W S by L P Hartley
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ส.ค. 2021
- L P Hartley
Leslie Poles Hartley was born in Cambridgeshire in England in 1895 and died aged 76 in London England.
L P was educated first at home and then a Preparatory School before going to Harrow School-- a private school in North London, where he had won a scholarship.
His father was not particularly high class, he was a solicitor and owned a brickyard.
After Harrow, L P went to Oxford to study (or ‘read’) as they say at Oxbridge, Modern History. This was in 1915. In 1917 he joined the army. I think he was conscripted. He was commissioned as an officer in the Norfolk Regiment but never saw active service due to having a weak heart.
He was a famous hypochondriac in fact and had what we would call these days a health anxiety. In 1922 he suffered a nervous breakdown and soon after this started spending long periods in Venice in Italy where he owned his own gondola.
He had a particular male friend David Cecil. And this was in a time when being gay was illegal and punishable by time in prison so gay people did not come out. It was believed that he was gay.
After the war he returned to complete his degree Oxford, and even at that time he had an ambition to be a writer. His first published work was in Oxford Poetry. And he became editor of Oxford Outlook. He was a lifelong friend of Cynthia Asquith who, as we know, was a famous author of ghost stories and editor of the Pan Horror series for a while.
He mixed in aristocratic circles after graduation and worked as a book reviewer, but his own work did not initially find success and he was depressed.
In 1924, his first volume Night Fears was published and it was well received critically and his work was supported by many influential writers including Cynthia Asquith.
He had moderate to good success with later novels, but his major success was with The Go-Between.
He was named after Virginia Woolf’s father. Hartley as a youngster was a fan of Edgar Allen Poe. He named his influences as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry James and Emily Bronte, but I find his straightforward style different from all of these.
His most famous quote is possibly:
The Past Is Another Country. They do things differently there.
W S
This is a cracking little story and very simple in structure. We have a writer, and like all writers, he is neurotic about his work. He has had some success, but still harbours doubts.
Then he starts getting postcards from someone with the same initials as himself, though he doesn’t notice the initials as being significant at first.
The story uses the ticking clock technique of modern thrillers. Danger is approaching step by step getting closer and closer: think Die Hard. Though if you didn’t know British geography you might not know that Forfar is distant and Coventry close to the West Country town where Walter Streeter lives. Nevertheless, each postcard brings the doom closer.
There is some nice foreshadowing. The postcard writer keeps promising a hearty handshake and it is only at the end we are told the character William Stainsforth has only one hand. The comment that the author doesn’t give any depth to his characters is also a piece of foreshadowing.
We are told near the end that the character is a policeman in the story. This is after the policeman has arrived outside to keep guard. The twist is in the phone call from the real police who apologise for not sending an officer. Who then is the policeman outside?
I wonder if it would not have been more effective if we had known that the character was a policeman but it might be hard to include that snippet without giving the game away too early.
The secret with a twist is to place the information in plain sight but in a way that it doesn’t feel significant to the reader. Then when it is revealed at the end, the significance is seen. If you unveil the information at the end, the reader is not satisfied and it can seem simply like an info dump to tie up the loose ends.
We have spoken before
Dramatic Irony is where the reader knows more than the character.
Unreliable Narrator is where the narrator knows more than the reader.
Suspense is when narrator and reader are both in the dark.
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I'm a relatively new listener, but I don't think you have to apologize. Your "book club" segments at the end of each video are the best part.
Thanks my friend
Narrators are more than reading, it’s emotion and acting involved 👍
One of my all-time favourites. A stone cold classic.
Couldn't wait to come home from work so I could relax and listen to you.
Brilliant! Great story made all the better by watching you read, so much more intense! Thank you. xxx
Your narration of this story was chilling. I was listening to this with my eyes closed, and honestly, you had me transfixed; it was as if I were eavesdropping on these two from behind a door, holding my breath, hoping they wouldn't become aware of my presence. I hope you realize what an immense talent you have for making these stories real.
You are very kind as always
I felt myself, transported to that melancholy room; transfixed with a paralysing unease. The malign & creepingly dreadful discourse between the two characters, swept over me with a most sickening grasp...excellent
@@marisaranieri2745 Yes, it isn't really like listening to a story; it is more like a virtual experience where you close your eyes and are transported into the setting. You step right through a thin veil into another dimension, and find that you have walked into an impending tragedy; you're holding your breath because you feel you are somewhere you shouldn't be, and yes. you are very uneasy. I'm glad I'm not the only one affected like this by the story.
Honestly, I could see Audible paying you for this production. Your narration was really extraordinary.
@@wmnoffaith1 I stumbled upon these Narrations by Tony & I think he is the perfect conduit for bringing the mystery, terror & pure psychological torment...to ghastly life
First time I've seen you speak. Fascinating to watch you narrate. Your voice is divine!
Great short story and narration!
I love your chat at the end.
I get jealous every time you talk about chestnuts! Ages ago, some fools brought plants over here that carried a blight. Our chestnut trees were very susceptible to the blight, and most of them died out(except a few stands located in swamps because the blight can not thrive in our swamp environments). When they tear old barns down, people and businesses buy the beams for astronomical amounts.
Keep up the great work!
The tells for me in this story are when he recognizes the name and his maid does not see the "policeman" standing outside.
Thanks!
Excellent! As always I enjoy your chat at the end of the story. I learn to look at the story in another way. Thanks again.
I agree---I love the informal chats along with anecdotes that pop up. :o)
I grew up in a desert, but obsessed with sailing and the ocean, my grandfather was in the navy. The first time I swam in the ocean I was wearing a fossilized megladon tooth as a pendant, that I’d worn for years, it returned to the ocean off the coast of Florida that night. As new ‘voice artist’ I find your readings very inspiring, great work sir, and fascinating material.
This is a fascinating story. The man born in a desert who loves the ocean.
". . . and Walter suddenly became alive to the importance of small distances. . . ."
Wow! Thank you Tony. Great story, great narration, enjoyed watching you reading it. You do have a way of captivating your listener. Cheers.
Glad you enjoyed it I will do more of these video ones when I get time.
I think this is my very favorite reading video, not by heart & not on the chair w/ the book!!!! It actually has that personal feeling like you the character narrator is communicating directly with me, the viewing audience. WELL DONE!!!
Life imitating Art, here, and, might I say?, brilliantly! Love what you do here on TH-cam, and please continue your good work.
Thank you! Very grateful for your support
The build up on this one is really well paced and quite scary, even though I had an inkling of what was going to happen! Thank you for another great reading.
Omg, I needed this so much right now.
Wonderfully chilling, thank you!
Wonderful! And loved the additional information! One narration and I'm hooked!
Just one! I hope you continue to enjoy them
The clock in The Masque of the red death is the best example of the clock ticking down-literally! This is very chilling, thanks!
Watching you read is a whole extra dimension Tony. Riveting! Great story too. Many thanks.
That's what I'm aiming for. To keep adding to it.
I vaguely remember this story.Thanks 😊
I really enjoy your work. It’s cool to “see” you . Great stories , insightful commentary .
I had been thinking about what to do now I was on TH-cam. At first I just posted my old podcast episodes but then I thought TH-cam was a video site, so I'd try to learn how to do videos. I have much to learn but I do think it's the right direction
Hi . Your work is so good . Really quality work thank you for your insightful commentary. Also you have mentioned a few times about sound effects and changing up voices .. thank you for not doing this too much . It’s really distracting . I don’t hear sound effects when I read. And good literature dosent need theatrics . That being said a little noise in the background or a slight change of voice is great. Over production is a killer. If you ever come to USA , I live in San Francisco , My partner / girlfriend and I would love to host you.
Very well done. Thank you!
+Mrs. Cracker thanks:)
I like your other readings just fine, but this method of delivery was fun too! Thank you. Your readings are really keeping me going, day to day. I use them as incentives, treats to look forward to, when I get my work done.
I like to be thought of as a treat
Very entertaining, thank-you. I believe, Tony Hancock, satirised this tale. Threatening Letters, was among his Half Hour shows.
I really enjoyed this format. The looks you give as you read are perfect punctuation to the words you’re speaking and this story was made more entertaining by it.
Looking forward to more,
TG
Well, it's an experiment so far. I will do more
Your talent is beyond meaure in my opinion! ❤
thank you
Good morning Tony, again, from Washington State 5:30a 🐘 Thanks for the reading & smiles your readings bring
Early!
Awesome user name! I'm in North Seattle. Peace be with you
@@Firecracker66 Nice! So good to see another local lit lover. I'm down in Sumner now, but I grew up (as did my folks, aunts & uncles, cousins, etc.) in Auburn. Lived in Kent for 11 years until 2018. Been in WA my entire life. Lived in Northgate area over 20 years ago now, back in college, but that was before it got so built up.
@@Firecracker66 Ok, wow, not to sound like a weirdo stalker, but I just had a sneak-peek at the other channels you're subbed to and I think we might be alter egos or something. We've got Caitlin, Oddie, Bedtime Stories, Shrouded Hand, Mollie, Eleanor, the Skye twins on their separate channels, Georgia, Scott, Merc, Mort, *TCB*, *Leader One*, Dark histories, sweet ass Mike Oh, this is MONSTERS (
@@lux.illuminaughty friends make fun of my obsession with "murder porn" lol (true crime). Cool!
Awesome story. What a build up. Was on tenderhook while listening to it. Was there ever a policeman , the housekeeper never saw it. It creates doubt in my mind. Feel it was all in the mind of the character. He was having an existential crisis with his characters. The character that came to haunt him was a negative version of himself. Lots to ponder.
It’s a good story, Sarah. Thanks for your input
Well done! Hartley is new to me, thank you for a great read. I like the surprise about who W.S. is. Reminds me of a story about a journalist who requests an overnight stay alone in Madame Tussaud’s wax museum filled with statues of serial killers. I won’t spoil the end! Anyway, love your wrap-up chats. Great point about the foreshadowing. From Google: “‘Chekhov's Gun' is a concept that describes how every element of a story should contribute to the whole. It comes from Anton Chekhov's famous book writing advice: 'If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off.” It’s such a memorable piece of advice. Thanks for your channel! I haven’t reviewed all of your readings-have you explored Nabokov’s short stories? I like “Wingstroke”, which could be called horror.
Loved Chekhov for years
Could you reply back with what the book is from Anton Chekhov’s writing advice please. I’d really like to read it!
@@evelanpatton If you Google Chekhov’s Gun you’ll find citations of where it’s mentioned. That’s what I was referencing, not a specific book per se. I had heard of the concept originally in a fiction writing class, so looked it up. Good luck with your research!
!!!!!!!! TONY WALKER !!!!!!!
WHAT A FABULOUS READING 📚
I see now why your stories are so wonderful.
You put so much expression into every word.
Please do more live recorded readings. Wow
It’s my plan to do more like this
I guessed that it was the policeman because he mentioned the prison. And his name was Smith. Took me a minute to realize he was a character come to life… but pretty good story. Excellent telling of it.
omg Mr. W ~ what a great story---many thanks to whoever suggested it, and I loved your reading of it. At first it was freaking me out a little, I was thinking "Oh no! Tony has a stalker and he's found the perfect story to read that illustrates something happening to him for real!" Well, thank goodness I'm totally wrong about that. lol! Smiles from across the pond.
Ha ha. I don’t have a stalker. I did once by the way but that’s another story…
@@ClassicGhost oooo! we want to hear it, lol!
@@ClassicGhost Please write and post it asap!
I think this is the first time I've seen you in this setting and I was awed. You were reading the story but I felt we were in the same room and you were talking to me. There was a point when I was wondering if you had memorized the narrative. I watch on a big screen " smart tv" and you were just awesome. Great suspenful story. Liked the little tutorial at the end. Tony knows his stuff!♥️
That’s exactly the effect I wanted to achieve
I always learn so much from your commentary. Did I understand you correctly towards the end, when you mention playing with horse chestnuts? You tied on a string and would then try to break the opponent’s by dashing? We played a similar game in Puerto Rico as a kid. Wow, that really takes me back.
Yes that’s what we did. You did it in Puerto Rico? Amazing!
@@ClassicGhost Heres a little sample I found: th-cam.com/video/nQFlOwDpnXs/w-d-xo.html
@@dartmart9263 It's the same game th-cam.com/video/cLGuZZraIqg/w-d-xo.html
@@ClassicGhost Small world!
Something I've always been poor at is reading out loud. Your assured narration TW, is absolutely spell binding.
Listening in the beginning the story sounded familiar. However your particular nuances with narration made it so much more enjoyable listening this time around. I also quite enjoy your chats at the end of the videos, hope you don't stop them. As always, thank you for sharing your time and talent with us. Regards, JK
Many have tried to stop me chatting before. It never works. I chat on and on and on
Wow crazy about the Venice ring! 😮
it’s a true story!
Excellent story choice, excellent narration as always. I enjoyed your story about the ring, from Venice to Venice.
And it's a true story. I liked that ring too.
That was amazing! Thanks so much for an enjoyable reading. As you were talking about the story afterward, the verse came to mind, "Shall the thing that is made ask he who hath made it, 'why hast thou made me thus'?" Apparently, the answer is "yes."
Excellent post!
Yes. I would do Frankenstein but it is terribly long.
Very, very, healing, child like not "ish", feel though I am in a lecture hall, no actually more intimate. Scenario: I have had bad news, and a headache is beginning, so I am on my Edwardian "fainting" couch an ice pack and a friend is kindly reading, acting a wonderfully diverting story which demands all my attention. I feel because the story is mysterious, Coventry exiled? by an unknown person...
I learned of the death of a rock legend, so maybe I should expect a ghost...I really enjoyed both the tale and your acting and this format. The border...what now, he asked himself...You're presentation Tony, if Tony you are, is/was marvelous. Have you got an agent? Namaste, Z.
Wonderfully acted!
Fantastic!
About the public schools, it's because the aristocratic children were usually taught at home with employed tutors, so when schools were made specifically for them they were public rather than privately taught. Fabulous story and beautifully read as always. Cheers. :)
Aha. Thank you.
Wow! May I start breathing again? This story had me firmly pinned to the back of my chair with a firm grip on my throat. With fear and trepidation I will approach my hereto innocent looking postbox, fully expecting a postcard signed by MW with a picture of a master painter on the front--beginning with Goya. Oh dear, dear oh dear. You are a master, Tony, in selection, in presentation andin interesting, informative commentaries. And introducing me to marvelous writers like L P Hartley.
Glad you enjoyed it! I hope MW does not start writing you postcards.
@@ClassicGhost Hasn't so far! :=)
I listen to a lot of ttrpg channels but I've never heard them mention Call of Cthulhu. Fancy meeting it here :)
I have never heard this story but felt as though I could write it before you spoke it. Who strangled W.S? Did a ghost? The Go Between. Hypochondriac is now health what? I was thinking of that film with Julie Christie and was loathe to look like a geek, not a reader, a watcher BUT it IS one in the same. Terrific film, Alan Bates is her lover, not the right class. I found the story very eerie. Namaste, Z.
Namaste Z.
Just came across this today 🙌
This reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode, in which the characters rebelled against the writer.
I enjoy your reading so much.
I hope that when Ken and I visit the UK, we run into you! We would love to take you to lunch.
ah ha. Well all things are possible. Where are you visiting?
Lovely video quality with the blurred background and saturated colors. Good reading as usual.
Thank you. That means a lot. I have a long way to go but I'm learning
Haven’t heard that in years, good thing about getting old is I forget that I’ve heard them before.
So get to enjoy them all over again😂
I think public schools were called that as they were the only schools at one time.
Whilst most children worked in the most horrendous conditions whilst the pampered children of the rich had education to keep the status quo, sadly not enough has changed.
This is a good one Tony. First heard it in Roald Dahl’s choice of favourite ghost stories. Noticed you did ‘Harry’ too didn't you?
Good evening Tony. I've just crawled into bed here. Lovely to see you doing a live reading. What a cozy looking bedroom in the background. I'll settle down snd hopefully stay awake tho sometimes it's difficult and I often have to find where I dozed off the next morning lol. NZ is in lockdown. Every day seems the same. Nightynite.
It's my temporary home. Hope the lockdown isn't too onerous.
Hi from Lower Hutt Sorry I accidentally clicked thumb down!
Tony- would you consider doing an online writing workshop?? 🤔 Maybe on how to compose a short story? Or characterization, etc?
You’ve got loads of experience having read so much and also being a stellar writer! Perhaps wishful thinking on my part, but it would be amazing to learn and get feed back. Best wishes!
I would actually love to do that, but how would we present it?
Oh what a story!
I enjoyed this one very much as usual more so for the narration than the story itself. The story reminded me of an episode from The X-Files - "Milagro" where a writer's character comes to life and commits murders and results ultimately in the death of the writer.
Thanks Amandine.
Creepy little story, I'm not sure if Hartley was knowledgeable in theosophy or not but I thought of WS as being a 'tulpa' created by Walter through sheer will due to the amount of malevolent writing that went into creation of WS. The audio/visual worked out great in this episode, Tony...good job!
I don't know that about LP. The whole time was saturated with theosophy so perhaps he did know.
I was thinking that a 2nd policeman (who phoned from the station) would be 'WS' and expected the author to have been standing over PC Smith's murdered body when the baddie arrived.
This probably makes no sense - I've a head cold 😂
Anyway, loving your channel.
I see... Hope you feel better by now.
Loved, loved this story! And you did a great job narrating! (Just to prove how much I appreciate it, how about a handshake from across the pond?!)😏
How ?
You’re right. It would be a stretch. How about I just say thanks. THANKS! 😃
Aha, I get you now
This was great ! Excellent pacing in the writing and perfectly pitched narration , natch ! , to ratchet up the tension ! Tony is an excellent writer , as well as narrator , so definitely worth a sub if you like horror readings . ALSO , he is becoming more INTIMATE as a narrator....deftly maneuvering us into the bedroom for tonight's story ! Be sure to join Tony next week , from his bubble bath , for another tale of terror ! (Subscribers Only !). 💀🎱💀
Ha ha ha. The teddy on the bed is not mine
@Classic Ghost Stories Podcast - Tony Walker . Lol , thought you'd get a chuckle out of that and be a good sport ! Keep em coming , man !..💀🎱💀
p.s. Dude , look , it's ok to own to the teddy .
@@jeffreese1828 there’s a big dog and tow other teddies int shot room. They all move at night
@Classic Ghost Stories Podcast - Tony Walker
"gulp"
The hint I took was, how did W S know certain things that nobody else could know.
Awesome reading
I would love to hear you read some VS Pritchett. Copyright problems...?
I might get away with it as he is no longer with us. Even if his estate was tetchy I could present it as free promotion. It all depends on how I look at it. Perhaps I should consider myself a Graham Norton for deceased authors?
I throughly enjoyed the story, thank you so much, you are an excellent narrator. For me what gave the policeman’s identity away was the snow on his uniform, that was the Aha moment.😉
Tell me why. I didn’t understand the snow
@@ClassicGhost
I think that when the policeman came to the door, Walter noticed the snow on his uniform, but not that it had been snowing. Upon the policeman entering Walter realised the room had become cold, despite the room having been described as warm and snug previously. I sensed then that the policeman was not what he purported to be.
@@makerj3446 ah yes. I understand
L.P.Hartley used to live in Peterborough - Fletton Towers - a gothic castle
I didn't know that.
Do you read for Audible? You have a very clear voice.
I do!
Re~listen 👍👍👍👍👍🎬
is that a cat on the bed behind you? sure I saw it move halfway through the reading!
Ha ha. I hope not...
👍👍👍👍👍
You’re so handsome 🥰
I edited the footage ;)
@@ClassicGhost I bet you’re handsome too 😂👍🏻
I understand totally why you would not cover works that are still in copyright. It's not worth the hassle. SK should be a bit more lenient considering how many of his works are... inspired by older stories
Such as this one. It reminds me heavily of The Dark Half and I've caught others as well (Lovecraft most notably)
" Langerous, with many semi colons , and subordinate clauses".
Hmm, - sounds like my friends critique of my writing.
Or rather, I think it was a friend's critique..
Lol. I've had much worse than that
❤😁
Oh boy, I should have just made a short comment today on your post & left this author’s quote in place of my socially adjusted & lengthy commentary.
Cheers!
(Maybe that’s synchronicity.🔮🧿🪬)
~
The past is another country. They do things differently there.
-WS
An excellent reading of one of my favourites- thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it Dem.