Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction and background notes, written and read by Simon Stanhope 00:02:03 The Story begins 01:05:45 Credits and thanks A short tale of mystery and suspense, involving murder, forgery and insurance fraud, from the pen of one of the greatest of all nineteenth century English novelists, Charles Dickens (1812-1870) - but very much in the vein of his friend and contemporary Wilkie Collins, author of The Moonstone and The Woman in White. Narrated/performed by Simon Stanhope, aka Bitesized Audio.
I salute and commend you Simon. You did whatever necessary to stay on the air, and I'm so glad. I think you are, by far, the most talented narrator I've heard, thus far. I look forward to all of your stories every night before I sleep. Your voice is a lovely end to my day and you have my sincere gratitude for jumping through their stupid hoops. You did it and you won. Therefore, so did we.
I Don't no what You did or have to do for staying in the Air...but Lucky for me and Others we can share these Wondertul stories and you narrating so comfortly and yet hold one in suspense. Xtra plus with the info about the Writers and Photos..Make One want to know more about them..Have a Merry Christmas and ķeep us all warm and cosy.. Greetings from Sweden ☃️♥️
One of my favourite Dickens stories, had no idea of its existence until I heard it here,like so many other wonderful stories. What a superior collection, perfectly narrated, without doubt makes this channel one of the very best to appear on y tube. ✊♥️
I have seen this picture of Dickens study before. But it is enjoyable to look at. It is a bit like my computer desk view where I have a large window with a large tree directly in front of it. To have a peaceful view from your work area is very pleasing.
Love Dickens, so a real pleasure to hear this unknown piece, congratulations on finding this work, as ever a joy to listen to your narration, superb as ever. Thank you
*The Haunted Man & the Ghost's Bargain* is another lesser known DIcken's' work I adore. I recently watched a documentary about his life ... he was something else concerning his relationship w/ his wife; some of which was sad & humorous simultaneously. Apparently he blamed her for birthing 10 children like he had nothing to do w/ the event/s. Did they not know what caused the first one?
I adore that story as well!! It has tremendous psychological truth embedded in it. Makes me cry profound tears when Mrs. Williams describes her way of seeing her stillborn child in everyone around her, which makes her love them.
Marvelous Simon. You are the maestro of narration and English accents of storytelling. Your voice is beautiful and captivating. Best narrator on TH-cam. Thank you so much for this great Dicken's short story, at last the narcissistic murderer was caught and died of shock. Xxx
I’m not really into Dickens, but I enjoyed this one immensely - no small thanks to your superb narration! The almost liquid murderous fury of the surprise character makes for an intense ending
I never thought I was a fan of Charles Dickens but this is the second one narrated by your good self I have listened to and in all honesty....I am converted 😊 Thankyou Simon for your continued excellent channel and narration
I may be biased because Dickens is my favourite author, but this forgotten gem has been a real treat to listen to. Thank you Simon for reading it so beautifully as usual..I could imagine myself in the scenes and it's a story I won't forget. Please keep up your excellent work. It brings pleasure to so many of us.
CD is my all time fave author too. We read Great Expectations in high school and I was hooked. That was over 40 years ago and his novels are still my fave.
I think Dickens greatest author ever! Never, over wordy, but every word vital to story! I’m w/ you! Victor Hugo & John Steinbeck 👍👍👍even if he’s so American!
I'm highly appreciating your speaking pattern. by presenting your audio books creatively with such a good condition will actually create the Ernest of the listener towards your channel i hope you will provide me more exclusive videos like this!
Just RE-joined this channel. Such a gem. Simon, your videos are a bright spot in my whole action. And having one’s action brightened up is a precious thing, so, you have my thanks.
My respectful salute to great Victorian author Charles Dickens, master storyteller with the sensitive human touch! A marvelous story. The story comes alive through the stunning narration/ performance of Simon Stanhope whose excellent acting skills as different characters are truly praiseworthy. Listened to the story/ audio book two three times spellbound before commenting. Many thanks Sir.
Another excellent narration. We are like little kids when it's storytime we get all excited snuggle up in bed turn out the lights and get lost in the tale.
Thanks @Gumblina1, I really appreciate your support. I'm enjoying the flexibility of Bandcamp so will certainly be keeping that going alongside the channel
Again I was enthralled by you reading ,I enjoy your introductions so much , I know its additional work for you but I am sure that I am not alone in my appreciation. Thank you so much. RNK.
I liked this story but, I'm partial to this type of story. Also, luv the outro piano score w/another instrument I can't ID a stringed one I think ... *TY so much Simon* & good to have you back in stride 👍👍👍👍👍
Wonderful, thank you so much Simon!! Dickens has so much humour, and gives such wealth of detail, and so evidently enjoys what he writes so much. I hope it was extra fun to read!
Thanks @blixten2928 Yes, I did enjoy reading this one, although the drunk scene was a technical challenge! Trying to strike a balance between sounding convincingly drunk, but also coherent enough for listeners to understand, etc. Glad to know you enjoyed it
How utterly yummy to hear this reading at 6am (Down Under) while I enjoy an early breakfast. Dickens inspires me always. He must have read these stories out loud to himself as part of his editing process. Thanks Simon!!!
Truly another praiseworthy audio entertainment. And once again, a very interesting intro. I'm looking forward to finding out more background information about my favourite authors and stories from you in the future..
Kind of you to say so, thank you. There were just a few minor glitches in the audio of the original upload, nothing too serious, but given that I'd taken the old version down as a result of the recent shenanigans I thought I might as well take the opportunity to upload a remastered and re-edited version. Glad to know you enjoyed it.
Dickens toured the US more than once. He often joked that the death of Little Nell would kill HIM one fine day. It was the scene from that book which audiences repeatedly clamored to hear him read, and 'act out'...
Well, I do like Dickens. He lived through terrible times but managed to keep his wit and humor. Thank you for this story. I will now return to Doyle's The Speckled Band. I just reread the Speckled Band because I was struck by the similarity of two sisters being misused by people charged with their protection. A fine example of how unique each story is even though the theme is identical.
Thank you so much for your beautiful narration and characterisation. Always pleasure to hear these Victorian gems. Dickens was a genius if flawed as a husband!! Tha k you.
I remember this story, from the first time you read it. Your reading (as always) is 9/10, but even lovers of Dickens will readily admit that this is one of his lesser works-- 4/10 at best. All literary geniuses-- Balzac, for instance-- produce weaker work along with stronger. You are to be thanked for making this obscure story-- which on its merits, might deserve to be lost-- available both to lovers of Dickens, and to those less familiar with his genius.
There are times when we read a piece of literature that is skillfully and brilliantly written that we let those qualities slip by us. We become so focused on finding the answer to some mystery or to know what lies waiting on whatever road the story has that put us on, that we forget or ignore the mastery of the wordsmith that first caused us to take this journey. But, thankfully, there comes along someone that can narrate or read aloud the text in such a manner that you have no choice but relish the cadence and structure the way it was intended. Thank you, sir.
Thank you so very much for the photographs of the New York Ledger and Dickens’s own, All The Year Round publication. The background you share increases my enjoyment very much. Your attention to detail in your productions is unmatched. Thank you Simon. 🌟🌟👍🏻👍🏻💛💛💐💐
Thank you so much for your performance of this lesser known Charles Dickens story, Simon. What an author he was, his understanding of the human mind, it's fragility, it's duplicity, it's empathy and it's ability to commit evil without conscience. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
Good grief. Melodrama and implausibility galore. Dickens wrote much, and as is seen from this story, not all of it was top quality. He had financial pressures, supporting many children, a chronically depressed wife, and mistresses over the years. Yet even in this lesser piece, he certainly could string some fine sentences together!
That is a tough question indeed, I have many favourites, both classic and more recent. Restricting myself to the classics I read for this channel, Dickens would have to be up there, for sheer breadth of imagination and the fantastic stories he crafted in his novels and stories. Amongst ghost story authors, of course the greats like James and Benson stand out, but I'm a great admirer of Amelia Edwards and Edith Nesbit and feel they've been unfairly overlooked. For mystery and detective stories, I'm a long term fan of Conan Doyle but for me Ernest Bramah has become a great favourite more recently. But it's incredibly hard to narrow down! And there are others I've not yet read for the channel but would like to ... I want to do some of Thomas Hardy's short stories, for example. I've loved Hardy's novels since I first read Far From the Madding Crowd in my early teens. It's difficult to come up with a top 10, but all the above would probably be on it... And, as I say, that's not even counting the later 20th century authors whose work I love: J. B. Priestley, Iris Murdoch, stand out for me, amongst others. Who would feature on your list?
Excellently done! Thought I had read all Dickens 10xs! Bravo! Dickens my personal favorite! So cool to hear this delightful story! Victor Hugo very close 2nd! 👍👍👍
Highly recommend downloading the bandcamp link and purchasing the stories . Good value for money esp as the narrator does background info and takes pride in sending quality work and research. Then theres his wonderful narration
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Introduction and background notes, written and read by Simon Stanhope
00:02:03 The Story begins
01:05:45 Credits and thanks
A short tale of mystery and suspense, involving murder, forgery and insurance fraud, from the pen of one of the greatest of all nineteenth century English novelists, Charles Dickens (1812-1870) - but very much in the vein of his friend and contemporary Wilkie Collins, author of The Moonstone and The Woman in White.
Narrated/performed by Simon Stanhope, aka Bitesized Audio.
I salute and commend you Simon. You did whatever necessary to stay on the air, and I'm so glad. I think you are, by far, the most talented narrator I've heard, thus far. I look forward to all of your stories every night before I sleep. Your voice is a lovely end to my day and you have my sincere gratitude for jumping through their stupid hoops. You did it and you won. Therefore, so did we.
Thank you so much for your kind comments Michelle, really appreciated
Well said.
Me too😊❤️👍
I Don't no what You did or have to do for staying in the Air...but Lucky for me and Others we can share these Wondertul stories and you narrating so comfortly and yet hold one in suspense. Xtra plus with the info about the Writers and Photos..Make One want to know more about them..Have a Merry Christmas and ķeep us all warm and cosy.. Greetings from Sweden ☃️♥️
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thanks!
Thanks so much, greatly appreciated!
One of my favourite Dickens stories, had no idea of its existence until I heard it here,like so many other wonderful stories.
What a superior collection, perfectly narrated, without doubt makes this channel one of the very best to appear on y tube.
✊♥️
100% the best! 😊
Thank you, Simon, for reading this wonderful story. With your unique voices it feels like I'm right inside the story.
Thank you. This is truly my favorite story site.
I have seen this picture of Dickens study before. But it is enjoyable to look at. It is a bit like my computer desk view where I have a large window with a large tree directly in front of it. To have a peaceful view from your work area is very pleasing.
Love Dickens, so a real pleasure to hear this unknown piece, congratulations on finding this work, as ever a joy to listen to your narration, superb as ever. Thank you
*The Haunted Man & the Ghost's Bargain* is another lesser known DIcken's' work I adore. I recently watched a documentary about his life ... he was something else concerning his relationship w/ his wife; some of which was sad & humorous simultaneously. Apparently he blamed her for birthing 10 children like he had nothing to do w/ the event/s. Did they not know what caused the first one?
I adore that story as well!! It has tremendous psychological truth embedded in it. Makes me cry profound tears when Mrs. Williams describes her way of seeing her stillborn child in everyone around her, which makes her love them.
You might be surprised 😯 that even hubby might not know. Might really believe in the stork🤣🤣
He was brought up and lived in a debtor's jail in Victorian London...did they not mention that?!
@@tobiasandtheangel4834 Seems vaguehly familiar I would have to re~warth the docs
Difficult to imagine Charles Dickens on the job.
Excellent as usual. I enjoy the background information as well, Dickens being one of my favorite authors.
Thank you Sir. You have given me much peace listening at night as I long for stories, mysteries and the like. Love your voice and energy.
Marvelous Simon. You are the maestro of narration and English accents of storytelling. Your voice is beautiful and captivating. Best narrator on TH-cam. Thank you so much for this great Dicken's short story, at last the narcissistic murderer was caught and died of shock. Xxx
Thank you so much for your kind comments Laura, thanks for listening!
Eeeek! I'm scrolling through the comments before I listen & I think that maybe I've stumbled upon a spoiler....🤔
@@nickybaker1338 - If it's any consolation, 'died of shock' is inaccurate. Listen carefully to the description. (No spoiler! ;D )
@@miarencrowsdaughter6434 thank you! 😊
I’m not really into Dickens, but I enjoyed this one immensely - no small thanks to your superb narration! The almost liquid murderous fury of the surprise character makes for an intense ending
I never thought I was a fan of Charles Dickens but this is the second one narrated by your good self I have listened to and in all honesty....I am converted 😊 Thankyou Simon for your continued excellent channel and narration
I may be biased because Dickens is my favourite author, but this forgotten gem has been a real treat to listen to. Thank you Simon for reading it so beautifully as usual..I could imagine myself in the scenes and it's a story I won't forget. Please keep up your excellent work. It brings pleasure to so many of us.
Thank you so much for your lovely comment Jackie, so glad to know you enjoyed it
CD is my all time fave author too. We read Great Expectations in high school and I was hooked. That was over 40 years ago and his novels are still my fave.
I think Dickens greatest author ever! Never, over wordy, but every word vital to story! I’m w/ you! Victor Hugo & John Steinbeck 👍👍👍even if he’s so American!
I'm highly appreciating your speaking pattern. by presenting your audio books creatively with such a good condition will actually create the Ernest of the listener towards your channel i hope you will provide me more exclusive videos like this!
A pronounceable name might help you
What a voice! I am reminded of Edward Everett Horton's narrations. Thank you!
The name of the adversary” Slington” is just brilliant 🤩
Great narrator
Love it
And the history of the story
Thanks for the hard work
Kind of you to say so, thanks for listening!
A favorite ❤️. Thank you!
I love seeing you back! Miss your contributions & I’m grateful you are back.
I love a new rendition. This is wonderful, thank you.
Always a pleasure 😊 to hear a well read classic story
Thanks Thomas!
A Charles Dickens story and your narration--what a perfect combination! ❤️
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it
Just for once, I didn't hit skip the adds. Just let em' play....
and thank you for the nice bed time story.
Thanks Snippy, I appreciate that! Every little helps, as they say...
So glad to see this tonight.
Great to hear your voice again. Thank you for all your hard work!
I do admire the Hair Parting mentions, and of course your reading adds more humor to those " asides"...in all, a devilishly interwoven story.
Just RE-joined this channel. Such a gem.
Simon, your videos are a bright spot in my whole action. And having one’s action brightened up is a precious thing, so, you have my thanks.
Wonderful, thanks Frank - welcome back! Appreciate your support
Wonderfully re done. Thank you very for sharing your talents with us, your loyal fans.
My respectful salute to great Victorian author Charles Dickens, master storyteller with the sensitive human touch! A marvelous story.
The story comes alive through the stunning narration/ performance of Simon Stanhope whose excellent acting skills as different characters are truly praiseworthy.
Listened to the story/ audio book two three times spellbound before commenting.
Many thanks Sir.
What a lovely comment, thank you!
I cannot sleep without listening to your beautiful voice. Thank you so much for giving me peace. ❤️
What a lovely comment, thank you Sarah
Another excellent narration. We are like little kids when it's storytime we get all excited snuggle up in bed turn out the lights and get lost in the tale.
Thank you - excellently interpreted, as always.
Excellent... Thank you!
You're a champion, and much appreciated !
Hooray - so glad YT came to their limited senses. Will continue to support you here and on the other platform Bandcamp. Tears of joy for you!
Thanks @Gumblina1, I really appreciate your support. I'm enjoying the flexibility of Bandcamp so will certainly be keeping that going alongside the channel
What a treat! Thanks much. I enjoy the extra photos and explanatory notes. Well done.
I absolutely loved your previous version, which I've listened to many times; and am now listening again! Keep up the good work.
Elegant, expressive narration . Thank you!
I don't even like ghost stories but I listen just to hear your voice!
I thought I heard this one by you but I know It will still put a smile on my face thank you for your sharing your talent 😊
Again I was enthralled by you reading ,I enjoy your introductions so much , I know its additional work for you but I am sure that I am not alone in my appreciation. Thank you so much. RNK.
Great Players card😁Thank you, as always, for the dose of sophisticated rest for the eyes and a visit with Mr Dickens 💞🇨🇱🇺🇲
I liked this story but, I'm partial to this type of story. Also, luv the outro piano score w/another instrument I can't ID a stringed one I think ... *TY so much Simon* & good to have you back in stride 👍👍👍👍👍
Wonderful, thank you so much Simon!! Dickens has so much humour, and gives such wealth of detail, and so evidently enjoys what he writes so much. I hope it was extra fun to read!
Thanks @blixten2928 Yes, I did enjoy reading this one, although the drunk scene was a technical challenge! Trying to strike a balance between sounding convincingly drunk, but also coherent enough for listeners to understand, etc. Glad to know you enjoyed it
How utterly yummy to hear this reading at 6am (Down Under) while I enjoy an early breakfast. Dickens inspires me always. He must have read these stories out loud to himself as part of his editing process. Thanks Simon!!!
Truly another praiseworthy audio entertainment. And once again, a very interesting intro. I'm looking forward to finding out more background information about my favourite authors and stories from you in the future..
I don't recall any defect or shortcoming in the older version, but I do hear this one as flawless and captivating!
Kind of you to say so, thank you. There were just a few minor glitches in the audio of the original upload, nothing too serious, but given that I'd taken the old version down as a result of the recent shenanigans I thought I might as well take the opportunity to upload a remastered and re-edited version. Glad to know you enjoyed it.
So glad to hear new stories. Thanks
Dickens toured the US more than once. He often joked that the death of Little Nell would kill HIM one fine day. It was the scene from that book which audiences repeatedly clamored to hear him read, and 'act out'...
Quite dramatic! Dickens' prose was incredible, at times hard to read for its wordiness, but always delightful to listen to. Thank you so much.
Thanks Blue Greenglue, glad to know you enjoyed it
A wonderful story wonderfully narrated. Not a great fan of Dickens but this was a good one.
Well, I do like Dickens. He lived through terrible times but managed to keep his wit and humor. Thank you for this story. I will now return to Doyle's The Speckled Band.
I just reread the Speckled Band because I was struck by the similarity of two sisters being misused by people charged with their protection. A fine example of how unique each story is even though the theme is identical.
Thank you 😊
What a sad but wonderful story. Thank you for bringing the characters to life and doing it justice.
Thank you so much for your beautiful narration and characterisation. Always pleasure to hear these Victorian gems. Dickens was a genius if flawed as a husband!! Tha k you.
I remember this story, from the first time you read it. Your reading (as always) is 9/10, but even lovers of Dickens will readily admit that this is one of his lesser works-- 4/10 at best. All literary geniuses-- Balzac, for instance-- produce weaker work along with stronger. You are to be thanked for making this obscure story-- which on its merits, might deserve to be lost-- available both to lovers of Dickens, and to those less familiar with his genius.
I love your telling of this tale; I have listened to it several times and never tire of it!
Loved every minute, Many thanks xx
Glad to know that, thanks Lynda
There are times when we read a piece of literature that is skillfully and brilliantly written that we let those qualities slip by us. We become so focused on finding the answer to some mystery or to know what lies waiting on whatever road the story has that put us on, that we forget or ignore the mastery of the wordsmith that first caused us to take this journey.
But, thankfully, there comes along someone that can narrate or read aloud the text in such a manner that you have no choice but relish the cadence and structure the way it was intended.
Thank you, sir.
You're most welcome, thank you for your kind comments
Thank you so very much for the photographs of the New York Ledger and Dickens’s own, All The Year Round publication. The background you share increases my enjoyment very much.
Your attention to detail in your productions is unmatched. Thank you Simon. 🌟🌟👍🏻👍🏻💛💛💐💐
Wonderful pictures in the intro very much appreciate your hard work
Thank you so much for your performance of this lesser known Charles Dickens story, Simon.
What an author he was, his understanding of the human mind, it's fragility, it's duplicity, it's empathy and it's ability to commit evil without conscience.
Thoroughly enjoyed it!
Glad to know that, thank you Kay
Simon, you are the best actor giving us the best audio ! Many thanks ❤
Lovely to revisit this story and always a pleasure to see your choochie-face. ❤
You do say the loveliest things... Thanks Bob!
Good grief. Melodrama and implausibility galore. Dickens wrote much, and as is seen from this story, not all of it was top quality. He had financial pressures, supporting many children, a chronically depressed wife, and mistresses over the years. Yet even in this lesser piece, he certainly could string some fine sentences together!
Excellent! Thanks Simon.
Most excellent! I am a proud supporter through Patreon.
Thank you John! I'm hoping to preview my next story on Patreon early next week, all being well, so do look out for that. Thanks for your support
Kind of a tough question Simon, but do you have a favorite author?
That is a tough question indeed, I have many favourites, both classic and more recent. Restricting myself to the classics I read for this channel, Dickens would have to be up there, for sheer breadth of imagination and the fantastic stories he crafted in his novels and stories. Amongst ghost story authors, of course the greats like James and Benson stand out, but I'm a great admirer of Amelia Edwards and Edith Nesbit and feel they've been unfairly overlooked. For mystery and detective stories, I'm a long term fan of Conan Doyle but for me Ernest Bramah has become a great favourite more recently. But it's incredibly hard to narrow down! And there are others I've not yet read for the channel but would like to ... I want to do some of Thomas Hardy's short stories, for example. I've loved Hardy's novels since I first read Far From the Madding Crowd in my early teens. It's difficult to come up with a top 10, but all the above would probably be on it... And, as I say, that's not even counting the later 20th century authors whose work I love: J. B. Priestley, Iris Murdoch, stand out for me, amongst others. Who would feature on your list?
Excellent.
Oh, here you are *Simon* in living color ... really enjoyed your into here w/ the illustrations ...obv this is a re~listen for me
I do appreciate you doing these stories. My friend shared a Christmas story with me just a few days ago. It opens up a delightful avenue!
superb Simon thank you
This is truly an excellent story.
Simon is a master story teller! Thank you for sharing your craft. We love the stories too. ; )
Another excellent reading, sir. Thank you.
How this reads like Sir Conan Doyle. I understand where he got his inspiration. Exquisite reading. Thank you for sharing your talents with us.
Thanks for listening, and for your kind comments. Best wishes
Excellently done! Thought I had read all Dickens 10xs! Bravo! Dickens my personal favorite! So cool to hear this delightful story! Victor Hugo very close 2nd! 👍👍👍
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for listening
I love your stories and your beautiful voice and reading style 🇦🇺
Thank you so much!
Not what I expected from Dickens. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Wonderful
Simon, you are my drug of choice.
Simon, you're an ace! Thank you...
Love your stories ❤
Thank you. Wonderful surprise!🇮🇪🙏❤️☘️☘️✝️
Thanks
Thank you for the super thanks, much appreciated
I can't belive, this a year ago. REALLY LOVE. Your Elizabeth stotys xxx😊
Thank you Simon.
amazing narration, thank you.
Highly recommend downloading the bandcamp link and purchasing the stories . Good value for money esp as the narrator does background info and takes pride in sending quality work and research. Then theres his wonderful narration
Thank you so much for sharing, much appreciated!
@@BitesizedAudio welcome. I think we all see the hard work that goes into these recordings. And we like your narration primarily:)
I just love these! Thank you 🤗
Your channel is quality.
Excellant. Thank u simon .❤
This is the bestia youtube channel handicap down.
Thank Thee Sir.
Gratitude
Thanks Nick, good content and questions really help Tom understand what’s happening. UTFT
Great as always!
Great story
just subscribed, based on the The Cybrarian's recommendation of your channel!
Very kind of them, thanks for subscribing and welcome!
Good story beautifully delivered.