The more I read, and listen, to M. R. James, the more I admire him for the very exceptional litterateur he was; and savor the frequent citation of imaginary books and MS (as, at 23:24, here), whether core to the story, or as effective prop. In retrospect, these come as less of a surprise having learned he was a professional antiquarian scholar, among other pursuits both literary and historical; and leads me, when finished, to turn back and peruse a volume of his over. and then over, again.
@forrest MRJ was full of literary conceits and parodies of styles Here for example he references the early Gothic novels as well as the epistolary form of the 18th century. But at heart this story, like much of English literature is about the English class system. The spook, such as it is is not particularly frightening. It is a story of upstairs and downstairs. The prebend in the big house knows nothing at all about the spooky goings on associated with the dead lord Saul ( Irish and foreign) whereas it is the simple housekeeper at the end who tells them the whole story, which is well known to the local townspeople, who are the servants and social inferiors of the people up at the big house. Once the reverend hears the story, he orders all the occult paraphernalia to be locked away and hidden in the artic, making it somebody else's problem for the future. A very English story in summary.
wonderful reader. i like her voice and her speech. i say this because she has trouble with her “R”s, and has obviously worked at her pronunciations. she’s a good actress. enjoyed this very much indeed. nice to have a woman reading a woman’s part, too. 🌷
I love his work. Thank You Forrest. I can read "The Mezzotint" & more, over & over again !!!! There is always something new to see & the mystery seems to grow, expand, if you will. I have made many drawings inspired by his work.
I have to ask if you thought it was a speech impairment? And if so why did you feel the need to point it out. It couldn't have been the first time you have come across a human not speaking perfectly (to your standards).
Delightful reading.
Marvellous reading. M.J. James is a master! Your a Mistress!
The more I read, and listen, to M. R. James, the more I admire him for the very exceptional litterateur he was; and savor the frequent citation of imaginary books and MS (as, at 23:24, here), whether core to the story, or as effective prop. In retrospect, these come as less of a surprise having learned he was a professional antiquarian scholar, among other pursuits both literary and historical; and leads me, when finished, to turn back and peruse a volume of his over. and then over, again.
I think all his stories are the same and the ghoul is never frightening.
@forrest
MRJ was full of literary conceits and parodies of styles
Here for example he references the early Gothic novels as well as the epistolary form of the 18th century.
But at heart this story, like much of English literature is about the English class system. The spook, such as it is is not particularly frightening. It is a story of upstairs and downstairs. The prebend in the big house knows nothing at all about the spooky goings on associated with the dead lord Saul ( Irish and foreign) whereas it is the simple housekeeper at the end who tells them the whole story, which is well known to the local townspeople, who are the servants and social inferiors of the people up at the big house. Once the reverend hears the story, he orders all the occult paraphernalia to be locked away and hidden in the artic, making it somebody else's problem for the future.
A very English story in summary.
Love the reading, tone of voice is perfect for this piece.
wonderful reader. i like her voice and her speech. i say this because she has trouble with her “R”s, and has obviously worked at her pronunciations. she’s a good actress. enjoyed this very much indeed. nice to have a woman reading a woman’s part, too. 🌷
You make the dialogue so natural. You have an amazing talent!
love your readings, thank you so much for doing this.
EXCELLENT narration; should be a professional voice artist.
Thank you. Unfortunately I can't sustain it for long enough. Professional voice actors can read for hours without flagging. Early training counts.
I love his work. Thank You Forrest. I can read "The Mezzotint" & more, over & over again !!!! There is always something new to see & the mystery seems to grow, expand, if you will. I have made many drawings inspired by his work.
Very well read loved the accents! Uncle is a wise man indeed!
I love every aspect of this work.
Thank you.
I really like your voice ☺
What church was the cover image of please?
I think it is Chester Cathedral.
The mispronunciation of the Rs is distracting, but otherwise quite nice!
It's a sign of status in some parts of England. Like historian Kate Worsley's it's an art. If you notice not all the R's are rounded or softened.
I have to ask if you thought it was a speech impairment? And if so why did you feel the need to point it out. It couldn't have been the first time you have come across a human not speaking perfectly (to your standards).
@@morganlowe3353You just had to go there, didn’t you
Here's a comment which would have been better left unuttered.
It's not true that it denotes status. It's just a peculiarity of speech, one which I happen to find quite charming.