Snoozecast

Tonight, by listener request, we’ll read the opening to Swiss Family Robinson, a novel by Johann David Wyss, about a Swiss family shipwrecked in the East Indies en route to Australia. This episode first aired in February 2020.

Wyss, a Swiss pastor, originally wrote this book to entertain and instruct his four sons. Years later, one of his sons, persuaded his father to allow him to complete and edit the unfinished manuscript. It was published in Zurich in 1812.

— read by M —

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Tonight, we’ll read from “Walker’s Manly Exercises and Rural Sports” written by Donald Walker and published in 1855.

Walker was a Victorian author of several books, including this one and Exercises for Ladies. He helped to introduce British society to an unfamiliar topic in the early nineteenth century: physical education.

The birth of modern physical education teaching can be traced to teachers in the 1800s who focused on nurturing a child's ability to use their body for self-expression, in combination with approaches from the 1960s, which featured spatial awareness, effort, and relationships.

— read by N —

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Tonight, we shall read the next part to “Pride and Prejudice”, written by Jane Austen.

In the last episode, Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner pay a visit to Pemberley and have an awkward tea with shy Miss Georgiana Darcy and conniving Miss Caroline Bingley. We will pick up right after Darcy has made an entrance.

— read by V —

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Tonight, we’ll read an excerpt from “In New England Fields and Woods”, written by Rowland Evans Robinson in 1896. This episode first aired in February 2020.

Robinson was, in his time, one of Vermont’s best known writers. This collection of short essays follows New England's changing seasons and moods in all its natural beauty. This particular selection is part of the late winter-time section. You can find other episodes featuring Robinson by searching on snoozecast.com.

— read by N —

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Tonight, we’ll read from “Urania”, an early science fiction novel by Camille Flammarion and published in English in 1890. This excerpt depicts an imaginary voyage through the universe.

The title of this books refers to one of The Nine Muses who presided over Astronomy. Urania’s celestial glance was said to have inspired and directed the chorus of the Spheres.

Nicholas Camille Flammarion was a French astronomer, prolific author and free thinker. Besides astronomy and science fiction, Flammarion was interested in exploring realms of consciousness and reality beyond our own.

This is the second Snoozecast episode featuring Flammarion. You can also listen to “Mysterious Psychic Forces” from October 2022.

— read by V —

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Tonight, we’ll read the next part to “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne.

In the last episode, Aronnax, Conseil, Nemo and another sailor from the Nautilus embark on their hunting expedition to the underwater forests of Crespo Island in their underwater suits. They see diverse landscapes and all sorts of creatures, and also, take a long nap before continuing their wondrous trek.

— read by N —

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Tonight, we’ll read a folktale called “Aponibolinayen and the Sun”, from the book “Philippine Folk Tales” published in 1916, compiled by anthropologist Mabel Cook Cole. This story originally aired on January 1st, 2021.

This story comes from the Ting-yen or Itneg people, who live in a mountainous region in the Philippines.

The Itnegs believe in the existence of numerous supernatural powerful beings. They believe in spirits and deities, the greatest of which they believe to be Kadaklan who lives up in the sky and who created the earth, the moon, the stars, and the sun. Tonight, we’ll read about the sun in particular and how he came to be married to a special mortal woman with magical powers.

— read by V —

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Tonight, we’ll read the second half to “The Final Problem”, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The first half aired last week.

As with all of our Sherlock series, this story contains some darker elements and themes that may not be appropriate for all listeners.

In the first episode, Holmes is considering retiring from his private detective work, but learns about a criminal genius named Professor Moriarty, who orchestrates a huge amount of crime that happens in London and in Europe. Holmes set about gathering evidence to bring down the whole gang. The work of Holmes though, had not gone unnoticed by Moriarty, who threatens him to back off. Soon Holmes evades three attempts at his life before meeting up with Watson. Watson agrees to hide surreptiously in Europe with him while they wait for Holmes’ plans for the police to catch the whole enterprise comes to fruition in a few days time.

We will start back in the story on the train where Holmes is in disguise as an elderly Italian man and has narrowly avoided being caught by Moriarty. Holmes is now discussing the plan with Watson.

— read by N —

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We hope you enjoy this preview of an episode from our back catalog available to our premium subscribers. Tonight, we’ll read the next part to “The Secret Garden”, a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett published in 1911. To unlock full episodes and ad-free listening of this series and more, please go to snoozecast.com/plus.

In the last episode, Mary and Colin explore the many empty rooms of their manor on rainy days. Colin expresses his desire for his father to finally come home so he can give up the secret and reveal his newfound vitality. Colin has become so well that he starts to believe that the magic he has been espousing may be another word for God. Mrs. Susan Sowerby, Dickon’s mother, also makes a surprise visit to their garden. They find her to be instantly trustworthy and charming. 

— read by V —

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Tonight, we’ll read the opening chapters of “New Amazonia: A Foretaste of the Future”, written by Elizabeth Burgoyne Corbett under the pen name “Mrs. James Corbett” and first published in 1889. 

Categorized as “feminist utopian”, it was one element in the wave of utopian and dystopian literature that marked the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In her novel, Corbett envisions a successful suffragette movement eventually giving rise to a breed of highly evolved "Amazonians" who turn Ireland into a utopian society. 

— read by V —

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