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<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>Hard Times (version 2 dramatic reading)</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/hard-times-version-2-dramatic-reading--7062468</link><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/7062468/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Books</category><copyright>Copyright General Fiction Genre</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg</url><title>Hard Times (version 2 dramatic reading)</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/hard-times-version-2-dramatic-reading--7062468</link></image><lastBuildDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:29:31 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>General Fiction Genre</itunes:name><itunes:email>spreaker55@podcastlibrary.org</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Arts"><itunes:category text="Books"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Kids &amp; Family"/><itunes:category text="Kids &amp; Family"><itunes:category text="Stories for Kids"/></itunes:category><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><podcast:guid>e016d3ce-233c-5b73-a54c-f7c21b587428</podcast:guid><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>History of King Lear-Nahum Tate</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/history-of-king-lear-nahum-tate--74391453</link><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74391453</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:04:14 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74391453/history_of_king_lear_nahum_tate.mp3" length="76325858" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>9531</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Rivals-Richard Brinsley Sheridan</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/rivals-richard-brinsley-sheridan--74343457</link><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74343457</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:03:53 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74343457/rivals_richard_brinsley_sheridan.mp3" length="88316786" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>11028</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Pilgrim's Progress (version 3 Dramatic Reading)-John Bunyan</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/pilgrim-s-progress-version-3-dramatic-reading-john-bunyan--74193778</link><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74193778</guid><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:03:19 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74193778/pilgrim_s_progress_version_3_dramatic_reading_john_bunyan.mp3" length="282523128" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>35280</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>One-Act Play Collection 002-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/one-act-play-collection-002-various--74140327</link><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74140327</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:03:52 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74140327/one_act_play_collection_002_various.mp3" length="125939753" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>15727</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Ozma of Oz (Version 2) (Dramatic Reading)-L. Frank Baum</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/ozma-of-oz-version-2-dramatic-reading-l-frank-baum--74099483</link><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74099483</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:03:57 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74099483/ozma_of_oz_version_2_dramatic_reading_l_frank_baum.mp3" length="123634958" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>15439</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Peer Gynt-Henrik Ibsen</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/peer-gynt-henrik-ibsen--74063568</link><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74063568</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:03:39 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74063568/peer_gynt_henrik_ibsen.mp3" length="153073234" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>19115</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Admirable Bashville-George Bernard Shaw</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/admirable-bashville-george-bernard-shaw--74021477</link><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74021477</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:04:13 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74021477/admirable_bashville_george_bernard_shaw.mp3" length="33867162" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>4229</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Jean Valjean; or, The Shadow of the Law-Harry Clifford Fulton</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/jean-valjean-or-the-shadow-of-the-law-harry-clifford-fulton--73960673</link><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73960673</guid><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:04:28 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73960673/jean_valjean_or_the_shadow_of_the_law_harry_clifford_fulton.mp3" length="78123930" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>9756</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Salome-Oscar Wilde</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/salome-oscar-wilde--73916471</link><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73916471</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:04:12 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73916471/salome_oscar_wilde.mp3" length="33961930" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>4241</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Nicholas A Manhattan Christmas Story (Dramatic Reading)-Anne Carroll Moore</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/nicholas-a-manhattan-christmas-story-dramatic-reading-anne-carroll-moore--73876050</link><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73876050</guid><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 09:06:15 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73876050/17318_nicholas_a_manhattan_christmas_story_dramatic_reading_anne_carroll_moore.mp3" length="178420441" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>22280</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Tragical History of Doctor Faustus-Christopher Marlowe</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/tragical-history-of-doctor-faustus-christopher-marlowe--73791461</link><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73791461</guid><pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 02:13:56 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73791461/tragical_history_of_doctor_faustus_christopher_marlowe.mp3" length="47661257" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>5952</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Two Gentlemen of Verona-William Shakespeare</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/two-gentlemen-of-verona-william-shakespeare--73761422</link><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73761422</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2026 14:17:16 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73761422/two_gentlemen_of_verona_william_shakespeare.mp3" length="61022454" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>7620</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>All's Well That Ends Well-William Shakespeare</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/all-s-well-that-ends-well-william-shakespeare--73734518</link><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73734518</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2026 02:32:23 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73734518/all_s_well_that_ends_well_william_shakespeare.mp3" length="82665941" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>10323</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Dramatic Reading) - Lewis Carroll</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/alice-s-adventures-in-wonderland-dramatic-reading-lewis-carroll--73313410</link><description><![CDATA[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Dramatic Reading) by Lewis Carroll invites listeners into a whimsical world where logic is turned upside down and the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary. This timeless tale explores themes of curiosity, identity, and the absurdity of life, making it a captivating experience for audiences of all ages. Carroll's imaginative narrative encourages listeners to embrace the wonders of their own imagination and the complexities of growing up. The enchanting characters and surreal landscapes resonate with the ongoing journey of self-discovery and the playful nature of childhood, ensuring that Alice's adventures remain relevant and delightful even today.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73313410</guid><pubDate>Sat, 01 Aug 2026 12:51:56 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73313410/alice_s_adventures_in_wonderland_dramatic_reading_lewis_carroll.mp3" length="76558735" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Dramatic Reading) by Lewis Carroll invites listeners into a whimsical world where logic is turned upside down and the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary. This timeless tale explores themes of curiosity,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Dramatic Reading) by Lewis Carroll invites listeners into a whimsical world where logic is turned upside down and the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary. This timeless tale explores themes of curiosity, identity, and the absurdity of life, making it a captivating experience for audiences of all ages. Carroll's imaginative narrative encourages listeners to embrace the wonders of their own imagination and the complexities of growing up. The enchanting characters and surreal landscapes resonate with the ongoing journey of self-discovery and the playful nature of childhood, ensuring that Alice's adventures remain relevant and delightful even today.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>9560</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Hard Times version 2 dramatic reading - Charles Dickens - Part 2</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/hard-times-version-2-dramatic-reading-charles-dickens-part-2--72192702</link><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72192702</guid><pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2026 09:00:21 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72192702/hard_times_version_2_dramatic_reading_charles_dickens_part_2.mp3" length="64611516" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/f94ba77c-e9f6-46ac-8328-38de7d22f163/f94ba77c-e9f6-46ac-8328-38de7d22f163.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/f94ba77c-e9f6-46ac-8328-38de7d22f163/f94ba77c-e9f6-46ac-8328-38de7d22f163.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/f94ba77c-e9f6-46ac-8328-38de7d22f163/f94ba77c-e9f6-46ac-8328-38de7d22f163.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>8077</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>blackpool,bounderby,dickens,dramatic,elizabeth,general,gradgrind,hard,nigel,times</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Hard Times version 2 dramatic reading - Charles Dickens - Part 1</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/hard-times-version-2-dramatic-reading-charles-dickens-part-1--72192700</link><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72192700</guid><pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 20:48:59 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72192700/hard_times_version_2_dramatic_reading_charles_dickens_part_1.mp3" length="281425948" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Charles Dickens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' 1854 novel opens with the philosophy of education espoused by the eminently practical Mr. Gradgrind, who prizes "facts and calculations." He raises his children, most prominently Louisa and Tom, to eschew imagination and emotion and embrace order and reason. The results are disastrous: Louisa marries out of duty to the supposed self-made man Mr. Bounderby, while Tom grows up dissolute, ultimately commits theft and blames it on an unfortunate laborer, Stephen Blackpool. Set in the fictional Coketown, a mill town in the north of England, Dickens' novel satirizes capitalism, social mobility, class stratification, and Utilitarianism. This dramatic reading of the novel features a full cast of LibriVox volunteers, who lend their voices to Dickens' vibrant comic characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator: Bob NeufeldMr. Gradgrind: Marty KrisSissy Jupe: J L RaimundoBitzer: mbGentleman: Tom CrawfordLouisa Gradgrind: Arielle LipshawMr. Bounderby: Andy MinterMrs. Gradgrind: Beth ThomasTom Gradgrind: Max KorlingeMr. E. W. B. Childers: David LawrenceMaster Kidderminster: Elizabeth KlettMr. Sleary: Ron AltmanMrs. Sparsit: Elizabeth KlettStephen Blackpool: Nigel BoydellRachael: Karen SavageMrs. Blackpool: Bev J. StevensMrs. Pegler: Sally McConnellJames Harthouse: Algy PugSlackbridge: John SteigerwaldVoice 1: syllyVoice 2: J L RaimundoJane Gradgrind: GoldfishWaiter: Nigel BoydellMan: Algy PugClown: Bev J. StevensText prepared by Arielle Lipshaw and Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>35179</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>blackpool,bounderby,dickens,dramatic,elizabeth,general,gradgrind,hard,nigel,times</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/d88c4aef4e20e4969dbfb40a92f444c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>
