Sinopsis
Humans have shared short stories for millennia. For most of that time, telling tales was a verbal process. A storyteller would regale an audience with accounts of adventure, bravery, compassion, despair, enlightenment, and fear. Stories were a shared experience, until the advent of inexpensive mass-printing processes in the 19th century which allowed most of us to read to ourselves. Yet, that desire to have a short story read aloud is still ingrained in our collective soul.While we still read books for pleasure, most of todays stories are told via newer forms of visual media like movies and television. Consuming stories via any visual medium requires an active commitment to the process. You probably shouldnt read a book or watch a TV program while driving, but your brain still craves a good story. Audiobooks are suitable for long road trips. But what about those times when you only have a few minutes? Enter narrated short stories. Spoken short stories are quick, satisfying snack, while an audiobook is a seven-course meal. Allow me to help you fill those moments and fulfill your need for a captivating tale with my renditions of some of the worlds greatest literary masters best short stories.My love of the spoken word has been honed by a more than 30-year career in radio and voice acting with a modicum of performance passion from decades of stage performances.This venture is my hobby (I have a great full-time job), so all of the content is free of cost and commercials. I hope you enjoy them.If you have a public domain short story you would like me to read or would like to share thoughts or comments, please drop me a line. If you enjoy these short stories, please spread the word, subscribe, and leave a review on your favorite podcast service.Thanks for stopping by,Don McDonald
Episodios
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Gentle Hand by Mary Roberts Rinehart
18/08/2025 Duración: 13minDuring these stressful times, forced into close quarters with those we love. we may find ourselves growing angry when a softer approach tends to me far more effective as is illustrated in this story.Mary Roberts Rinehart is yet another fine example of a talented early 20th Century authors. Known as The American Agatha Christie, she is best known for her mystery stories. A character in her 1920 play “The Bat” was the inspiration for Bob Kane’s comic book character “Batman.” Love hearing these classic tales?Get access to the complete, ad-free Litreading archive—by subscribing at litreading.supercast.com.For just a few cents a day, you’ll unlock every story I’ve ever read, hear new episodes first, and support this little literary labor of love.That’s litreading.supercast.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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A Pair of Silk Stockings by Kate Chopin
18/08/2025 Duración: 12minMoney has the power to take us away, if only temporarily, from the due routines of life. However, there is always a price to pay for our fiscal flights of fancy and real life eventually hoists its humdrum head again. Love hearing these classic tales?Get access to the complete, ad-free Litreading archive—by subscribing at litreading.supercast.com.For just a few cents a day, you’ll unlock every story I’ve ever read, hear new episodes first, and support this little literary labor of love.That’s litreading.supercast.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Nobodys Story by Charles Dickens
18/08/2025 Duración: 14minCharles Dickens was a constant observer of the plight of his fellows and critical of the divisions between humanity’s strata. In this deep and poignant parable of mankind’s need to be recognized by others he arrives at the conclusion that in the end, despite our apparent differences, we are all same.Dickens wrote "Nobody’s Story" to honor those who toil in anonymity and suffer quietly. It was originally published in 1853 as part of a Volume of Christmas stories, but felt more appropriate for today. Love hearing these classic tales?Get access to the complete, ad-free Litreading archive—by subscribing at litreading.supercast.com.For just a few cents a day, you’ll unlock every story I’ve ever read, hear new episodes first, and support this little literary labor of love.That’s litreading.supercast.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Boston Massacre by Nathaniel Hawthorne
18/08/2025 Duración: 12minWhat began as a street brawl on a winter evening in Boston, became one the biggest sparks to help ignite the American revolution. 250 years ago, on March 5th 1770, anger over the British housing troops among civilians in Massachusetts boiled over into what the British called the Incident on King Street but was referred to my early Americans as "The Boston Massacre."To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the seminal event in early American history, we present Nathaniel Hawthorne's unique narrative account of this fascinating tale. Love hearing these classic tales?Get access to the complete, ad-free Litreading archive—by subscribing at litreading.supercast.com.For just a few cents a day, you’ll unlock every story I’ve ever read, hear new episodes first, and support this little literary labor of love.That’s litreading.supercast.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Father Forgets by W. Livingston Larned
17/08/2025 Duración: 05minA special Father's Day episode of Litreading Love hearing these classic tales?Get access to the complete, ad-free Litreading archive—by subscribing at litreading.supercast.com.For just a few cents a day, you’ll unlock every story I’ve ever read, hear new episodes first, and support this little literary labor of love.That’s litreading.supercast.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Jabberwocky
16/08/2025 Duración: 03minFrom the mind behind "Alice in Wonderland" comes one of the best examples of nonsense poetry. Jabberwocky tells the tale of a young knight who slays a mythical beast. Love hearing these classic tales?Get access to the complete, ad-free Litreading archive—by subscribing at litreading.supercast.com.For just a few cents a day, you’ll unlock every story I’ve ever read, hear new episodes first, and support this little literary labor of love.That’s litreading.supercast.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Excerpts from Adam's Diary by Mark Twain
15/08/2025 Duración: 27minWhat must life have been like in the Garden of Eden for the first man, Adam, and that new creature who suddenly appeared in his idyllic life? Well, left to the imagination of Mark Twain, the story takes a fanciful and funny early 20th-century take on Genesis.Extracts from Adam’s Diary was written in 1904, the final decade of Samuel Clemens's (aka Mark Twain’s) life, and was published as a short book. The character of Adam is obviously based on Twain himself, and Eve was his wife Lily. Shortly after writing this story, Lily died. This may have led to Twain penning “The Diary of Eve,” which was first published in 1905. Love hearing these classic tales?Get access to the complete, ad-free Litreading archive—by subscribing at litreading.supercast.com.For just a few cents a day, you’ll unlock every story I’ve ever read, hear new episodes first, and support this little literary labor of love.That’s litreading.supercast.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Eve's Diary by Mark Twain
15/08/2025 Duración: 42minImagine waking up in a strange and wonderful place with no memory and no one to guide you. Your world is filled with strange creatures and incredible beauty along with one enigmatic creature who looks similar to you but is still quite different. Here is the sequel to “Extracts from Adam’s Diary.”When Mark Twain (whose real name was Samuel Clemens) wrote “Eve’s Diary” he was in his 80s and had enjoyed and long career as an author, speaker, and publisher. Two years before its publication, Twain had penned “Extracts from Adam’s Diary” (also available on Litreading). Shortly thereafter his wife of 34 years, Olivia (Lily) died. While he never explicitly said as much, many believe this to be his final love letter to her. Love hearing these classic tales?Get access to the complete, ad-free Litreading archive—by subscribing at litreading.supercast.com.For just a few cents a day, you’ll unlock every story I’ve ever read, hear new episodes first, and support this little literary labor of love.That’s litreadin