The Lodgers by Joan Aiken
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- Joan Aiken
Joan Delano Aiken was the daughter of Conrad Aiken, whose story Mr Arcularis we read out on The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast. Her elder sister Jane was a writer and her brother John was a chemist. Her father, being a poet presumably appreciated the para-rhyming of their names.
Joan was born while her father was domiciled in England, on Mermaid Street in Rye in East Sussex in 1924. She died in Petworth West Sussex in 2004.
She went to a private school in Oxford but did not go to University. Instead she wrote stories. Her first story appeared on the BBC Children’s Hour in 1941 when she was seventeen.
After the death of her first husband she went to work as an editor on magazines.
She is most famous for her children’s fiction, notably The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and Black Hearts in Battersea. Her stories have almost a magical realism feel (a term which of course really belongs to South American literature) in that she uses what appear to be genuine historical settings subtly twisted to become fantasy.
Many of her novels have supernatural themes, such as the Shadow Guests and the Haunting of Lamb House.
She won many awards for her fiction during her lifetime.
The Lodgers is in her collection of short supernatural stories A Touch of Chill.
Not knowing what to make of it, I went on Good Reads and found it got an average of three stars out of five with most reviewers not being clear about what the story is about.
The best I can do is to suggest that this is a mid-20th Century story where small town life is subverted into the weird as people like Robert Aickman were doing. I wonder whether the deliberate cultivation of the irrational is taking place here where the weird is not meant to be understood rationally, but there to create atmosphere.
The weird slovenly, drunken Colegates come from the Middle East. They have odd paraphernalia such as the 'collecting jar' which seems to be vaguely occult. The reference to the Egyptians and the black and white pillars put me in mid of the ritual magic of the Order of the Golden Dawn. It seems that the Colegates collect the souls of children. In the end, I think young Bob's soul flies out of the window and Desmond Colegate pursues it like a butterfly hunter into the graveyard where the exertion gives him a stroke of a heart attack. But I may be wrong. The boy, and the vet's boy who the Colegate also taught games of cards to (the cards seem important -- Tarot???) both die of natural causes. Are the Colegates then a drunken version of the Grim Reaper? They don't cause the death, they are just around to harvest the souls?
If you know, tell me!
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not being able to afford paying sites, I am a pensioner on a very limited income these free sites and stories are a God send, thank you so much and I d appreciated all the trouble you go to more than you will ever know. God bless
You are very welcome
A very good story but I couldn’t get over the fact that a woman could leave her children , ill or not, with two strange weirdos she didn’t know from Adam!
It's that, or be homeless. And, you find it less forgivable in a woman than a man?
It happens
@@blixten2928Nope.
@@blixten2928I’m not following your comment. Where did the comparison with a man in a similar position come from?
What a creepy unsettling story! And your narration was....SO DELIGHTFUL! (Really, even the difficult dialogue passages were so smooth.) Thank you!!
Fantastic story, beautifully read as ever. I loved your posh English accent, by the way. And the doctor was very funny. The story was really creepy, but the most terrifying thing was hearing a woman leave her very sick six and eight year olds with total strangers! My goodness, times have changed.
Posh English is just one more accent to me.
Creepy, surreal word-paintings which will invade my dreams tonight, I fear. You tell a story so it becomes a living creature.
Thank you! Also for your great commentaries--and videos!Please continue!
Echoing this: the commentaries are very appreciated. Thank you, sir!
Thank you for all your hard work.
Thank you Tony! You are a wonder! So generous of spirit! It's been a while. I love seeing you. Camera seems fine. This story felt unsettling...you read it beautifully, beautifully scary......
Oh Tony. You really do wear your heart on your sleeve.
I guess that's why we love your talks and tales.
This was deliciously creepy.
I loved it.
I used to live directly across from a very old graveyard, and I should try to write the story of events that unfolded from that chapter of my life. I would love to say that nothing interesting actually happened despite the graveyard, that there was just a graveyard in my street, but...
Love the room by the way.
😊
Oh and I love those old Bill and Ben episodes!
My mother's spare bedroom!
Near where I live there is a church and grave yard. Not spooky. BUT THE HOUSE ACROSS THE ROAD is decorated inside and out with the weirdest items. For instance a dress makers dummy in the front garden, wearing an old bridal dress and having a dogs head on the neck. A skull going round and round on an old record player. A figure sat on a chair with a skull and a top hat. Hands holding the gate shut. Loads more in the garden and along the side wall and the back yard. Upstairs in the front bedroom window a skull with angel wings looks down on visitors. My Grandchild is terrified of walking past. This is only a tiny stone cottage and it is cluttered with this evil looking rubbish. The house next door it for sale. Hmm wonder why it can’t be sold.
Despite my love of classic gothic, I hate anything in such poor taste.
It would definitely creep me out!
Deliciously dark, I enjoyed this one very much Mr.Tony. Thank you.
Love talk at end. Inspiring. Thanks!
Definitely a new favorite, the plot, the characters and your wonderful characterization. 2 thumbs up, Bravo.
Namaste, Z ( love the "creepy doll" image too)
One of your best readings yet Tony, for me anyway. Still scratching my head at the ending though........
Me too. We can’t ask Joan. Or can we….?
Thanks Tony. Another great story. Had me totally gripped.
Glad you enjoyed it
Your impersonation of the characters was brilliant! A very good story, thank you 😊
Ahh, a children’s story in the German tradition! I loved your explanation of Colgate’s china puppets.i do not like false faces. For that reason, I hate clowns. I had a bad experience as a teenager and, to this day, dislike the circus. My poor daughter never got to see a circus. Wonderful explanation!
Me too. Hate creepy clowns.
I used to have nightmares as a child about Bill and Ben the flowerpot men. The Magic Roundabout used to make me feel ill. I still absolutely hate dolls. Someone gave me a puppet once as a joke present when I was in my 40s and I had to put it out of house and get rid of it the next day. Curiously, a few years ago I got diagnosed with prosopagnosia, which is the inability to recognise faces. It's only mild, but gets worse with stress. I once accused a woman who'd worked for me for three years of being a visitor sitting at her desk. A bit embarrassing! So I think there may be a genuine reason why some people find distorted human faces, or blank human faces as in masks and things, so frightening.
@@BigDog366
Thanks for teaching me that great new word, prosopagnosia. If my Groucho Marx joke of “I never forget a face…..but in your case I’ll make an exception”, falls flat, that word will be my back up. I had a buddy who had a fear of dolls, triggered by him adamantly recounting his doll coming to life one night, somehow becoming animate. If that was not odd enough, his parents solution was to brick it up in his bedroom wall!?
I know a very adult joke about Bill n’ Ben which should hopefully take the edge off. It has never failed to make all laugh.
May I ask why did The Magic Roundabout make you ill?
Tony you will be pleased to know the cameras were working fine giving your adoring fans the opportunity to gaze on your features 😊 Another interesting creepy story, keep up the good work.👍
lol. I've given up with the cameras.
Another great one. Thanks Tony!
No worries Dan!
Going to keep commenting to stimulate the algorithm. Great work Tony.
Ok I have to say the creepiest part of this story so far is the fact that a mother left her children with complete strangers.
Same here
That are sitting in their room with a bottle of whiskey between them, the night they move in!!!! they don't even unpack, just dive into the bottle and swim around!
Thank goodness someone thought the same as me.. I was too scared to comment incase I got told off lol.. Also, a doctor prescribing ASPRIN for young children.
@@wmnoffaith1 😂😂👏
@@Catsmeow90 aspirin saved a whole lot of small children from febrile convulsions before other antipyretic were available
Really enjoy your commentary at the end-super helpful to understanding context. Thanks for mentioning the different ways to support you as well. Glad this came up in my feed!
I’m glad it did too
Lovely to see you Tony and have another story. That was great . Nz is suddenly in lock down with cases of delta. . Big changes since we last talked. Strange times,.
strange times indeed. I hope they end soon
Thank you Tony you do a great job thank you for all the work you do
Your choice of stories tickles my pickles. ❤️❤️
Fantastic reading of a great story! Loved your vocal characterizations.
Nobody quite like Joan Aiken , is there !
Many sincere thanks for this !
She’s very good
So nice to see you on you again! Thank you for another great story...and of course, the commentary, as well!
I really need to load up on Joan Aiken books. I love every story I've heard by her so far.
I love the line about Iran. "It was so sad when things got difficult over there." The British have a fully deserved reputation for understatement. I remember being on a train over there and was chatting with the man across from me and somehow the subject of Idi Amin came up and I just loved what he said "Well it's difficult to deny that Idi did some unpleasant things". It was all I could do to not double over laughing. I swear coming back to the States was the dumbest decision of my life.
I think it's fun to be understated. Did you see that film by Sam Mendes 1917, when Michael Fassbender is sent on a mission which is pointless and suicidal and he says, "What a nuisance," and the other guys replies something like "Yes, it's a bother."
@@ClassicGhost Not yet but it's certainly on my Netflix binging list. Bangers and mash and perfect understatement are two of my favorite British contributions to Western Civilization. That and the amazing ability to brutally insult someone while remaining scrupulously polite to a fault. I swear that's some kind of Jedi/Ninja talent only the British have totally mastered. It's like a martial art and no one needs to lift a finger.
I am really enjoying your storytelling & the commentary!
Are you sure you didn't forget to turn a page dear Tony? It left me with so many questions and confusion! I love your reading. Thank you🤗
Ah no, it's a weird one all right
It makes me wonder how many stories we missed because the camera was off, anyways thank you for sharing your talent and the escape
Watched Mulholland Drive the other day.
Thank youl
I loves Mulholland Drive so much I went to California and took a drive along Mulholland Drive. Nothing sinister happened though
@@ClassicGhost Glad you were safe unlike James Dean.
I think i made a mistake i don’t think James Dean did die there.
This story is incredibly creepy and frightening,. I can't believe I had never read it before. Thank you!
I read all Joan Aiken’s books when I was a kid- fantastic!!!!!
Many thanks, great reading as usual, good luck with yr move😅
Did you watch Jackanory when you were a kid?☺️
I did watch Jackanory. Hence this channel.
I also read all her books as a kid! I remember a collection of stories with the wonderful title "Smoke From Cromwell's Time." (The smoke was in a locked dresser drawer in an antique shop.)
But I've never heard of Jackanory. I'll have to look it up.
Had forgotten how scary her short stories are. Excellent.
I always took it as like M R James "They didn't like their bones been boiled down and so they took him where he would not go!" I.e. the souls attacked him and killed him.
Yes, that's a good one. And, that the boy's soul at least escaped. We don't even know for sure the kid's dead....
Odd but very well read, as per! Ty Tony luv
Excellent story, brilliantly read. Thank you for introducing me to this story by Joan Aiken. A huge fan of E F Benson (and quite keen on H James), I need to find her The Haunting of Lamb House now.
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase & the other book by Joan Aiken riveted me as a young child & an avid book reader.. the lodgers equally disturbing with your narrative skills.. ty!😮😂❤
I love The Wolves of Willoughby Chase!
I loved that novel!! I read it so many times. We had wolves where I grew up, so ... 😅
I really appreciate you introducing another excellent story onto your channel---and into my awareness. I loved this one, it was sooo well written and creeeepy. UGH! Lodgers from the 9th level of weirdness. I just ordered my T-shirt---I don't know if that gives you some revenue, but I hope so. I am considering "You tried to get into the locked drawer today, didn't you?" as my Halloween costume, lol!!
I am waiting for my by shirt
I say that out loud all the time now , ha ha ! Only to myself , of course , as my husband doesn't recognize the reference, ha ha .
What t- shirt is that ?
How do I get it ?
@@trishbirchard1270 It's the heartwood institute one. they do the theme music. Their merchandise is here theheartwoodinstitute.bandcamp.com/merch
That was terrifying! Thank you so much. I shall now "follow" Ms Aitken. 🙂
Such a great story and narration as well as discussion. Feeling under the weather this evening and came back to listen again. Just what I needed! Thank you Tony.
Another great story about horrible people. The Colgates are horrible without the dark magic.
Great narration
Yes, I tend to do stories about horrible people. I don't know why
Very well narrated.
Very good story very well narrated. Thank you 🙏
Loved that, many thanks , growing up we also had lodgers, I have many happy memories and some crazy ones 😂 👍🌺✌️
Best narration I've heard - and what a creepy story! I loved your talk at the end
ditto this time around, Tony. Thank you!
I feel hoppers art does tell a story once we learn about Hoppers own personal life (which o don't belive he ever intended to be publicly known). His difficulty with depression, the isolation he clearly felt and his relationship with his wife, how she is the model for most of his figures, are all reflected in his work and, at least for me, seem to unlock a message in his art that tells a story.
Butthats what's so good about art. We can all see the same thing and take away a different interpretation.
I do like art in that it just presents an image and your mind can rest on that
Enjoy alot .thank u 💜🙏💜🙏
Very good expression and characterisations. This has been a favourite story of mine since a first reading when I was eleven or twelve. Your rendition was different from what I expected but very enjoyable.
Very interesting because I hadn't come across it until I read it in "65 Spine Chillers". I know Joan Aiken of course from before that
How strange. My father and two of his sisters were adopted out to three different families. Each of the families changed their child's name at the adoption. My dad was named John, and his sisters were named Jane and June. Apparently this was a coincidence. Then their biological parents went on to have three more children, and one of them was named Joan.
:)
I enjoyed The Lodgers so much! How could a couple so sinister be constantly misplacing their automobile? Thank you for introducing me to Joan Aiken. David Lynch, eat your heart out!
Yes, I never figured that one out.
Thank you I enjoyed that
Normally I can simply enjoy your stories as light entertainment, but for whatever reason this one really creeped me out. Well read and a most excellent story, even if the lodgers are truly evil. Kudos!
They are very creepy people.
Great reading, Tony; Joan Aiken is under anthologised and I don't know why, you never know what wild thing is going to happen next!
Great Story! What a frightfully odd couple!
Thank you for explaining your theories about this nightmarish story but I don’t know if they made me feel better or worse! You’re so good at what you do it’s scary.
And of course that is my greatest ambition. It’s a bit wrong really
Wish you hadn’t removed your latest video, was a very* good story.
Which was that? I removed a live video that was horrible
Very encouraging doctor!!!
Great story! Well read - thanks!
You are an amazing story teller! I’m hooked!
Thank you!
Fantastic story, fantastically well done…I was gasping at the ending! This was riveting, thank you. 🐈⬛
Really pleased you liked it
The Colgates remind me of the Soul Hunter in Babylon 5. He collected souls and entrapped them in globes, whereas it sounds as if the Colgates are trapping them in the puppets. I was really hoping the children wouldn't die all through the story but at least the little boy's soul was free to go on, just like in Babylon 5 when Delene opened the globes and released the captured souls. That's how I see it anyway, lol.
That was 👍 very enjoyable!🙂
Great story read well!
I very much enjoy stories like this just for the weirdness, it doesn't need to make any sense to me...when you try to make sense of it, it "kills it" if you get what I mean? Great story! I thought of Bill+Ben the flower pot men as you were reading lol, somewhere in the deep dark recesses of my memory🤣 so weird to hear you making that link! I loved Twin Peaks, just for being supremely weird, no plot explanations necessary, I must simply have weird tastes🙃 thank-you so very much for sharing and all your hard work😊
I'm right there with you.
Thank you
Very creepy!!!!!! I loved it!!!!! Thank you very much.
Thank you 🙏
You’re welcome 😊
@@ClassicGhost
Tony I really really enjoyed listening to the story today, in fact I was half an hour late for an appointment because of it! I had to hear the end!
Hi Tony, jeez I write TOO much ( because I can't think, right). I searched You T. and found 3 other stories, all quite offbeat , one so sad it teared me up- Lop, a dog devoted so much....I won't spoil the ending, for anybody who wants to discover more about this lady. What an unusual mind, her imagination marched to a different drum, yes I know that doesn't work as a metaphor or grammatically or whatever. Was up at 2:30, migraine, humidity...So why am I on a glare screen- YOUR CHOICE WAS THE BEST OF 4 STORIES, I've listened 4 or 5x and it's most definitely the spookiest. I also "dig" her imagination because her stories have a very timeless quality, I know she was born in 1924, not 1824, but there is a Victorian, maybe it is just words, words, I am a bit of a "lit snob" John Banville probably my favorite male author, said critics have called him a "writer's writer" and he doesn't LIKE that! I do! I read one book then immediately went back to the library! You have an "ear for poetry"; I picked that up and have been known to NOT read a recommended yarn because the writer wasn't poesy- make an Edgar Allen Poe linguistic trick with my likely misspelled word! I love the "Jean, Joan, Jan, cup of tea" bit- pararhyme? Must be my hearing. Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa are the most probable culprits but I listen to all genres and have a teenage tendency still to crank up the volume. My father was an highly abusive alcoholic and once sober, got WORSE. My nick name Eeyore hid an awful, violent, we went without a phone and I was near on suicide watch- bad, bad, man. One can speak I'll of the dead- his nick name for me was "it" not even a person. Ironically that SOB, could write! Was employed for those skills, wrote decent poetry ( before marriage- their unholy union still confounds me) and he had his own local newspaper, which my poor mother got stuck delivering, he was hung over and she told me, this is melodramatic but very sad, after she had me, she comes home from the hospital, by taxi! Nothing prepared at home....she is delivering a couple and starts to hemmorage. WHY DIDNT SHE LEAVE, games, people screw themselves in the long wrong to "get even", Yada, Yada, Yada and battered housewife syndrome- why does our "blissful" culture insist upon either coining an insufficient label then make an annoying acronym- I am an only child, never had kids, maybe my annoyingly long, envious, not-meant-to-be-toadying, replies are clearer now? My family, both sides has/had artistic talents, I wanted to remain single, travel and write BUT MOSTLY PAINT. I had to settle for art history, but "uni" seems like somebody else's life. My refuge is Leonard Cohen. I know he can't sing but can Dylan, I want to learn Welsh on account of DYLAN THOMAS. I wrote to the townhall- can't remember the name, Cardiff or a smaller place- his daughter had just published a book about her father, died right after I think, I am on so much crappy medication which no longer seems to work- my memory, I am terrified I'm going " funny" blimey not THAT old- look at Keith Richards, he's alot older than me, really abused his body and his memory seems fine, doesn't match his face! Sunscreen Keith. I have been so depressed I haven't gone to my therapist for weeks, get so panicky near time I weasel out. I'm fortunate to have a very, kind, tolerant, insightful doctor. Keeping "transference at a safe distance, I gave him a copy of a favorite book, The Little Prince. Please read this, don't GHOST ME, BAN ME FROM YOUR SITE OR COMMENTS. I haven't finished my Highgate Cemetery tour, DOES rival Pere La Chaise. Came across a lurid Rossetti/Siddal "ghost" post, sorry THAT WAS ACCIDENTAL- wasn't a story or a tour, just bio-gossip and misinformed too. The Haunting was in poor Dante's deteriorating body- kidneys wasn't it- I've been dosed with chloral hydrate, cheap over here, nasty stuff, leaves you very hungover next morning. See why my circadian cycle is off! My therapist is against me listening to ghost stories at night, well he'd prefer NO horror, endless Seinfeld reruns! Great show....I explained to him, very little frightens me, when imprisoned by a father from hell, - when he died I was afraid he'd haunt me and I am not sure I believe in ghosts. I do know we haunt ourselves. Again I apologize- well I see some actor? is narrating The Metamorphosis, perhaps I should listen to it or watch Marat Sade, great fun! Luckily you don't charge! I really, earnestly wish I could become a Patron. Oh I checked out the "life coach", business building, you mentioned- can't remember his name, August ? something? He uses a dashboard, some system- he terrified me! Too late for me anyhow. It is. You can't be what you want to be....thank you for sharing your imagination, I'd like to see more of your daughter's art work and I love your author bio's and literature terms and your life which is VERY interesting. You have certainly made some cool jobs - I know you'd have been a great Punch and Judy man. Wish my dull city had them and merry-go-rounds like Paris and a market like Marrakesh! Namaste. Z. ( who wants to be called IT) Off to Marianne Faithfull, Monday, Monday, and bad habits! I've followed Marianne since forever....Bye, don't ban me. Have an excellent, interesting week.
If I heard correctly what I think I heard accidentally in a spoiler snippet so to speak this is going to turn out to be such an all-time favorite clever and unique little story my hat's going to fly off
I can’t make head or tail out of this story
I have always loved the literature of Joan Aiken. She introduced a child with poor reading skills to brave ( though somewhat naughty) children...one called Bonnie was ill at introduction, villainous secretive adults/older people,wolves,wild chases,etc. I loved "the Wolves of Willoughby Chase". But Mumps and Measles at the same time!!...poor,poor children. I had Mumps and Chicken Pox but my parents had things like Measles, Scarlet Fever,they were very sick children. A friend from Maine, USA
Mumps and measles. Pretty rough
Back in the 1970s my 3 year old son was hospitalised with a particularly bad asthma attack and caught both measles and mumps while there. Because of the different incubation periods the mumps appeared just as the measles were starting to fade. (He had not received the triple antigen vaccine for his doctor’s fear of triggering an anaphylactic response - probably the appropriate way to go at the time, but the poor kid really did have a pretty rough few months)
Excellent
Rye is a lovely place and the Mermaid Inn the most beautiful Inn I've ever visited. I stay there every chance I get, a true smugglers' Inn and haunt of the Hawkshurst Gang of smugglers.
I haven’t been there for decades but I’d like to go back before the end
+TAlex I haven’t been for years but would like to go back
Great narration. I sometimes feel that ghost stories end too quickly. With this one, I would like there to be a final scene. Perhaps it is just me. I do not wish to offend the writer.
Don't worry, Jessica. She's dead. It took me a while to work it out and it wasnt me who worked it out but a listener. I won't say here for fear of spoiling it for others
Creepy, freaky, excellent! I adored it. Scary, witless mother. Thanks Tony. How do I exit Patreon to Join?
hmm. I don't know. I guess you go to Patreon and cancel?
As to the disturbing effect of non-human faces, clowns could be added to your examples.
Btw, I think a possible explanation of the old man’s death is the boy, who was killed but whose soul or ghost escapes, kills him out of self defense.
Were the lettered beads an acronym?, an ancient or demonic language? Haven’t had time to work on it yet. But no further mention after the initial description.
Great story and narration.
Very good ideas 💡
Just poised in between true horror and and an oddly cosy sort of everyday-ness, what with the ordinary struggles of the busy mother trying to hold onto her job. A strange and wonderful story. Then the ending, which was unexpectedly ambiguous.
Thank you Tony, for your interesting words at the end. The description in the story of the puppets seemed to evoke the image of skeletons; something like china, jointed, clinking. He tells us he has one "bigger than me, it moves by itself...."
There is a phrase for the weirdness of a human-like face such as in a doll or a robot, which doesn't quite make the cut - "uncanny valley". It means falling between where the representation is nothing like a human, and therefore not threatening at all - robots of this kind can be very sweet - and where the representation of a human is so good, it is very hard to distinguish from a real person. What falls between these two representations is unnerving, hence the phrase uncanny valley.
The other thing which unnerves me so much about this story is the way the mother so readily hands the care of the children over to these two strangers, something I have seen referenced before as a common circumstance in those days.
Just editing to add, please read more from A Touch of Chill!
I had heard that phrase the ‘uncanny valley’ and then forgotten it again.
Thank you for reminding me. I think that is the epitome of this channel that juxtaposition between the cosy in the scary
Hi Tony, I found diamonds in the mine, "werewolves on London, again" - Joan Aiken's, 1986 or '89 film adaptation of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, on You T. Free, no ads! What a delight, satirical and nastiness akin to the best Tim Burton or Roald Dahl. What an imagination, she's like Angela Carter but even "better" IMHO. The evil Aunt, or Step Mom ( I got stuck with that epithet for a few years, horrible to be judged not for you but for venom of former spouse, immaturity and cliche) In Joan's world girls no matter how puffy their sleeves or ballerina-like their demeanor, no boy or man or werewolf can thwart their plans. The main nasty women reminded me of Scarlet O'Hara, her scheming and greed and I swear there's a "conceit" wrong word! a visual reference to the painting of Whistler's Mother- hilarious. I was trying to do some mending so I need to RELAX AND JUST ENJOY IT'S MAGIC. Like a Polish director who's name I can't call, Alice in Wonderland like you've never seen her- it's on You T. Free too. Neil Gaiman turned me on to it. Thank you for broadening my horizons, Joan is like discovering a secret tree house in a forest that "comes and goes"!
I really enjoyed your Highgate Vampire tale but I wrote too much as usual, brought back fond memories of university, both art history and as especially inspiring essay I had to do in a local cemetery, not iconography and rubbing as it was for anthropology, data type stuff, noting when an illness or floods caused infant deaths etc. We are a young country so with the exception of Quebec maybe? Our cemeteries are pretty provincial, rather dull. Sad how Highgate hasn't been maintained like Pere La Chaise. Thanks for subtle evocation of Jane Morris and Rossetti's paranoia regards his long dead wife coming after him! I wouldn't blame Lizzie, "Guggums" as he nick named her, he didn't act very chivalrous, did he?! I think Rossetti was the "punk rocker" of The Pre-Rahpaelite Brotherhood! Loved how you described the albino, "a bleachec coffin worm" horrible, creepy crawlies and your use of the colors black and white- Jane Morris had black hair and piercing blue eyes and although not voluptuous like Rossetti's housekeeper, Fanny Cornforth, she was quite a stunner too. Oops I blathered on. Oh well, blame your talent as writer and actor! How was The Fringe? Good year or you've seen better- would your mom rent me that lovely room for a good rate if i helped her with her housework? Namaste. Z.
Yeah that is a great film. I love it. We used to watch it with the kids every Christmas. She was a very accomplished writer
I really love the way you read a story, Tony. To me though and maybe it’s just me. Most of the stories that you read have terrible endings, in my opinion. I really like listening to them but the end comes and then it’s like, what?
Twin peaks!!! David Lynch!! Ever watched Eraserhead? Meanwhile,ever read Our Mother's house?
Yes . He says that’s his best film. I think my favourite is Inland Empire
I think the Colgates live off the souls, mainly because someone refers to them as young at some point and at this point they’re old. I think they’ve reached a point where they’re about to die so they definitely need the souls to stay alive… that’s why Mr. Colgate dies at the end; because Bob’s soul got away. That’s my theory anyway. They’re kind of “soul vampires.” By the way, what a piss poor doctor they’ve got!
It’s rather easy to make a teleprompter, and use an app on a either a phone or a tablet, preferably the latter, it’s incredibly effective. The camera can be in direct line with the scrolling script.
The problem I have is that the texts I want to read are long. 3000 + words. Is there a teleprompter that can read from kindle for example? If there is, I would love to know
Surprisingly anxiety provoking, and almost an advertisement against single working motherhood.The fact that she was overmatched by two disturbed, old people, - clearly dangerous to have around healthy, much less sick, young, children,- all against the backdrop of an unsympathetic employer,- says little for her judgement or capacities, and much about how quickly the non ideal can turn desperate. Real life and modern circumstances can certainly lend themselves to all manner of terrors.
Tony are you going to read The Haunting of Lamb(?) inn is it? Love your stuff, sir
They come Because the children are dying, they live off the souls. That's what the "collecting" bottle collects.
succinct and useful
I find Aiken's minor characters comical and fascinating. The town doctor who is a muckraker and refuses to acknowledge patient/doctor confidentiality is fantastic.
If you are going to video record your readings, Tony...I think the room should be completely dark with nothing but a few black candles illuminating the room.
Re point 1 yes. I was looking at her prose in Wolves and she is one of the best writers for sentence structure, etc, in my opinion. Re 2. Yes. I am going towards that. I'm not in my own place of course, right now. I am working on mastering the lighting issues with my camera. I was also thinking of getting some 'narration' clothing. But I don't know if that would be over the top
His chuckle was like ice cream falling into a glass? Oh, ice cubes. Okay...
Did
I say ice cream??? How
Weird
😊
I caught that also and thought maybe that's a idiom over there.
@@jeffbell5125 me dreaming of ice cream
I heard ice cubes very clearly?
I would’ve flung them out on their bloody ears or locked the door gleefully - the damnable wicked old goblins.
yes, one of the best readings yet- the creepy voice you gave Desmond when he 'threw' his voice 'let me out' was so creepy but what about the puppet that could move by itself? Bill and Ben were super creepy too but in hindsight. I think Bob gave Desmond the run around deliberately so he would die. Go Bob.
Ah, that's it. You may have got it there. The ghost of Bob gave Desmond the heart attack Now I get it.
Late to the party but i reckoned they collected souls and put them into puppets.. But he need new ones because the souls wither and ”dies”.. Btw. Best ghost story channel on YT
Yes, I think you're right. I have benefited from peoples' ideas and I now have better understanding of the story than when I read it! Thanks for your lovely compliment too.
@@ClassicGhost youre very welcome. It was an amazingly creepy story 😃
Puppets and dolls never did sit right with me !
Hope your mom is doing OK, I'm sure you are a comfort.
Great creepy tale
She seems to be enjoying having me here.
Speaking of David Lynch....Have you seen the movie Mulholland Drive? If not you MUST!
Oh yes. Many times. I even went there as an 'homage'
My parents liked Jim, Tim, and Kim!
This would be a horror story without the creepy dolls and soul-catching.
Feel like I’ve heard this story before, but it doesn’t end there???
A teleprompter would help with the camera adapting to changing light conditions as you move too fyi
You have suçh a wonderful voiceThere is a book called Cromm.Would be great to hear read aloud . It was writtem by A university prof here im the city I live in.Takès place in Ireland.At the end a bit here in an PUB,Which oddly was one I knew well. Description was put on paper so well.
By Crom Cruach, I will look it up.
I’m not quite sure what happened at the end?
Read down the comments. Somebody explained it to me
So did they both die?
You tried to get in to the locked drawer today didn’t you?
Yes. I tried again. This is the seventh day in a row
I love saying that !!, ha ha
@@trishbirchard1270 I speak along with all the quotes at the start. I guess it's part of my ritual before listening.
The little dead things are humunculi that didn't survive. 😮
nasty things
Yeah, no--nothing Topical here! :P In the meantime--keep up the great posting!