Was It An Illusion? | A Ghost Story by Amelia B. Edwards | A Bitesized Audiobook
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- Опубликовано: 22 июл 2024
- A schools inspector visiting a remote part of northern England has a strange encounter with an errant boy pursued by a grim and unsympathetic schoolmaster. But do either of them really exist?
Narrated/performed by Simon Stanhope, aka Bitesized Audio. If you enjoy this content and would like to help me keep creating, there are a few ways you can support me (and get access to exclusive content):
* Occasional/one-off support via Buy Me a Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/bitesize...
* Monthly support on Patreon: / bitesizedaudio
* Visit my Bandcamp page to hear more of my performances of classic stories, and you can purchase and download high quality audio files to listen offline: bitesizedaudio.bandcamp.com/
* Become a Bitesized Audio Classics member on RUclips, from $1 / £1 / €1 per month:
/ bitesizedaudioclassics
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:20 Was It An Illusion?
00:55:05 Credits, thanks and further listening
Amelia Ann Blanford Edwards (1831-1892) was a prolific journalist, traveller and Egyptologist, as well as a hugely popular English novelist of the Victorian era. Born in London she was well educated at home by her Irish mother, and showed early promise as a writer as well as demonstrating skill in several other areas, including painting and musical composition. She devoted herself to writing professionally from the early 1850s, producing novels including 'My Brother's Wife' (1855) and 'Barbara's History' (1864). She also travelled widely, in particular with her companion Lucy Renshawe, and published several travelogues, including 'A Thousand Miles up the Nile' (1877), which is still widely read and admired today.
Aside from her travel writing she is best remembered today for her many short stories with ghostly, supernatural and mysterious themes, many of which were contributed anonymously to literary magazines. Charles Dickens regularly invited her to compose seasonal tales for his annual Christmas numbers of 'All the Year Round' between 1860 and 1866, including probably her best known and most reprinted story, 'The Phantom Coach' (1864). It's unclear why she didn't contribute any stories to the publication between 1867 and 1870 - it's possible Dickens rejected her 1866 story 'The Four-fifteen Express' as too long, so she took it elsewhere - but his son, Charles Dickens junior, invited her to return after Dickens's death in 1870.
'Was it an Illusion?' was her last published ghost story, and first appeared in 'Arrowsmith's Christmas Annual' in 1881.
Recording © Bitesized Audio 2023 
Развлечения
A schools inspector visiting a remote part of northern England has a strange encounter with an errant boy pursued by a grim and unsympathetic schoolmaster. But do either of them really exist? Story begins at 00:01:20
Narrated/performed by Simon Stanhope, aka Bitesized Audio. If you enjoy this content and would like to help me keep creating, there are a few ways you can support me (and get access to exclusive content):
* Occasional/one-off support via Buy Me a Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/bitesizedaudio
* Monthly support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bitesizedaudio
* Visit my Bandcamp page to hear more of my performances of classic stories, and you can purchase and download high quality audio files to listen offline: bitesizedaudio.bandcamp.com/
* Become a Bitesized Audio Classics member on RUclips, from $1 / £1 / €1 per month:
ruclips.net/user/BitesizedAudioClassicsjoin
Thank you, Simon!
You're most welcome, thanks for your support
For some reason this didn't show up on my notification list. Hmmmpf. Glad I saw it on the home button 👍
Ah yes, I think because I've released a few recently, including some re-mastered old ones, the notifications are sometimes a bit sparing. Glad you found it anyway!
Amongst the many, many things I am grateful to you for, cher Simon, introducing me to the work of Amelia B. Edwards ranks highly. Thank you. ❤
That's lovely to know, thank you Bob... she ranks amongst my favourites too
@@BitesizedAudio I think you know she had a direct impact on my output. Yes, you have that kind of clout. Were it not for you and her at least one of my humble yarns would not have been conceived. Again thank you.❤
Stanhope is a superb voice actor.
I really like the introduction that shows you and explains the process. It’s very soothing and I never get tired of it.
Glad to know that, thank you!
More good things happen in that little sound proof studio! Thank you Simon! You're the best! 💖💖💖📖📖📖🫖🫖🫖🍵🍵🍵
I love these stories, especially the strange ones like this. Appreciation
Many thanks as always from this listener in the Southern US. Your stories make my chores pass so much more quickly. :)
Glad to help Mrs. C. Lovely to hear from you, I hope you're keeping well
Thank you 👍 Greetings from Cork, Ireland 🇮🇪 😊
This is the second or third time that have listened to this story. A disturbing but gripping ghost story about a heartless and brutal murder very effectively narrated.
Many thanks Simon Stanhope Sir
Excellent. Very good story, beautifully narrated. Thank you Simon!
Glad to know you enjoyed it, thanks GradKat!
Thank you Simon. A perfectly cosy Sunday afternoon; after rumbles of thunder, one of your narrations to accompany heavy rain🙏.
Very atmospheric! Thanks for listening
She writes well! (Of course, you present well!). This was a great video, and thank you for sharing. If she has more, I would love to hear it/them.
Thank you kindly. I've done a few of her stories to date, you may already have heard them but in case you've missed any they're available in this playlist (which I'll add to as and when I record more): ruclips.net/p/PLi95qAoufCZLXgj7Koe4qQr7vQUlywa67
@@BitesizedAudio Thank you! I'd listened to your Phantom Coach, and I'll have to go listen to the others! I looked her up online, and saw a few stories...but much of the fun of the stories is hearing your presentation!
A simple thank you. I am not eloquent with words. But I have enjoyed every story you give us. Just me in Texas
You're most welcome, thank you so much for listening and taking the time to comment. More stories coming soon...
Thank you Simon. Another gem. Very enjoyable.
Goodnight BSA..
Your stories, and dedication to your audience is commendable..
Thank you for your efforts..
Goodnight..
☺️💤💤📖👍🏻...
*Thanks Simon*
You're welcome, thanks as ever for listening and for your supportive comments
Another good one. If I know it, I've forgotten. Thanks again! 👏👏👏
Glad to know that, thanks Rosie
Superb narrative for an afternoon in full flow of a thunderstorm & torrential rain, here in S. E. Estonia, Thank goodness we don't all turn to the evil side when life & those around us do not meet our expectations.
I have only recently discovered your wonderful readings and authors who are frequently overlooked in this time. Thank you so very much for sharing your talent and wisdom with us all, Mr. Stanhope ❤😊
Wonderful! Thanks for listening
Great story!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Man I love your channel, sitting by the Christmas tree listening to classic ghost stories. Love it
Wonderful, glad to know you enjoy them! Welcome to the channel, and Happy Christmas
Re~listen ... beginning had humor then turned dark ...good
Very nice, are you remastering your old ones? If so, very good to hear. I have and will be revisiting your stories forever, no joke. Can't wait to see what you bring over the summer.
Thanks Max. Yes, sort of... it's an ongoing project, but as and when I have time I'm re-releasing some of my personal favourites among the older recordings, adding an introduction etc, mainly in order to avoid future problems re monetization etc. And it's an opportunity to remaster/fix any editing mistakes and other errors where necessary as well. It's progressing slowly because I'm obviously focussing mainly on creating new content, so I just work on them when I have some spare time.
Thank you from Oklahoma USA.
Thank you ❤
Hi Simon, i googled your name and as i thought,you are an actor. I did this because i thought there is no way just any old Tom,Dick or Harry could narrate a story so well. We all like to think we can read a story out loud but it's hard to do it well. It has to be ones job basically to be able to do it. Also being born with a voice suited to it helps. Don't hear many stories narrated by Joe Pasquale 🤣🤣🤣 Great stuff mate.Jon.SW England :)
Appreciated, thanks Jon! Best wishes
Why. were the Victorians/Edwardians so enthralled by ghost stories ? Any ideas ? Great stories anyway and as usual beautifully narrated.
These old stories display so distressingly the casual cruelty of English schooling...I've always had a hard time enjoying a story when it rears its ugly head.
I know what you mean. There are some awful depictions of school life in the literature of this era and they made a great impression on me when I first read them too. It was satisfying when the horrible characters got their comeuppance though, like Wackford Squeers for instance
Thank you for this! So well read, once again with neatly distinguished characters with regional speech! A story with the oddness of various real reported experiences, but also with the attention to justice you mention in a comment under another of her stories - fascinating! Does the Rev. Mr. Frazer observe, or - with some of his remarks - contribute somehow? And what an intriguing source - happily scanned in the Internet Archive: Thirteen at Dinner and what came of it Being Arrowsmith's Christmas Annual for 1881! Among 'Similar Items' suggested at the bottom of the Archive page: Stories with a Vengeance: Bow Bells Annual (1883) and The Witching Time: Tales for the Year's End (1887) - there's clearly a lot I don't know about 1880s Christmas Annuals!
Loved it, thank you!!
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you Phoebe
Thanks!
Thanks for your support! 🙏
Lovely as always ❤
Very enjoyable .
Glad to know you enjoyed it, thanks for listening
Thank u for this😂🎉🎉❤
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank youuuuuu 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
This protagonist is kind of a prickly little shift, in a way. He does not like anyone based on their physical foibles, regardless of whether they turn out to be a murderist or not
🤗