Tony! The Master Storyteller strikes again! What a wonderful and generous man you are for giving all of us so much of your time and effort. You're an international treasure and deeply appreciated in my household 🎃🖤🎃
Although not one of the most famous of his stories, its one of my favourites. There's an old TV adaptation of this that I saw as a child, and it has stayed with me. This will be a treat for later so thank you Tony.
Love listening to your voice, sir. I'd like to thank MrM R James for introducing me to a word I'd never heard before - valetudinarian. Another word for a hypochondriac. As my nan used to say, 'Every day's a school day' !!
Excellent story and narration, Tony! The maze, scenery, background, and environmental background are amazing. I like how M.R. tells us most, but not all, of what is happening and going on. This is great because the main character will never know due to what had happened in the past. Your chat, as always, is awesome. Jordan Peterson's words regarding the dragon are awesome. Have a great weekend! Thanks!
Always liked this story. Probably my second favorite James story, just behind Count Magnus. Would you consider doing a recording of Boy in Darkness by Meryn Peake? I think it would be a good fit for your channel.
@@samnelson2343 As do I. Its such a incredible piece of work and Tony's voice would be perfect of the story. Would make for a perfect Halloween listen.
Thank you for introducing me to M R James! I can't believe I've spent my entire life reading Lovecraft and never encountered James's works. Great narration, and I enjoyed your personal commentary after the story. I'm now happily subscribed to your channel and eager for more "antiquarian tales."
I really enjoyed this Tony and found it definitely scary in parts. It was thought-provoking and I really enjoyed listening to your discussion about it at the end. I might listen to it again because there was a lot to it. I quite liked it that Humphreys wasn’t transformed for better or worse by his brush with “evil” - so frequently in supernatural stories the protagonist dies, goes insane etc but that had obviously already happened to the great grandfather. I like the idea of surviving the experience and life carrying on, it seems a bit radical for this sort of tale! I’m working class and get pissed off with how we’re portrayed by writers from a certain period, but I just turn off the class switch in my head with certain writers, I’d miss out on too much good reading otherwise. Obviously not if it’s genuinely offensive though. Anyway thanks again, much appreciated.
I completely agree that the best horror needs touches of comedy. I did not realize that until I was dragged to see "The People Under the Stairs " by my friends. I came out vowing, "Wes Craven is a genius!" Just when things were especially grim, he would introduce a bit of comedy, get you laughing, then -- bang! -- evil would reintroduce itself and leave you gasping, all the more horrible because you had forgotten it.
Hors douvres instead of Hors de combat, made me laugh, a malapropysm worthy of Nellie Pledge ( Hilda Baker ) though it could have meant he was feeling strange as thats what it meant at one time.
Thank You Tony!! Another Masterpiece of Your Narrative Skills!!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 We have almost fully Beaten the 'Flu, 🤧 so we are listening to you as we're walking Jasper Mutt!! (*here at Warwick Bridge!!) Duncan sends his regards also, ( I think that I have told you that hubby is now a firm fan of your Storytelling skills too?!) And he also Especially enjoys your bletherings after the Narration!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟!! Many Thanks Again for Keeping Us Two Old Fogeys Entertained as Well as Educated!! 😁 ❤ Jasper Mutt🐾 has asked, ~ if you can please give your own four legged friends an Extra Fuss from the Three of Us!!❤😊🐾🐾
@@ClassicGhost 💞 Maybe if you "Save Up" that Extra Fuss from us, for a day when they've been Extra Good!! Jasper Mutt disgraced himself today, he Ate the food that was put out for his new friends!! And, Cr@pped on their floor..... Hopefully your dear pups have been much better behaved than this!! Edited, since it was a short novel, rather than a quick reply!! Do'h!!
Tony, is it possible to further perfect perfection?! The only thing better than the story was, of course, your narration - although the word "narration" doesn't do you justice! Impending terror was built up brilliantly! Pacing, etc. (yes! I've listened to the other readings already). A million thanks! Love these 1 hour + tales! 🌳🌳🌳🗺️🧭 Ps: sharing this on Facebook to "promote" your channel!
I never finished this last night because I fell asleep and was having weird dreams. So here I am again. The only thing I can remember clearly now 16 hours later was a demonic child that appeared and entered my body with the intention of possessing me. The rest of it was weird, too, but I forget.
James only knew Lovecraft through his essay Supernatural Horror in Literature and perhaps one or two stories in the Not At Night series. Although he admired HPL's scholarship he described his style as "the most offensive." Overall he wasn't a fan.
Thank you for introducing me to M R James! I can't believe I've spent my entire life reading Lovecraft and never encountered James's works. Great narration, and I enjoyed your personal commentary after the story. I'm now happily subscribed to your channel and eager for more "antiquarian tales." My only suggestion is that you could lower the threshold on your noise gate (or maybe you're using an automated "breath" removal tool?) to avoid truncating words. I personally find leaving in the breaths makes a narration sound more natural.
Wonderful series, and so well read, thank you. There is one little quibble I would make - can one say 'surrealism is dead'? Isn't it a bit like saying 'God is dead'? - when what we describe thereby is a metaphysical idea, that is very real to anyone who perceives it as such? Just a thought...
Love the narration but the insertion of right wing politics at the end ruins the whole stew for me. You probably don’t know this not being Canadian, but Peterson is an alt right fascist that has been accepting payments from Russia to sow division in Canada (True story). I know tangentially his work was relevant to your analysis but every time a conservative viewpoint comes up in these it ruins the experience for me.
@@dshe8637 I have a great deal of sympathy for this man!! Although, I often don't agree with what he's saying,,,, the very Fact that his own Government has been threatening to send him to be *RE-EDUCATED*!!~* ~* Because, he disagrees with them, makes me wonder what this Reeducation would entail?! Dr Jordan Peterson has helped many people, ~ yet his own Government is working All-Out to Silence him.... 🤔 Hmmm..... So, as I said, I don't agree with much of what he's saying, I'm going to listen to him.. Especially because someone is trying to Silence him!! Best Wishes and Kindest Regards, I hope that nothing I've said has offended you, I just wanted to bring this to your attention. Namasté 🙏🕊️💞🌟 Andréa and Critters. ...XxX.. .
My reply to you has disappeared? Basically, I was pointing out that although I dont agree with everything he says, (Dr J.P.) ~the very fact that he has been told that unless he agrees with his own government, well until then he's got to shut-up!! That got my attention pretty quickly.... "Re~Education" Sounds very much like 1940s Nazsty party "Tactics" to me,,,,, So, just thought I'd put this out-there... In a manner of speaking!! Best wishes & Kindest regards. Andrea and Jasper. ...XxX....
Tony! The Master Storyteller strikes again! What a wonderful and generous man you are for giving all of us so much of your time and effort. You're an international treasure and deeply appreciated in my household 🎃🖤🎃
Although not one of the most famous of his stories, its one of my favourites. There's an old TV adaptation of this that I saw as a child, and it has stayed with me. This will be a treat for later so thank you Tony.
Mine too! Excellent narration ❤
The tv programme is available here on TH-cam
@@adriennewalker1715 whats the name?
@@jodeteyoutube1732 Mr Humphreys and his inheritance … it’s a Yorkshire TV short, directed by Tony Scull.
@@jodeteyoutube1732- It’s a highly abridged version of the story. Made specifically as children’s educational short film.
Was it BBC? I'm googling like crazy, I want to see it!
Love listening to your voice, sir. I'd like to thank MrM R James for introducing me to a word I'd never heard before - valetudinarian. Another word for a hypochondriac. As my nan used to say, 'Every day's a school day' !!
Very interestingly, in the text it is mis-spelled twice as valentudinarian. I suspect that was the editor's mistake not old Monty's.
Ohh goody. So glad I'm not the only one who's never heard that word before. Yes. You learn something new everyday.
Always excellent to hear an M R James story, narrated by Tony. Thank you, Tony!
What a treat. Possibly because I'm a gardener this is one of my favourites.
Oh yay! Tony reading MR James makes for nice chill Friday! ❤🎉❤
Hi, dear Tony, I love this piece, and you did a banging job! Thank you for your consistency. ❤
Always great to settle back and listen to your voice. An entertaining and comforting part of my day. You feel like a friend. Bravo!
A classic from the master of the ghost story. Thanks Tony.
As always your perfect narration brought to life a brilliant story. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐❤️
I try to listen to other narrators but I always comeback to Tony.❤
I'm blushing! Thank ou
I love this one! So glad you're covering it!
Can't believe I found your channel! It's just what I've been looking for ❤
Welcome!!
Another one I've never read, never heard of---so thank you for the selection and reading of it, Mr. W.
Excellent story and narration, Tony!
The maze, scenery, background, and environmental background are amazing. I like how M.R. tells us most, but not all, of what is happening and going on. This is great because the main character will never know due to what had happened in the past.
Your chat, as always, is awesome. Jordan Peterson's words regarding the dragon are awesome.
Have a great weekend! Thanks!
I love M R James and have read his tales many times. Your reading of them is really enjoyable, as always. You're still the best to listen to 👍
Thank you Tony!! This is one of my favourites
Always liked this story. Probably my second favorite James story, just behind Count Magnus. Would you consider doing a recording of Boy in Darkness by Meryn Peake? I think it would be a good fit for your channel.
I would . not sure where I’d find it . Do you know ?
@@ClassicGhost I posted a link to it on your Discord(you can't post links on YT). Let me know if the link works.
@@onepiecefan74
I do hope that it does.
@@samnelson2343 As do I. Its such a incredible piece of work and Tony's voice would be perfect of the story. Would make for a perfect Halloween listen.
Beautifully read!
A favorite. Compelling, gripping narration, Tony. Brilliant! Thank you!
Love this story.
I love this story, can't wait for the Tony Walker treatment.
At last, another M.R. James story!
Happy Friday, thank you Tony 💙 💛
Great story, really enjoyed that one 📖💕
Thank you for introducing me to M R James! I can't believe I've spent my entire life reading Lovecraft and never encountered James's works. Great narration, and I enjoyed your personal commentary after the story. I'm now happily subscribed to your channel and eager for more "antiquarian tales."
This is also one of my favorites among M R James ghost stories, particularly because its greater length gives it a more leisurely pace.
I really enjoyed this Tony and found it definitely scary in parts. It was thought-provoking and I really enjoyed listening to your discussion about it at the end. I might listen to it again because there was a lot to it.
I quite liked it that Humphreys wasn’t transformed for better or worse by his brush with “evil” - so frequently in supernatural stories the protagonist dies, goes insane etc but that had obviously already happened to the great grandfather. I like the idea of surviving the experience and life carrying on, it seems a bit radical for this sort of tale!
I’m working class and get pissed off with how we’re portrayed by writers from a certain period, but I just turn off the class switch in my head with certain writers, I’d miss out on too much good reading otherwise. Obviously not if it’s genuinely offensive though.
Anyway thanks again, much appreciated.
This would make a great movie 🍿🎥
Top shelf!😊
Your voice is easy listening great read❤
Thanks a lot for taking the time to comment. You are very kind.
I genuinely enjoyed the discussion following the reading as much as the reading itself.
Great story. Looking forward to bedtime!
Oooo ! One of my favourites ❤. Nice version Tony !
Thank you!
Thank you Tony!
Nice one tony❤
I completely agree that the best horror needs touches of comedy. I did not realize that until I was dragged to see "The People Under the Stairs " by my friends. I came out vowing, "Wes Craven is a genius!" Just when things were especially grim, he would introduce a bit of comedy, get you laughing, then -- bang! -- evil would reintroduce itself and leave you gasping, all the more horrible because you had forgotten it.
Hors douvres instead of Hors de combat, made me laugh, a malapropysm worthy of Nellie Pledge ( Hilda Baker ) though it could have meant he was feeling strange as thats what it meant at one time.
Thank goodness for a non-neurotic protagonist. What a relief 😅
Thank You Tony!!
Another Masterpiece of Your Narrative Skills!!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
We have almost fully Beaten the 'Flu, 🤧 so we are listening to you as we're walking Jasper Mutt!!
(*here at Warwick Bridge!!)
Duncan sends his regards also,
( I think that I have told you that hubby is now a firm fan of your Storytelling skills too?!)
And he also Especially enjoys your bletherings after the Narration!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟!!
Many Thanks Again for Keeping Us Two Old Fogeys Entertained as Well as Educated!! 😁 ❤
Jasper Mutt🐾 has asked,
~ if you can please give your own four legged friends
an Extra Fuss from the Three of Us!!❤😊🐾🐾
Thank you 🙏
They get lots of fusses. They were quite naughty today.
@@ClassicGhost 💞
Maybe if you "Save Up" that Extra Fuss from us, for a day when they've been Extra Good!!
Jasper Mutt disgraced himself today, he Ate the food that was put out for his new friends!!
And, Cr@pped on their floor.....
Hopefully your dear pups have been much better behaved than this!!
Edited, since it was a short novel,
rather than a quick reply!! Do'h!!
This channel and also “Bitesized” are both amazing.
Glad you like them!
Excellent 🫡
Tony, is it possible to further perfect perfection?! The only thing better than the story was, of course, your narration - although the word "narration" doesn't do you justice! Impending terror was built up brilliantly! Pacing, etc. (yes! I've listened to the other readings already).
A million thanks! Love these 1 hour + tales!
🌳🌳🌳🗺️🧭
Ps: sharing this on Facebook to "promote" your channel!
thank you! I always think I should do more on Facebook. Thank you for doing it for me.
I never finished this last night because I fell asleep and was having weird dreams. So here I am again. The only thing I can remember clearly now 16 hours later was a demonic child that appeared and entered my body with the intention of possessing me. The rest of it was weird, too, but I forget.
Sounds dreadful. Hope you fell better now
James only knew Lovecraft through his essay Supernatural Horror in Literature and perhaps one or two stories in the Not At Night series. Although he admired HPL's scholarship he described his style as "the most offensive." Overall he wasn't a fan.
Thanks for the reference much appreciated
Does anyone else think of the character from the old British sitcom "Are You Being Served?" when they hear the name Mr. Humphries?
Thank you for introducing me to M R James! I can't believe I've spent my entire life reading Lovecraft and never encountered James's works. Great narration, and I enjoyed your personal commentary after the story. I'm now happily subscribed to your channel and eager for more "antiquarian tales." My only suggestion is that you could lower the threshold on your noise gate (or maybe you're using an automated "breath" removal tool?) to avoid truncating words. I personally find leaving in the breaths makes a narration sound more natural.
it’s an expander because when i compress it
makes the breaths very loud
This was so very well read, a pleasure to listen to. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful series, and so well read, thank you. There is one little quibble I would make - can one say 'surrealism is dead'? Isn't it a bit like saying 'God is dead'? - when what we describe thereby is a metaphysical idea, that is very real to anyone who perceives it as such? Just a thought...
I haven't listened for a while because I found a cute girlfriend and I have been super relaxed. But maybe I need this to fall asleep tonight.
Okay, but you take it easy.
@@ClassicGhost 😂
It seems to me you're doing a lot of re-uploads. Am I right or is my memory kind of a maze?
Your memory is a maze. I just recorded this one yesterday
Mr. 'Umphries has an inheritance?! So why's he still working at Grace Brothers?!
Oh c'mon! You had to know that would be asked sooner or later🤭🤣
Love the narration but the insertion of right wing politics at the end ruins the whole stew for me. You probably don’t know this not being Canadian, but Peterson is an alt right fascist that has been accepting payments from Russia to sow division in Canada (True story). I know tangentially his work was relevant to your analysis but every time a conservative viewpoint comes up in these it ruins the experience for me.
Oh yes. Jordan why-use-one-word-when-you can-use-ten Peterson!
The pompous, poisonous Peterson 🤮
@@dshe8637 I have a great deal of sympathy for this man!!
Although, I often don't agree with what he's saying,,,,
the very Fact that his own Government
has been threatening to send him to be *RE-EDUCATED*!!~*
~* Because, he disagrees with them, makes me wonder what this Reeducation would entail?!
Dr Jordan Peterson has helped many people,
~ yet his own Government is working All-Out to Silence him.... 🤔 Hmmm.....
So, as I said, I don't agree with much of what he's saying,
I'm going to listen to him..
Especially because someone is trying to Silence him!!
Best Wishes and Kindest Regards,
I hope that nothing I've said has offended you, I just wanted to bring this to your attention.
Namasté 🙏🕊️💞🌟
Andréa and Critters. ...XxX..
.
My reply to you has disappeared?
Basically, I was pointing out that although I dont agree with everything he says, (Dr J.P.)
~the very fact that he has been told that unless he agrees with his own government, well until then he's got to shut-up!!
That got my attention pretty quickly....
"Re~Education" Sounds very much like 1940s Nazsty party "Tactics" to me,,,,,
So, just thought I'd put this out-there...
In a manner of speaking!!
Best wishes & Kindest regards.
Andrea and Jasper. ...XxX....
This story wasn't that great. I find MR James stories to be boring.
thanks for letting us know
😂
I got bored. Sorry.
It’s not me you need to apologise to
@@ClassicGhost I love your work Tone. I just found this getting mired in pointless detail. Still! What do I know? 😂
It’s old Monty
36:34 Don't know what happened but I'm totally lost😅
Must have dosed off. It seems like a totally different story.
ha ha yes you are ! but it comes back