Audiobooks by Elizabeth Gaskell

The Top 10 Short Stories - Haunted House

Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author's brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted 'Top Tens' across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions - Why that story? Why that author? The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.In this volume our classic authors invite us in to share hospitality at a house most of us are ever keen to veer away from. But the invitation has been issued and it would be rude to disappoint, despite the rising fear that begins to take its chilling grip on us.01 - The Top 10 - Haunted House - An Introduction02 - The Fall of the House of Usher - Part 1 by Edgar Allan Poe03 - The Fall of the House of Usher - Part 2 by Edgar Allan Poe04 - They by Rudyard Kipling05 - The Rats in the Walls by H P Lovecraft06 - The Ebony Frame by Edith Nesbit07 - Lost Hearts by M R James08 - The Room in the Tower by E F Benson09 - The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell10 - An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street by Sheridan Le Fanu11 - The Empty House by Algernon Blackwood12 - Decay by Marjorie Bowen

Algernon Blackwood, E F Benson, Edgar Allan Poe, Edith Nesbit, Elizabeth Gaskell, H.P. Lovecraft, M R James, Marjorie Bowen, Rudyard Kipling, Sheridan Le Fanu (Author), David Shaw-Parker, Robbie Mcnab, William Dufris (Narrator)

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Le héros du fossoyeur

Elizabeth Gaskell (Author), Lemée Emmanuelle (Narrator)

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The Elizabeth Gaskell Collection: A BBC Drama collection including North and South, Wives and Daught

A collection of BBC Radio dramatisations of Elizabeth Gaskell's well loved novels - plus bonus material Elizabeth Gaskell was one of Victorian England's pre-eminent female novelists. Admired by Charles Dickens, who described her as his 'dear Scheherazade', she mingled storytelling and social realism to superb effect in her highly acclaimed fiction. This comprehensive collection comprises dramas and readings of her finest works and some lesser-known pieces. Among the adaptations are her final, unfinished novel Wives and Daughters, her debut novel Mary Barton and her only historical novel, Sylvia's Lovers; as well as the 1851 novella Mr Harrison's Confession (a prequel to Cranford), and her great novel of industrialisation, female independence and identity, North and South. All feature star casts including Emerald O'Hanrahan, Sue Johnston, Jodie Comer, Emily Mortimer, Rod Hudd, David Threlfall, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Also included are readings of Mrs Gaskell's chilling supernatural tale 'The Old Nurse's Story', her much-loved novel of life in a small town and its female inhabitants, Cranford, and her festive short story 'Christmas Storms and Sunshine'. Based on true events, Stephen Wakelam's detective drama Death at the Bed End, starring Kenneth Cranham, explores the controversy surrounding Elizabeth Gaskell's biography of Charlotte Brontë and the libel threat that followed its publication also included is Mrs Gaskell: Portrait of a Victorian Novelist by Barry Campbell, which is inspired by the author's letters. And in Great Lives: Elizabeth Gaskell, historian Amanda Vickery and biographer Jenny Uglow discuss Mrs Gaskell's life, work and achievements with presenter Francine Stock. Credits Written by Elizabeth Gaskell Written by Stephen Wakelam Mary Barton Dramatised by Lavinia Murray. Produced and directed by Claire Grove and Tracey Neale First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 September-9 November 2001 Mr Harrison's Confessions Adapted for radio by Jeremy Front. Produced and directed by Sally Avens. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 June 1988 The Old Nurse's Story Produced by Kay Patrick. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24-25 May 1984 North and South Dramatised by Charlotte Keatley. Directed by Michael Fox. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 June 1997 Sylvia's Lovers Dramatised by Ellen Dryden. Produced and directed by Pauline Harris. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6-13 March 2016 Wives and Daughters Dramatised by Theresa Heskins. Produced and directed by Peter Leslie Wild First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 November-10 December 2010 Cranford Produced by Julian Wilkinson. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1 November 2019 Christmas Storms and Sunshine Produced by Simon Richardson. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21 December 2018 Death at the Bed End Written by Stephen Wakelam. Directed by Janet Whitaker. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4 December 2004 Mrs Gaskell: Portrait of a Victorian Novelist Written by Barry Campbell based on 'Elizabeth Gaskell: A Biography' by Winifred Gérin. Permission granted by Oxford Publishing Ltd (Academic), Oxford University Press (via PLSclear).Produced by James Runcie. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21 August 1983 Great Lives: Mrs Gaskell Presented by Francine Stock, Amanda Vickery and Jenny Uglow. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 May 2005 ©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Amanda Vickery, Barry Campbell, Elizabeth Gaskell, Jenny Uglow, Steve Wakelam (Author), David Threlfall, Emily Mortimer, Jodie Comer, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Kenneth Cranham, Paul Copley, Rebecca Front, Sue Johnston (Narrator)

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BBC Classics: Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre & Cranford

Unabridged readings of three of the greatest novels of all time This timeless collection brings together three of the finest works in the literary canon, read in full by some of the very best audiobook narrators. With over 38 hours of unmissable storytelling, tracked by chapter so you can easily find your place, this is the ideal way to enjoy these classic masterpieces. Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen's universally acknowledged romance charts the love story between pretty, witty Elizabeth Bennett and handsome, arrogant Fitzwilliam Darcy. Read by Clare Corbett. Jane Eyre Orphan Jane falls head over heels in love with the brooding, mysterious Mr Rochester in Charlotte Brontë's coming-of-age classic about secrets and lies. Read by Katherine Press. Cranford Elizabeth Gaskell's much-loved portrait of life in a Cheshire town and its female inhabitants, as they cope with the impact of change on their small world. Read by Carolyn Pickles. Credits: Pride and Prejudice Read by Clare Corbett Produced by Justine Willett First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 24 August 2019 Jane Eyre Read by Katherine Press Produced by Anne Bunting First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 24 August 2019 Cranford Read by Carolyn Pickles Produced by Julian Wilkinson First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 1 November 2019 (p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Charlotte Bronte, Elizabeth Gaskell, Jane Austen (Author), Carolyn Pickles, Clare Corbett, Katherine Press (Narrator)

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Cranford

“I'll not listen to reason...Reason always means what someone else has got to say.” Enjoy the saga of a small town’s idiosyncrasies and values in Cranford, a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, author of North and South. In a small town called Cranford, everyone knows everyone’s business. As families and individuals live their lives in the small Victorian town, they are challenged to change and adapt to new social customs instead of ascribing to out-of-date customs and ideals. This novel is presented in vignettes and short sketches that show the humorous bits of living in Cranford, rather than having a particular plot. Main characters include: Mary Smith as the narrator; the Jenkyns family, who, with their friends, represent “the old ways” of Cranford; and the impoverished Brown family, whose arrival in the town is the precipitating action for many of the social changes early in the novel. Cranford, like many other novels of the day, was written as a series of magazine articles, and the divisions between the segments make the narrative more understandable. The book is often cited as being “structureless,” with the main structure being the individual vignettes that follow a particular few characters and events at a time. The novel reached popularity after Gaskell’s passing, and has been adapted for film and television several times.

Elizabeth Gaskell (Author), Mandy Gasson (Narrator)

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The Ghost in the Garden Room

Elizabeth Stevenson was born in Chelsea in London on 29th September 1810. Both parents embedded their strong Unitarian beliefs into Elizabeth who rebelliously was often reluctant to display these religious convictions. The early death of Elizabeth's mother saw her sent away to be brought up by her maternal aunt in Knutsford, Cheshire. Her father now remarried but Elizabeth spent most of her childhood in Cheshire away from her father and his new family but was supportive towards her half-siblings. Elizabeth's aunt encouraged her education and particularly to read and express herself through writing. In 1828, her brother John, who worked in the merchant navy, disappeared on a journey to India. This disastrous loss depressed her father, and she went to his household to nurse him for the next year before he died. In 1832, she fell in love with William Gaskell, a Unitarian minister like her father, and married him. They settled in Manchester. This booming industrial city had a great impact on Elizabeth who felt the need to speak up for poor workers and their exploitation by large industrial companies. A collection of poems and short stories, 'Sketches among the Poor' appeared in 1837, co-authored by her husband. Her first major work, under a pseudonym, was 'Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life' published in 1848.During her career she worked continually with Charles Dickens and published much in his various magazines. With him she published 'Lizzie Leigh' in 1850 which dealt with the taboo subject of prostitution. She was an excellent writer and impressed her many Victorian literary peers. Much of her writing reflects her work as a social critic highlighting the exploitation of the working class and the situation of women in society. On 12th November 1865, Elizabeth Gaskell died in Holybourne, Hampshire, after suffering from a heart attack a month earlier.

Elizabeth Gaskell (Author), Ghizela Rowe, Mark Rice-Oxley (Narrator)

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The Haunted House

Whilst writer Charles Dickens needs no introduction, his 'Haunted House' anthology might, not least because in his role as editor he introduces a formidable array of known and lesser-known literary talents. Dickens started a tradition of releasing stories each Christmas with 'A Christmas Carol' in 1843. 'The Haunted House' was his 1859 offering and, as the name suggests, is set in a large house which, as his introductory story explains, is desired by John the narrator, as a temporary country retreat for health reasons. He is made aware of the terror the house holds for the locals but undaunted, he and his sister, Patty, take residence without any servants, save for the deaf stable hand, who is untroubled by the ghostly goings on. John and Patty invite friends to visit and except Patty who keeps her own room, they all draw lots for which rooms they will stay in but agree not to share their experiences of their rooms until the twelfth night.On that night they all gather together to feast on their experiences and share them with each other. The Haunted House is a skillful portmanteau by Dickens, assembling the best literary talent of his age including Wilkie Collins, Elizabeth Gaskell, Hesba Stretton, Adelaide Anne Proctor, George Augustus Sala and, of course, the literary leviathan himself to delight us, scare us and occasionally raise a laugh or two before the next moment of fear and dread come calling.

Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell, Wilkie Collins (Author), Ghizela Rowe, Mark Rice-Oxley, Richard Mitchley (Narrator)

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Nord et Sud

L’héroïne est Marguerite Hale, fille d’un pasteur du Sud rural qui quitte l’Église d’Angleterre pour des raisons de conscience et emmène sa femme et sa fille dans la ville industrielle de Milton dans le Darkshire (le Pays noir), où on lui propose un travail de professeur privé. Belle, intelligente et cultivée, mais aussi fière et réservée, Marguerite découvre avec horreur l'univers âpre et brutal de la révolution industrielle où patrons et ouvriers s'affrontent dans les premières grèves organisées. Prenant le parti des pauvres dont elle admire le courage et la ténacité, et parmi lesquels elle se fait des amis, elle méprise profondément cette classe de nouveaux riches sans éducation que sont les manufacturiers, dont l'un, John Thornton, grand patron de filatures locales, devient l'élève favori et l'ami de son père.

Elizabeth Gaskell (Author), Emmanuelle Lemée (Narrator)

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North and South

Margaret Hale, a 19-year-old girl, is returning to her family’s village after living with her Aunt for nearly a decade. Her life is quickly thrown into upheaval upon her return, as her father leaves his vocation as a pastor in the Church of England, and their family is scorned for dissenting. To escape the reputation, the Hales move to Milton, a city experiencing the dramatic changes of the Industrial Revolution, and suffering from the poverty and coarse nature of a manufacturing town. Margaret begins to fall in love with the city and its hard working inhabitants. She gets to know her new neighbors well, including the strict and stern John Thornton, master of the factory. When tragedy strikes the factory, Margaret is stuck between the workers and the managers, and places herself in the line of fire for both groups in an effort to get them to reach a peaceful agreement. North and South has remained as an example of how the early days of the Industrial Revolution felt to those who lived through them, and was written from Elizabeth Gaskell’s personal experience. It explores the tensions of a city becoming run by a system that values profits over people. North and South has inspired and informed other works from the time period, such as those by Charles Dickens, the editor of the original serialized version of the story.

Elizabeth Gaskell (Author), Harriet Seed (Narrator)

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The Old Nurse's Story

The narrator - the old nurse of the title - is an old family retainer who has worked in the service of the same family for three generations. She tells the young children about a dark incident that she experienced in the company of the children's mother, when she was a young woman and visiting her mother's ancestral home This story hits all the marks of a classic ghost story: an isolated manor, creepy music sounding from a disused organ, ghostly apparitions begging to be let inside. Despite all the hallmarks of a ghost story, the true horror of the story is in the very real, all-too-capable cruelty people and in their inability to right the wrongs of the past, showing readers how ghosts are not the only beings capable of creating terror.

Elizabeth Gaskell (Author), Natalie Chisholm (Narrator)

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Cranford

Elizabeth Gaskell (Author), Prunella Scales (Narrator)

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Quick Classics Collection: 19th-Century Writers: Cranford, Ivanhoe, Silas Marner

William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic fiction read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly abridged and remastered stories are now available to download for the first time. Three of the finest novels of the 19th Century are brought together in this wide-ranging collection. From the rumblings of provincial England in Silas Marner and Cranford to a wild and dangerous journey across the Holy Lands in Ivanhoe, these classic novels of the Georgian and Victorian period are as relevant and important today as they ever have been. These classic stories are read by Fawlty Towers’ Prunella Scales; The Jewel in the Crown’s Tim Pigott-Smith; and Dame Judi Dench. This collection includes: • Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell, read by Prunella Scales • Ivanhoe by Walter Scott, read by Tim Pigott-Smith • Silas Marner by George Eliot, read by Dame Judi Dench

Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot, Walter Scott (Author), Dame Judi Dench, Prunella Scales, Tim Pigott-Smith (Narrator)

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