The Essential Reads

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne chapter 13, narrated by Isaac BirchallSeven years have now passed since the Birth of Pearl, and Hester has started to become more active in the society. She still sews, but now cooks meals, cares for the sick, takes care of the needy, and the towns folk start to see her less as a sinner and more of a h...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne chapter 12, narrated by Isaac BirchallOn a very foggy night, with very low visibility, he heads to the scaffold where Hester had to stand before the whole town, takes himself up the steps, and stands alone with God. After standing alone for several minutes, he screams out, to release some of the pain t...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne chapter 11, narrated by Isaac BirchallAfter his still unknown discovery, Roger Chillingworth starts to torment Mr Dimmesdale, with further prying into his personal life, and more intense medical treatments. Mr Dimmesdale starts to feel a resentment between the two of them, and a deep suspicion starts t...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne chapter 10, narrated by Isaac BirchallOld Roger Chillingworth becomes more and more perplexed with his study of Mr Dimmesdale; no matter what he tries, the reverend never seems to get any better. To try and understand his patient better, Chillingworth inquiries into the reverend’s personal life, but ev...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne chapter 9 narrated by Isaac BirchallRoger Chillingworth has now integrated himself fully into the settlement’s society. Having studied some medicine in Europe, he calls himself a doctor, and as the settlement is in dire need of one, he is welcomed with open arms. No one knows his secret identity apart...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne chapter 8, narrated by Isaac BirchallMr Billingham, Mr Wilson, Reverend Mr Dimmesdale, and Old Roger Chillingworth walk through the garden making fun of Pearl, calling her a daemon-child, after noticing that Hester is present took Governor Bellingham asks her why she thinks that she should be allowed t...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne chapter 7, narrated by Isaac BirchallHester takes Pearl to Governor Bellingham’s residence to deliver some ornate ceremonial gloves that he commissioned her to make, and to investigate whether the rumour that Pearl could be taken away from her is true. Many members of the town suspect that Pearl is a d...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne chapter 6, narrated by Isaac BirchallThe only thing that keeps Hester going is her daughter Pearl. The bright flower growing out of the sin-filled soil. Pearl, thus named because she cost all that Hester had – remaining her only treasure, is very much like her mother, she has adopted Hester’s defiance,...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne chapter 5, narrated by Isaac BirchallThe narrator takes the reader through a few years. Hester with her daughter named Pearl, take an old ruined down house on the outskirts of the settlement as their home. There, Hester lives in solitude, an outcast from society, with the sin-borne baby. High members o...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne chapter 4, narrated by Isaac BirchallIn her jail cell, Hester is finally brought face to face with her Husband, he told the leaders of the settlement that he could provide medical assistance to the baby and her mother. The jailer lets him into the cell, and once alone with Hester he tries to give some...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne chapter 3, narrated by Isaac BirchallHester’s husband, the man who sent her to the “New World” and promised to follow but never came was now standing at the edge of the crowd. He is dressed in traditional English clothes mixed with native American clothes. The man makes a small gesture to Hester, telli...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne chapter 2, narrated by Isaac Birchall. The crowd gathered around the prison stand in wait while Hester Prynne is lead down the corridor, a new born baby in her arms, and a blazing scarlet letter A embroidered on her chest. The women in the crowd ;and all sorts of derogatory comments about Hester, calli...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne chapter 1, narrated by Isaac Birchall The first chapter of the book describes many angry puritan members of a small town in the newly founded colonies of the United States, gathered around a prison inside of which the main character, Hester Prynne is being held. Support the showhttps://podcasters.spoti...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Introduction, narrated by Isaac BirchallIn the introduction to the book, Nathaniel Hawthorne writes 33 pages that have nothing to do with the plot...seriously, nothing. This was a literary device used back in the day as a sort of "found footage" thing. people didn't just want to write fiction, but conv...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podDracula by Bram Stoker chapter 27, narrated by Isaac BirchallVan Helsing writes a memorandum to Dr Seward, informing him that he and Mina have reached the Borgo Pass. They continue their way up the pass until they come upon Castle Dracula. Just outside, in their camp, Van Helsing and Mina are attacked by the three female Vampires that attack J...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podDracula by Bram Stoker, chapter 26, narrated by Isaac BirchallSeward writes as they head to Galatz. He is concerned that Mina revealed less and less in her hypnotised state; she reveals that she still hears the lapping of water, letting the men know that the count is still near the boats. The men hope to reach him before the coffin is unloaded...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podDracula by Bram Stoker chapter 25, narrated by Isaac BirchallBefore they leave, Mina begs the men, if she should turn into a vampire, to destroy her. The men, full of fear, agree to her request. After a few days, the team boards the Orient Express to Varna, where Van Helsing, using Lord Godalming’s rank, plans to board the Czarina Catherine as...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podDracula by Bram Stoker chapter 24, narrated by Isaac BirchallThe team discover that Dracula had boarded a boat named the « Czarina Catherine » which is headed to Varna, the same port that Dracula left when he came to England. Van Helsing give a speech to the men and Mina, declaring that Dracula must be defeated now, lest all be lost. Van Helsi...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podDracula by Bram Stoker chapter 23, narrated by Isaac BirchallThe men, after tricking a blacksmith, get keys made for the house in Piccadilly and the others they discovered in London. Arthur and Quincy head off to sanctify the boxes elsewhere while Seward, Harker, and Van Helsing go to the house in Piccadilly. Once inside the lake quick work of...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podDracula by Bram Stoker chapter 22, narrated by Isaac BirchallIn his journal, Harker records Renfield’s last moments. Before leaving the asylum, the count paid one last visit to the Renfield. The next day, Harker and the men go to Carfax and place a holy wafer in each of the boxes of earth, meaning that he can no longer use them as a home. Befo...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podDracula by Bram Stoker chapter 21, narrated by Isaac BirchallIn his final minutes, Renfield admits to the men that Dracula often visited him at the asylum, promising to give him strength. Renfield remarks when Mina visited her, he noticed that she was very pale and he grew furious at the realisation that Dracula has been visiting her too. So o...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podDracula by Bram Stoker chapter 20, narrated by Isaac BirchallJohnathan Harker’s investigations leads the men to believe that Dracula has moved the remaining boxes to a house in Piccadilly. On Harker’s return the men try to plan how to break into a house in such a populated, busy area. Dr Seward notices very rapid changes in the patient Renfiel...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podDracula by Bram Stoker chapter 19, narrated by Isaac BirchallThe men set out to Dracula’s home at Carfax, all armed with holy weapons. Dracula seems not to be home, but all of the men are on edge as they make their way towards the chapel. Once inside, they are hot with a terrible rotting smell; on further inspection they find only 26 Earth-box...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podDracula by Bram Stoker chapter 18, narrated by Isaac BirchallMina goes to visit Renfield; on learning that she is coming, Renfield promptly swallows all of his flies and spiders to tidy up. During their conversation, Seward notes that he is extremely rational and even philosophical. Van Helsing then arrives at the asylum, and is pleased to see...

Send me a message. What do you think about the book/podDracula by Bram Stoker chapter 17, narrated by Isaac BirchallJohnathan and Mina Harker make their way to London where they stay with Dr Seward. Here, lucy transcribes his Diary so that all of the events in Johnathan, Lucy, Mina, and Seward’s Diaries can be put into a chronological order. Seward in the meantime reads the Harkers’ journals where...