<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" version="2.0"><channel><title>Bishop's Apron</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bishop-s-apron--7060344</link><description><![CDATA["Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/7060344/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Books</category><copyright>Copyright General Genre</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg</url><title>Bishop's Apron</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bishop-s-apron--7060344</link></image><lastBuildDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:31:05 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>General Genre</itunes:name><itunes:email>spreaker54@podcastlibrary.org</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>"Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Arts"><itunes:category text="Books"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="History"/><itunes:category text="Society &amp; Culture"/><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><podcast:guid>0b591b36-5966-5e37-a3f7-090a427950da</podcast:guid><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft-George Gissing</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/private-papers-of-henry-ryecroft-george-gissing--74382921</link><description><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74382921</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:04:04 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74382921/private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_george_gissing.mp3" length="223156719" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>27867</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Not That it Matters (Version 2)-A. A. Milne</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/not-that-it-matters-version-2-a-a-milne--74335352</link><description><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74335352</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:03:45 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74335352/not_that_it_matters_version_2_a_a_milne.mp3" length="176880005" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>22088</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Science and the Modern World-Alfred North Whitehead</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/science-and-the-modern-world-alfred-north-whitehead--74185525</link><description><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74185525</guid><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:03:13 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74185525/science_and_the_modern_world_alfred_north_whitehead.mp3" length="219089251" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>27359</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Finding a Way Out An Autobiography-Robert R. Moton</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/finding-a-way-out-an-autobiography-robert-r-moton--74131586</link><description><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74131586</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:03:41 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74131586/finding_a_way_out_an_autobiography_robert_r_moton.mp3" length="179371725" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>22399</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Pride of Jennico-Egerton Castle</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/pride-of-jennico-egerton-castle--74094466</link><description><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74094466</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:03:51 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74094466/12352_pride_of_jennico_egerton_castle.mp3" length="200711461" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>25064</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Alchemist-Ben Jonson</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/alchemist-ben-jonson--74057001</link><description><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74057001</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:03:34 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74057001/alchemist_ben_jonson.mp3" length="89735321" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>11206</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Christmas Under Three Flags-Mary Emily Donelson Wilcox</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/christmas-under-three-flags-mary-emily-donelson-wilcox--74015256</link><description><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74015256</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:03:58 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74015256/christmas_under_three_flags_mary_emily_donelson_wilcox.mp3" length="37311849" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>4659</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Autobiography of a Pocket-Handkerchief-James Fenimore Cooper</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/autobiography-of-a-pocket-handkerchief-james-fenimore-cooper--73953521</link><description><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73953521</guid><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:04:17 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73953521/autobiography_of_a_pocket_handkerchief_james_fenimore_cooper.mp3" length="154697116" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>19318</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>My Southern Home or, The South and Its People-William Wells Brown</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/my-southern-home-or-the-south-and-its-people-william-wells-brown--73909119</link><description><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73909119</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:03:56 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73909119/my_southern_home_or_the_south_and_its_people_william_wells_brown.mp3" length="210418209" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>26276</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Idomen, or The Vale of Yumuri-Maria Gowen Brooks</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/idomen-or-the-vale-of-yumuri-maria-gowen-brooks--73870849</link><description><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73870849</guid><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 09:05:46 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73870849/idomen_or_the_vale_of_yumuri_maria_gowen_brooks.mp3" length="188860712" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>23584</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>John Donne's Satires-John Donne</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/john-donne-s-satires-john-donne--73819197</link><description><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73819197</guid><pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:16:10 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73819197/john_donne_s_satires_john_donne.mp3" length="39822705" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>4972</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Gold Hunter's Experience-Chalkley J. Hambleton</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/gold-hunter-s-experience-chalkley-j-hambleton--73786599</link><description><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73786599</guid><pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:20:01 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73786599/gold_hunter_s_experience_chalkley_j_hambleton.mp3" length="58357620" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>7287</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>My Lady Ludlow-Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/my-lady-ludlow-elizabeth-cleghorn-gaskell--73756978</link><description><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73756978</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2026 12:26:01 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73756978/my_lady_ludlow_elizabeth_cleghorn_gaskell.mp3" length="207421982" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>25902</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Magician-W. Somerset Maugham</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/magician-w-somerset-maugham--73730530</link><description><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73730530</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:41:30 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73730530/magician_w_somerset_maugham.mp3" length="229345120" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>28640</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man - James Weldon Johnson</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/autobiography-of-an-ex-colored-man-james-weldon-johnson--73310614</link><description><![CDATA["Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man" by James Weldon Johnson is a powerful narrative that explores the complexities of race and identity in America through the eyes of a biracial protagonist. This poignant work delves into themes of self-discovery and the societal constructs surrounding color and class, making it a timeless reflection on the human experience. Johnson's eloquent prose and insightful observations invite listeners to engage with the ongoing conversations about race, belonging, and the choices we make in life. As relevant today as it was at its publication, this autobiography resonates with anyone seeking to understand the intricate tapestry of American identity and the enduring struggle for equality.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73310614</guid><pubDate>Sat, 01 Aug 2026 10:39:10 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73310614/autobiography_of_an_ex_colored_man_james_weldon_johnson.mp3" length="146655573" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>"Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man" by James Weldon Johnson is a powerful narrative that explores the complexities of race and identity in America through the eyes of a biracial protagonist. This poignant work delves into themes of self-discovery and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man" by James Weldon Johnson is a powerful narrative that explores the complexities of race and identity in America through the eyes of a biracial protagonist. This poignant work delves into themes of self-discovery and the societal constructs surrounding color and class, making it a timeless reflection on the human experience. Johnson's eloquent prose and insightful observations invite listeners to engage with the ongoing conversations about race, belonging, and the choices we make in life. As relevant today as it was at its publication, this autobiography resonates with anyone seeking to understand the intricate tapestry of American identity and the enduring struggle for equality.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>18314</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Bishop's Apron - W Somerset Maugham</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/bishop-s-apron-w-somerset-maugham--72173407</link><description><![CDATA["Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72173407</guid><pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 17:57:18 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72173407/bishop_s_apron_w_somerset_maugham.mp3" length="189603458" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>W. Somerset Maugham</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>"Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>23701</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>apron,biographies,bishop,fictional,intrudes,maugham,mediocre,memoirs,spratte,verbose</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/94b72f24430f928c830380eeeaa09cab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>
