I hadn't thought to check statistics for a while. When I saw visitors had jumped to unusual levels last week I figured it must be a mistake. (Like the time someone linked to an episode as being a free Christmas song.)
No. It was deliberate.
A.V. Club, which is a serious part of
The Onion, mentioned Forgotten Classics last week.
OUTLIERS
Forgotten Classics
If you’ve ever thought of listening to audiobooks but don’t want to pay for them or can’t decide what to listen to, this podcast is for you. Host Julie D and her fellow readers choose fairly obscure books in the public domain to read chapter by chapter, much like a bedtime story. The stories range from tales of Americana to apocalyptic sci-fi adventures, and the tone of the readers is generally soothing and warm—except when they attempt to mimic the voices of some characters and end up sounding a bit goofy.
Episode 168: Bridge Of Birds Chapters 1-3 kicks off Barry Hughart’s blending of Chinese mythology with Western storytelling that follows the journey of Li Kao and Number 10 Ox. Originally there were to be seven books produced, but a conflict with the publishers forced this book into obscurity, where
Forgotten Classics found it.
Holy moly,
that was a surprise. A wonderful, wonderful surprise. Thank you A.V. Club and welcome to those dropping by!
We're alternating episodes between the above-mentioned Bridge of Birds and Robert Alter's translation of Genesis, where we are looking at the book from a literary point of view (mostly).
Browse the
Library for a complete episode listing or the
Authors' Page to see the variety of books we've read here. You'll find everything from romance (The Black Moth) to ghosts (The Uninvited) to espionage (Riddle of the Sands) to a classic very few remember to actually read (Uncle Tom's Cabin). Enjoy!
