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  The Sorrows of Gin

  John Cheever

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  Here is one of twelve magnificent stories, originally part of The John Cheever Audio Collection, in which John Cheever celebrates—with unequaled grace and tenderness—the deepest feelings we have. 
  As Cheever writes in his preface, ""These stories seem at times to be stories of a long-lost world when the city of New York was still filled with a river light, when you heard the Benny Goodman quartets from a radio in the corner stationery store, and when almost everybody wore a hat.""

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  The Raven

  Edgar Allan Poe

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  This poem tells the tale of an old man alone in his home who is visited by a raven, proclaiming that his beloved will return to him nevermore.

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  In the Vault (Unabridged)

  H.P. Lovecraft

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  George Birch, undertaker for the New England town of Peck Valley, finds himself trapped in the vault where coffins are stored during winter for burial in the spring. When Birch stacks the coffins to reach a transom window, his feet break through the lid of the top coffin, injuring his ankles and forcing him to crawl out of the vault. Later, Dr. Davis investigates the vault, and finds that the top coffin was one of inferior workmanship, which Birch used as a repository for Asaph Sawyer, a vindictive citizen whom Birch had disliked, even though the coffin had originally been built for the much shorter Matthew Fenner. Davis finds that Birch had cut off Sawyer's feet in order to fit the body into the coffin, and the wounds in Birch's ankles are actually teeth marks.

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  Billy Budd

  Herman Melville

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  "Billy Budd" is a novella written by Herman Melville, completed shortly before his death in 1891. It tells the story of Billy Budd, a handsome and popular sailor who becomes embroiled in a conflict with his ship's master-at-arms, John Claggart, on board a British naval vessel during the late 18th century. The novella explores themes of innocence, morality, justice, and the inherent conflict between good and evil.The narrative centers around the character of Billy Budd, a young and virtuous sailor admired by his peers for his exceptional charm and simplicity. However, his life takes a dramatic turn when he is falsely accused of inciting mutiny by Claggart, a malevolent and envious officer. The novella delves into the psychological dynamics between the two characters and the moral dilemmas faced by the ship's captain, Captain Vere, as he grapples with the decision of how to handle the situation."Billy Budd" explores the clash between absolute goodness and institutional authority, with Melville examining the complexities and ambiguities of human nature. The novella raises profound questions about the nature of justice, the corrupting influence of power, and the struggle to maintain one's moral integrity in a society driven by hierarchy and oppression.Melville's writing in "Billy Budd" is characterized by his rich prose, nuanced characterization, and philosophical inquiries. The novella incorporates nautical terminology and imagery, drawing on Melville's own experiences as a sailor, and employs a multi-layered narrative that invites readers to contemplate deeper moral and existential questions.

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  The Story of Baelbrow

  E. & H. Heron

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  A ghost story with a mysterious twist. Flaxman Low is summoned to Baelbrow, the ancestral home of the Swaffam family, to investigate a strange occurance. Although Baelbrow has long been known to be haunted, the family ghost had for centuries restricted itself to occasional rustlings on the stairs or sighs in the pantry. Suddenly the ghost has taken on a much more sinister and corporeal form. It lies in wait for people and attacks them viciously, leaving them unconscious and exhausted.Then one Wednesday, one of the servants is found dead in the corridor, known to be a favourite haunt of the ghost. The cause of death is uncertain, but she is found to be strangely anaemic and has an odd pustule on her neck... traits which are shared with other victims of the evil spectre.Flaxman Low and the young Swaffam decide to set a trap for the ghost.

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  Les Diaboliques

  Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly

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  Les DiaboliquesBy Jules-Amédée Barbey d'AurevillyNarrated by Cate Barratt and John BurlinsonThis translation, by an unknown hand, of D'Aurevilly's salacious miscellany, which consists of six novellas, was published in 1900 under the title “Weird Women” and is in the public domain.When the collection was first published in France in 1874, it caused up an uproar; it was declared a danger to public morality and the Prosecutor issued orders for its seizure on the grounds of blasphemy and obscenity.Contents1) The Crimson Curtain: An old vicomte tells a younger friend about his first sexual adventure and its disastrous consequences.2) The Greatest Love of Don Juan: An aged playboy, surrounded by past lovers, relates the tale of his most remarkable love affair.3) Happiness in Crime: A comte falls in love with his fencing mistress, resulting in adultery, fraud and much worse.4) Beneath the Cards of a Game of Whist: The secret affair of a lady and an expert whist player leads to an horrific act.5) At a Dinner of Atheists: A French officer defends his attendance at church to a group of free-thinkers by relating a tale of love and lust with the wife of one of his fellow officers.6) A Woman's Revenge: A wealthy princess adopts an extreme strategy to punish her ignoble husband in the most damaging way.Production copyright 2021 Voices of Today

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