Audiobooks by Thomas Love Peacock

Headlong Hall, Crotchet Castle & Nightmare Abbey: A BBC Radio Collection

"Three stunning full-cast dramatisation of Thomas Love Peacock’s classic stories Listen now to this collection of three of the finest stories from Thomas Love Peacock. A contemporary and close friend of Percy Bysshe Shelley, Love Peacock was born in 1785 and wrote satirical novels discussing and criticising the philosophical opinions of the day. Packed with witty dialogue, intriguing ideas and featuring the iconic voices of Sir Michael Hordern (Lord Of The Rings) and Kenneth Williams (Carry On films, Just a Minute) this collection is a must listen for any fans of classic audio productions. In Headlong Hall it’s winter, 1815 and Harry Headlong, like all Welsh squires, is fond of shooting, hunting and drinking. But he becomes seized with a passion to form the acquaintance of philosophers and dilettanti. Sir Michael Hordern narrates this classic novella. Love Peacock assembles a group of eccentrics in Crochet Castle, each with a single monomaniacal obsession. Hilarity ensures as their various interactions and conversations play out a rich social satire of the day. Reverend Doctor Folliott, a vigorous middle-aged clergyman with a love for ancient Greek language and literature, is greatly suspicious of the reform slogan of the 'March of Intellect', as well as anything done by Lord Brougham. Romance stirs between Mr. Chainmail (who is convinced that the world has gone downhill continuously since the twelfth century) and Susannah Touchandgo (the daughter of a disgraced banker), and between Captain Fitzchrome (an attractive gentleman with only a moderate income) and Lady Clarinda Bossnowl (the daughter of an impoverished peer, who is cynically determined to make a financially rewarding marriage). Voted one of the 100 best novels ever in 2023 in The Guardian, Nightmare Abbey is read by Kenneth Williams who brings this story to life in Martin Remes’s brilliant adaptation. A true radio archive gem. Written in 1818, this is classic satire poking fun at the Romantic Movement and its obsession with the morbid. Raised by his widower father in the bleak family mansion in Lincolnshire, on a dry stretch of land between the sea and the fens, Scythrop Glowry vows to change the world… This is a listening treat for any fans of the classics, featuring a star-studded cast and stories that will both intrigue and delight. Cast includes: Michael Horden, Daniel Massey, Carlton Hobbs, Vivienne Chatterton, Esme Percy and more. Content Headlong Hall Crotchet Castle Nightmare Abbey ©2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Thomas Love Peacock (Author), Alan Dudley, Andrew Branch, Carleton Hobbs, Caroline Gruber, Daniel Massey, Esme Percy, Frank Duncan, Full Cast, John Baddeley, Kenneth Williams, Michael Horden, Norman Shelley (Narrator)

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Nightmare Abbey

"Nightmare Abbey was Peacock's third long work of fiction to be published. It was written in late March and June 1818, and published in London in November of the same year. The novella was lightly revised by the author in 1837 for republication in Volume 57 of Bentley's Standard Novels. The book is Peacock's most wellliked and frequentlyread work. The novel was a topical work of Gothic fiction in which the author satirized tendencies in contemporary English literature, in particular Romanticism's obsession with morbid subjects, misanthropy and transcendental philosophical systems. Most of its characters are based on historical figures whom Peacock wished to pillory. It has been observed that 'the plots of Peacock's novels are mostly devices for bringing the persons together and the persons are merely the embodiment of whims and theories, or types of a class'. Nightmare Abbey embodies the critique of a particular mentality and pillories the contemporary vogue for the macabre. To his friend Percy Bysshe Shelley, Peacock described the object of his novel as being 'to bring to a sort of philosophical focus a few of the morbidities of modern literature'. Appearing in the same year as Northanger Abbey, it similarly contrasts the product of the inflamed imagination, or what Peacock's Mr. Hilary describes as the 'conspiracy against cheerfulness', with the commonplace course of everyday life, with the aid of lighthearted ridicule. Several of the chapters take a dramatic form interspersed with stage directions in order to illustrate without comment how much the speakers characterize themselves through their conversation. The actor and director Anthony Sharp was eventually to take this approach to its logical conclusion and reduced the whole novel to a successful and popular script. First performed in February 1952, it was eventually published in 1971. A one of a kind audio encounter from Icon Audiobooks!"

Thomas Love Peacock (Author), Geoffrey Giuliano, The Ark (Narrator)

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Headlong Hall (dramatic reading)

"Narrator: Timothy Ferguson Mr. Escot: John Fricker Mr. Foster: Mike Pelton Mr. Jenkison: Leonard Wilson Reverend Doctor Gaster & Mr. Chromatic: ToddHW Mr. Milestone: TriciaG Harry Headlong, Esquire & Old Squire: Algy Pug Mr. MacLaurel: Delmar H. Dolbier Mr. Cranium, Mr. Panscope, Graziosa Chromatic, Mr. Nightshade: Amy Gramour The Sexton: Martin Geeson Miss Brindle-mew: Ruth Golding Cephalis & Tenorina Chromatic: Liberty Stump Mr. Gall & Mr. Treacle: hoardac Sir Patrick O'Prism: DublinGothic Miss Philomela Poppyseed: Bev J. Stevens Caprioletta: Amanda Friday Audio edited by: Amy Gramour"

Thomas Love Peacock (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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Nightmare Abbey

"Deep in the fens of the British coast sits the gloomy mansion that goes by the name Nightmare Abbey. It is inhabited by persons of very low opinion of the human race, and in fact they pride themselves in the depths of their detestation. Others of its denizens believe the ultimate exercise and product of the human mind ought to be chaos. Now let the young master of the house get snared by the wiles of a beautiful young lady. And for good measure, toss in another beautiful young lady. Now Scythrop (named in honor of an ancestor who became bored with life and hanged himself) is about to find that two such make too much of a good thing! Peacock wrote Nightmare Abbey as a satire, and he has folded in allusions to or quotations from literally dozens of other works. He makes use of many long, impressive-sounding words (some of which he very possibly made up!). Ignore these and his occasional Latin phrase, treat the rest as a farce, and you're on track for a fun listen!(Summary be Mark F. Smith)"

Thomas Love Peacock (Author), Mark F. Smith (Narrator)

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