Thu, 9 August 2012
Dinah declines Seth's proposal, which he bears meekly, and Adam finishes work his father, a drunk absent without explanation, has neglected. |
Thu, 17 November 2011
Dinah, a beautiful young Methodist woman, preaches an outdoor sermon to the villagers of Hayslope. Not ordained, but saintly, she speaks as one of them, about their commonplace struggles and temptations, and the solace of their redemption in Christ. |
Tue, 4 October 2011
We meet Adam and Seth Bede, and the other carpenters in Mr. Burge's shop as their work day ends. The time is late 18th century, in the rural English Midlands. They tease and quarrel over a young female Methodist who will preach on the green that evening. |
Sun, 23 January 2011
The difference between the almost right word & the right word is really a large matter--it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning. Twain is no longer here to speak for himself, except through his work; as he's provided words for me to use, I'll try to say something on his behalf (amazing effrontery, but one can only try...) We just passed the twenty-fifth observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. January 2011 also saw a great deal of media coverage over a sanitized version of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from NewSouth Books, which substitutes the word "slave" for the "N-word." We have a black President. "What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet..." As a narrator who has recorded two of Twain's works so far, I agree with the legion of literary critics who've praised his "ear," that is, his scrupulous attention to rendering text, especially dialogue. He gets his jokes right, his timing right, and also his moving emotional passages. This was no hothouse flower of a literary gentleman, but the most popular lecturer of his day, the forerunner of our stand-up comics. He knew audience response first hand, and considered posterity, delaying publication of his unabridged Autobiography until 100 years after his death. Through most of his career, Twain revised and rewrote diligently, and was very far from letting a key word slip in through negligence. (That Autobiography is different, as it was virtually a stream-of-consciousness meandering monologue dictated to a secretary, late in life, not the careful composition of earlier work. By then, Twain perhaps was overly impressed with his own genius.)
Any book that's actually read is more than the author's contribution; the reader's response is the rest of the phenomenon, and to the extent that a story remains memorable and popular, it influences its culture. Consider the cultural competition: by now, the silent film "Birth of a Nation" is in itself a dead letter, but as the greatest hit of the silent movie era, expressed very directly the view that Reconstruction was a terrible error, "miscegenation" a fate worse than death, and black people a lower form of life. Still vibrant, and more insidious in its racism, "Gone With the Wind," romanticized the plantation system, and showed black people as subservient (more or less capable, but always dependent) while turning a blind eye to the lash, the noose, and the "bright" slaves that showed the result of white men sexually exploiting black women. Then again, I don't think the "N-word" comes up in it very often.
So how does that word function now? In the mouth of a white person, it's awkward at best, a vile insult at worst, or a way for a racist to openly proclaim. Used between blacks, it can operate almost like a lodge recognition sign; we're part of the same group, candid, and unified. Attempts to stretch it are problematic. I recall the scene in the movie "Bulworth," when Halle Berry's character tries to use it to show how righteous Warren Beatty's unhinged senator character has become; or in Bob Fosse's "Lenny," when Dustin Hoffman as Lenny Bruce does an extended ethnic recognition/insult routine, & says sotto voce to a black nightclub patron, "You were almost ready to punch me out, weren't you?" But the Lenny Bruce theory of weakening hate words by common use (as shown in that scene) doesn't work. There's still too much power in them.
Which brings me back to Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and the "N-word." His use of that word throughout that novel demonstrated the pervasive, almost unquestioned and unquestionable racism of that time and place (Missouri, circa 1840). Questioning that racism is why the abolitionists were so reviled, North and South. Very few people then could have been unaware that slavery was a fact of life in the North (leaving aside the Northwest Territory) until the early nineteenth century. Slavery was integral to the economic growth of America as long as land was the predominant source of value. The Industrial Revolution started to change that. (For Twain's take on that, we could look at A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.) But history, at least as a story, is malleable, almost quicksilver, influenced not only by the victors of war, but the winners of peace. After the "election" of Rutherford B. Hayes as President, Reconstruction ended, white supremacy returned to the South, and segregationist southern legislators enjoyed disproportionate power in Congress through seniority, the "yellow dog" Democratic voting tradition, and white northern indifference to the plight of black people.
The corruption of the administration of Twain's friend U.S. Grant helped to undermine Reconstruction. This helped justify southern "Redemption," the racist terrorism and bullying that would go on for decades in America. It's still unusual to see the words "treason," or "traitors" applied by American historians to Confederates. Amazingly, some contemporary apologists claim Confederates were actually defending the Constitution by fighting for States' Rights.
To me, taking the "N-word" out of Huck Finn is lying about the history of America, & the pervasive racism that existed, persisted, & persists to this day, nationwide. "Black codes" & discrimination in the North followed the legal end of slavery there, and set the pattern for segregation & Jim Crow laws in the South. Additionally, post-Civil War vagrancy laws, chain gangs, & other prison labor extended de facto slavery for many southern blacks until the Civil Rights era, with the threat of lynching & race riots ever present (see "Slavery by Another Name," by Douglas A. Blackmon.) Only the Civil Rights movement, with Dr. King as its foremost leader, started to bring equal citizenship to black Americans.
Twain avoided combat in the American Civil War. How could he fight for the Union, against childhood friends who probably fought for the Confederacy? How could he fight to support a society's commitment to a system based on legalized kidnapping, murder, assault, extortion, rape, & racism, if he fought for the South? When he went West with his brother, it was to escape that war & find opportunity. Racism came with him, as he reacted to Native Americans with hatred and disgust. Confronting racism came as his imagination developed, finding in the shadows of the sunny boyhood drawn in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, the great comic, dramatic & moral possibilities realized in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
The difference between lightning & the lightning bug? Power; like guns, strong language wounds or not, depending on where it's aimed. If lightning is aimed, who's aiming?
Category:general
-- posted at: 9:05pm EST
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Tue, 16 November 2010
Anticipating the concept of "frenemy," Poe gives us vanity, self-righteousness, and terrible cruelty in revenge, as stone-hearted Montresor lures credulous Fortunato to his doom. |
Thu, 24 June 2010
NOT recommended for children; Edgar Allan Poe's tale of increasing evil, alcoholism, and murder may haunt the listener as the cat haunted the protagonist. |
Thu, 24 June 2010
Moving from Adventures of Tom Sawyer, to one of the more appalling stories of Edgar Allan Poe calls for some word of explanation. First, be assured I have little or nothing in common with the protagonist. I loved my little black cat, and stumbled over this story waiting for software to download. It was her memory that drew me to it. I would never raise my hand to my spouse, and am rigorously moderate about alcohol. Why, then, offer this? First, it moved me with the everyday quality of the protagonist's moral decay, and seemed to prefigure such characters as Highsmith's Ripley, or Lindsay's Dexter Morgan. Also, at least two of Poe's stories, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Cask of Amontillado have been widely anthologized, but this was new to me, and very disturbing. Also, I hope to keep listener interest by varying the type and tenor of these twice-told tales, to help keep them alive: some of them smiling in memory, and others scratching softly at a door we don't want to open.
Category:Short Stories
-- posted at: 5:26pm EST
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Tue, 11 May 2010
Tom learns how Injun Joe died, he and Huck search for treasure, and adjust to "respectability."
Direct download: The_Adventures_of_Tom_Sawyer_Chapters_33-35.m4b
Category:The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- posted at: 8:47pm EST |
Fri, 19 March 2010
Lost in gloom, almost without food, the only person Tom and Becky see after wandering many hours in the trackless cavern means death. Leaving the exhausted Becky, Tom at last sees sunlight through a passage to safety.
Direct download: The_Adventures_of_Tom_Sawyer_Chapters_31__32.m4b
Category:The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- posted at: 6:28pm EST |
Fri, 12 March 2010
The Thatchers return, so Becky and Tom with a large group go on a picnic and cave exploration. Huck spies on dangerous men and averts an attack against an innocent woman. The day following the picnic, Tom and Becky are missing!
Direct download: The_Adventures_of_Tom_Sawyer_Chapters_29__30.m4b
Category:The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- posted at: 3:12pm EST |
Tue, 19 January 2010
Direct download: The_Adventures_of_Tom_Sawyer_Chapters_25-28.m4b
Category:The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- posted at: 9:19pm EST |
Thu, 7 January 2010
Direct download: The_Adventures_of_Tom_Sawyer_Chapters_22-24.m4b
Category:The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- posted at: 7:14pm EST |
Sat, 26 September 2009
Direct download: The_Adventures_of_Tom_Sawyer_Chapters_18-21.m4b
Category:The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- posted at: 10:00pm EST |
Fri, 21 August 2009
Direct download: The_Adventures_of_Tom_Sawyer_Chapters_14-17.m4b
Category:The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- posted at: 9:42pm EST |
Thu, 16 July 2009
Direct download: Adventures_of_Tom_Sawyer_Chapters_10-13.m4b
Category:The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- posted at: 8:41pm EST |
Tue, 9 June 2009
Direct download: Adventures_of_Tom_Sawyer_Chapters_7-9.m4b
Category:The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- posted at: 6:04pm EST |
Thu, 9 April 2009
Direct download: Adventures_of_Tom_Sawyer_Chapters_5__6_4.m4b
Category:The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- posted at: 7:44pm EST |
Wed, 1 April 2009
Direct download: The_Adv._of_Tom_Sawyer_Chapters_3__4.m4b
Category:The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- posted at: 6:09pm EST |
Wed, 18 March 2009
Direct download: The_Adv._of_Tom_Sawyer_Chapters_1__2.m4b
Category:The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- posted at: 8:14pm EST |
Sat, 31 January 2009
Direct download: Bartleby_the_Scrivener_Part_2_of_2.m4b
Category:Short Stories -- posted at: 7:06pm EST |
Wed, 19 November 2008
Direct download: Bartleby_the_Scrivener_Part_1_of_2.m4b
Category:Short Stories -- posted at: 6:29pm EST |
Fri, 7 November 2008
Direct download: Heart_of_Darkness_Part_III_episode_6_of_6.m4b
Category:Heart of Darkness -- posted at: 5:27pm EST |
Thu, 25 September 2008
Direct download: Heart_of_Darkness_Part_III_episode_5_of_6.m4b
Category:Heart of Darkness -- posted at: 6:15pm EST |
Mon, 15 September 2008
Direct download: Heart_of_Darkness_Part_II_episode_4_of_6.m4b
Category:Heart of Darkness -- posted at: 11:17pm EST |
Wed, 20 August 2008
Direct download: Heart_of_Darkness_Part_II_episode_3_of_6.m4b
Category:Heart of Darkness -- posted at: 10:03pm EST |
Fri, 15 August 2008
Direct download: Heart_of_Darkness_Part_I_episode_2.m4b
Category:Heart of Darkness -- posted at: 5:53pm EST |
Tue, 5 August 2008
Direct download: Heart_of_Darkness_Part_I_episode_1.m4b
Category:Heart of Darkness -- posted at: 9:01pm EST |
Sat, 5 July 2008
Direct download: A_Room_with_a_View_Chapters_19__20.m4b
Category:A Room with a View -- posted at: 9:18pm EST |
Fri, 9 May 2008
Direct download: A_Room_with_a_View-Chapter_18.m4b
Category:A Room with a View -- posted at: 4:48pm EST |
Tue, 29 April 2008
Direct download: A_Room_with_a_View_Chapters_16__17.m4b
Category:A Room with a View -- posted at: 9:29pm EST |
Thu, 10 April 2008
Direct download: A_Room_with_a_View-Chapters_14__15.m4b
Category:A Room with a View -- posted at: 11:01pm EST |
Tue, 1 April 2008
Direct download: A_Room_with_a_View-Chapters_12__13.m4b
Category:A Room with a View -- posted at: 5:35pm EST |
Tue, 25 March 2008
Direct download: A_Room_with_a_View-Chapters_10__11.m4b
Category:A Room with a View -- posted at: 10:10pm EST |
Tue, 11 March 2008
Direct download: A_Room_with_a_View-Chapter_9.m4b
Category:A Room with a View -- posted at: 8:08pm EST |
Wed, 5 March 2008
Direct download: A_Room_with_a_View-Chapter_8.m4b
Category:A Room with a View -- posted at: 9:00pm EST |
Tue, 26 February 2008
Direct download: A_Room_with_a_View-Chapters_6_and_7.m4b
Category:A Room with a View -- posted at: 6:49pm EST |
Tue, 19 February 2008
Direct download: A_Room_with_a_View-Chapter_5.m4b
Category:A Room with a View -- posted at: 8:22pm EST |
Sat, 16 February 2008
Direct download: A_Room_with_a_View-Chapters_3_and_4.m4b
Category:A Room with a View -- posted at: 7:01pm EST |
Wed, 13 February 2008
Direct download: A_Room_with_a_View-Chapter_2.m4b
Category:A Room with a View -- posted at: 12:39pm EST |
Sat, 9 February 2008
Direct download: A_Room_with_a_View-Chapter_1.m4b
Category:A Room with a View -- posted at: 6:36pm EST |
Tue, 5 February 2008
Direct download: Notes_on_Lorna_Doone-Background_Q__A.m4b
Category:Lorna Doone -- posted at: 9:45pm EST |
Wed, 23 January 2008
Category:Short Stories
-- posted at: 5:10pm EST
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Wed, 23 January 2008
Direct download: Uncle_Remuss_Most_Famous_Fables.m4b
Category:Short Stories -- posted at: 5:06pm EST |
Sat, 12 January 2008
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Tue, 8 January 2008
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Thu, 13 December 2007
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Thu, 6 December 2007
After almost a month's delay, this podcast is back in action. Lyme disease, rather than the flu, turned out to be the problem. The antibiotics seem to be kicking in now, so, God willing, episodes should resume on a regular basis.
Thanks for patience and understanding. -Scott G.
Category:general
-- posted at: 10:19pm EST
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Thu, 6 December 2007
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Fri, 16 November 2007
Just a quick note to explain to any subscribers who may trouble to look into why it's been a week since the last episode of Lorna Doone: I've been down with flu, pretty stiff case, but hope to be back in recording mode early next week.
Thanks for your patience! - Scott G.
Category:general
-- posted at: 7:12pm EST
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Fri, 9 November 2007
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Tue, 6 November 2007
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Sun, 4 November 2007
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Mon, 29 October 2007
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Tue, 23 October 2007
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Sat, 20 October 2007
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Tue, 16 October 2007
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Fri, 12 October 2007
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Tue, 9 October 2007
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Sat, 6 October 2007
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Tue, 2 October 2007
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Tue, 25 September 2007
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Wed, 19 September 2007
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Sat, 15 September 2007
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Mon, 10 September 2007
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Fri, 7 September 2007
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Tue, 4 September 2007
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Sat, 1 September 2007
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Wed, 29 August 2007
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Mon, 27 August 2007
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Sat, 25 August 2007
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Fri, 24 August 2007
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Tue, 21 August 2007
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Fri, 17 August 2007
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Wed, 15 August 2007
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Tue, 14 August 2007
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Mon, 13 August 2007
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Fri, 3 August 2007
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Wed, 1 August 2007
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Tue, 31 July 2007
Scott Gadwa 183 Guinevere Ridge Cheshire, CT 06410 203-623-9408 scottgadwa@juno.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Summer Reading Becomes Summer Listening Cheshire, Connecticut, July 31, 2007 -- Tired of lugging a heavy book to the pool? Searching for stories the whole family can enjoy on the next vacation road trip? More and more Americans are listening to books via audio podcast - quickly, easily, and in most cases, for free. Scott Gadwa provides high-quality, family-friendly readings of classic novels and short stories at www.classicsnarrated.com. All readings may be downloaded free of charge from the Classics Narrated website, or from Apple's www.iTunes.com. This website is a strong example of an emerging trend - the use of Apple's iPod and related technologies to stream narrative content at home, at work, and at play. Previous audio book formats were awkward and unwieldy - requiring the listener to carry around and change out multiple disks or cassettes. In addition to its compact size, the new technology allows listeners to subscribe to their favorite podcasts, meaning they can receive regular downloads of new episodes with no extra effort. All books and short stories on the Classics Narrated website are in the public domain, enabling Scott G. to share these timeless works without charge. Full-length novels Kim and Lorna Doone take the audience on journeys of intrigue and adventure through India under the British Raj, and lawless Restoration England. Driving to New Hampshire? Download The Great Stone Face by Nathaniel Hawthorne, an American parable about the state's beloved icon, the Old Man of the Mountain. Crossing New York's Tappan Zee Bridge? Try The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on your car stereo. More than an entertaining story of a ghost and a love triangle, it paints a vivid picture of early American country life, from schoolroom to harvest feast, in a place that would later lie in the bridge's shadow. The Man Without a Country by Edward Everett Hale explores the meaning of American patriotism, at a time when the country was nearly torn apart. The good old days theme takes a more outrageous turn with O. Henry's The Ransom of Red Chief, where cowboys and Indians fill the imagination of a kidnapped child who turns the tables on his bumbling abductors. This summer, whether driving to the family reunion, relaxing at the beach, or waiting at the airport, why not catch up on your reading via audio podcast? Narrator Scott G. studied literature and acting at Brown University, and worked for over a decade in bookselling. His vocal talents are in demand from assorted community organizations, including the Connecticut chapter of Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic and his local church, e.g., as Narrator for congregational retelling of the Passion of Our Lord on Palm Sundays. He was inspired to start podcasting by many years of reading aloud nightly to his two daughters. The Classics Narrated website is a way to share literary gems, many almost forgotten, with a larger audience. For more information contact Scott Gadwa at 203-623-9408. Website: www.classicsnarrated.com On www.iTunes.com, use search keywords: "Scott Gadwa" ###
Category:general
-- posted at: 5:55pm EST
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Sun, 29 July 2007
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Fri, 27 July 2007
Since this was last updated, technology has changed. Basic QuickTime, all by itself, is no longer enough to play these podcasts, since the format, m4b, turns out to be protected from unauthorized copying/playing, whether I like it or not. There's a deluxe stand-alone version of QuickTime, but that costs money. Starting from a point of departure, that iTunes for Windows may be scary to some folks, I looked at a few conversion alternatives (m4b to mp3), & tried a free test of one. That was a bust. How they expect to sell it, when the demo flops, is beyond me. I then persuaded my interlocutor (the owner of the family PC) that iTunes for Windows might not be so bad, not overwhelm the PC, monopolize all free time, etc. We downloaded iTunes for Windows to said PC, pulled up a podcast episode previously downloaded directly from this website, clicked, & lo & behold, it started to play! Free, to boot. As of this writing, iTunes for Windows 8.2.1 requirements include: a 1 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM, compatible video & audio cards, Windows service pack 2 or later, or 32 bit Windows Vista, 200 MB available disk space - & it will automatically update itself. • Downloading directly from Classicsnarrated.com can be done with Internet Explorer by right-clicking the m4a or m4b link and selecting "Save Target As," then selecting the destination on your PC. In Firefox, right click the m4a or m4b link, select "Save Link As," then select the destination on your PC. Why m4a as a file format? It conforms to the current international standard for "multimedia container," MPEG4, which is likely to keep growing. It enables "enhanced podcast" containing chapter markers, integral artwork, and so on. Those features are available through iTunes/iPod, not necessarily all "MP3" players. m4b is designed specifically for audiobooks and podcasts, and enables bookmarking on non-clickwheel iPods, so future (and possibly past) episodes will go that way. Otherwise, same as m4a (bookmarking already present for most iPods). If you still have trouble downloading or saving, or should any of the above information be mistaken, please let me know. Post your constructive comments, and I will do my best to make appropriate changes. -Scott G.
Category:ABCs of downloading
-- posted at: 6:33pm EST
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Wed, 25 July 2007
Category:general
-- posted at: 9:51pm EST
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Wed, 25 July 2007
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Sat, 21 July 2007
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Tue, 10 July 2007
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Fri, 6 July 2007
Uncle Reuben vents his resentment over being robbed on his relatives and their guests. Mollified by their hospitality, he goes with John to the local squire, for justice. Humiliated there, they scout the Doones' stronghold to plan future action.
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Thu, 5 July 2007
Direct download: Lorna_Doone_vol._1_chap._12__13_2.m4a
Category:Lorna Doone -- posted at: 5:12pm EST |
Wed, 27 June 2007
A dashing kinsman rescues an animal, allows John to try to ride his fine horse, and ingratiates himself with the family.
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Tue, 26 June 2007
This chapter, in which fourteen year-old John kisses eight year-old Lorna, made me uncomfortable.
The strangeness persisted to a certain extent as I narrated the chapter, but both John and Lorna were uncomfortable with the kiss, bashful, unselfconscious, and each innocently drawn to the other. No carnal element in the mutual interest can be discerned, only a preoccupation as John remembers.
Indeed, Blackmore clearly states that John at that age found kissing in general repugnant, which makes his impulsive salute to Lorna all the more exceptional, almost an unwilling tribute to her precocious beauty.
Category:Lorna Doone
-- posted at: 6:36pm EST
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Tue, 26 June 2007
Fourteen year-old John meets eight year-old Lorna, who helps him escape the Doones' stronghold. He returns to the family farm, never forgetting her.
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Sat, 23 June 2007
We learn more about the Ridd household, John's preparation for defense, and a fishing trip that leads him astray, into danger.
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Wed, 20 June 2007
Young John learns his father's fate, his mother pleads for justice, and we learn how the Doones came to Exmoor.
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Tue, 19 June 2007
John Fry and young John Ridd encounter two very different groups of travelers on their way home.
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Sat, 16 June 2007
"...a simple tale told simply..." begins the story of John Ridd, in his maturity, looking back at his schoolboy days, before he met the lovely and mysterious Lorna.
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Sat, 16 June 2007
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Sat, 2 June 2007
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Sat, 2 June 2007
This is for my wife, whose pancakes are unsurpassed, and for one of my old college roomates, who attended the great boarding school of this story at just about the time it took place - I think.
Category:Short Stories
-- posted at: 6:09pm EST
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Fri, 1 June 2007
The Old Man of the Mountain, also known as "The Great Stone Face," in Hawthorne, fell to earth in May, 2003. Few seem to have recalled Hawthorne's tale, and the feelings of wisdom, patience, and serenity he attributed to the Old Man. Plans are afoot to restore him to his mountainside. I hope they go forward, for his fall seems like a rebuke from Nature itself, as if his sorrow over the state of humanity, which borrowed his image, were so great that his own existence became insupportable. For more information, visit franconianotchstatepark.com/oldman
Category:Short Stories
-- posted at: 6:50pm EST
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Fri, 1 June 2007
It's been a week or so since I recorded the last chapter, so all I wanted to do was set down a few thoughts that may not be commonplace.
The touchstone for this is the most recent novel in the great Tony Hillerman's Indian Country mysteries, "The Shape Shifter." (SPOILER WARNING!) Writing about a hundred years after Kipling, he turns the story inside out. Of course, the comparison between these two may be only coincidental.
In Kim, the student or orphan/protege is white, and a master of disguise; he is educated, and even brought to salvation and holiness, by his mentor, the Tibetan Teshoo Lama. In Hillerman's "The Shape Shifter," the mentor is a white American psychopathic serial killer, who fancies himself a predator, and ordinary people nothing more than sheep to feed on. His southeast-Asian orphan/protege is trained only to cook and clean, being too decent to exploit others routinely. Justice, in the end, is meted out by people of color.
That's really something both books share, and the reason Kipling's story goes beyond mere jingoistic "Rule Brittania" blather, though traces of it coming from the Indian characters do occur in the book, and may be wishful thinking on his part.
In the end, the love the characters feel for each other, beautifully shown in action (the Sahiba, Teshoo Lama, Kim) and restraint (Mahbub Ali), pushes the issues of color, creed, and caste completely off stage.
Category:Kiplings Kim
-- posted at: 6:27pm EST
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Sun, 27 May 2007
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