through bridges, roads, canals, and other public works. By weaving these concepts into a fairy tale, Cook turned topics usually reserved for city planners and engineers into something children could delight in, imagining a fantastical metropolis where fairies themselves might dwell.

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