The Charwoman's Shadow


Read by Michele Fry

(4.5 stars; 15 reviews)

Delightfully imaginative, somewhat similar to Dunsany's blockbuster fantasy novel, The King Of Elfland's Daughter (and published just two years after it), this equally entertaining, verbally voluptuous tale brings us in touch with the heraldry, artistry, and superstitions of the bygone Golden Age of Spain; with the magical arts of ancient times-- alchemy, wizardry, potions, forest creatures that go bump in the night, quests for esoteric knowledge, use of the Philosopher's Stone, and the Catholic church's war against the 'Black Art". Above all, Dunsany explores the many mysterious properties of shadows, and warns what havoc might befall you if you lose yours. Published in 1926. (Summary by Michele Fry) (7 hr 51 min)

Chapters

I. The Lord of the Tower Finds A Career For His Son 20:58 Read by Michele Fry
II. Ramon Alonzo Comes to the House in the Wood 19:14 Read by Michele Fry
III. The Charwoman Tells of her Loss 13:20 Read by Michele Fry
IV. Ramon Alonzo Learns A Mystery Known to the Readers 16:53 Read by Michele Fry
V. Ramon Alonzo Learns of the Box 17:12 Read by Michele Fry
VI. There is Talk of Gulvarez 14:45 Read by Michele Fry
VII. Ramon Alonzo Follows the Art 12:11 Read by Michele Fry
VIII. Ramon Alonzo Shares the Idleness of the Maidens of Aragona 10:48 Read by Michele Fry
IX. The Technique of Alchemy to the Exposure of the False 13:56 Read by Michele Fry
X. The Exposure of the False Shadow 11:35 Read by Michele Fry
XI. The Chill of Space 16:41 Read by Michele Fry
XII. Mirandola Demands a Love-Potion 11:36 Read by Michele Fry
XIII. Ramon Alonzo Compounds the Potion 11:45 Read by Michele Fry
XIV. The Folk of Aragona Strike for the Faith 20:40 Read by Michele Fry
XV. Ramon Alonzo Talks of Technique and Muddles His Father 15:22 Read by Michele Fry
XVI. The Work of Father Joseph 10:59 Read by Michele Fry
XVII. The Three Fair Fields 18:33 Read by Michele Fry
XVIII. The Love-Potion 15:24 Read by Michele Fry
XIX. Father Joseph Explains How the Laity Have No Need of the Pen 16:12 Read by Michele Fry
XX. The Magician Imitates A Way of the Gods 12:08 Read by Michele Fry
XXI. White Magic Comes to the Wood 11:50 Read by Michele Fry
XXII. Ramon Alonzo Crosses a Sword With Magic 11:36 Read by Michele Fry
XXIII. The Plan of Ramon Alonzo 19:22 Read by Michele Fry
XXIV. Ramon Alonzo Dances With His Shadow 18:45 Read by Michele Fry
XXV. The Release of the Shadow 14:33 Read by Michele Fry
XXVI. The Wonderful Casting 10:48 Read by Michele Fry
XXVII. They Dread That A Witch Has Ridden from the Country Towards Moon's Rising 23:41 Read by Michele Fry
XXVIII. Gonsalvo Sings What Had Been the Latest Air From Provence 13:45 Read by Michele Fry
XXIX. The Casket of Silver and Oak is Given To Señor Gulvarez 25:28 Read by Michele Fry
XXX. The End of the Golden Age 21:24 Read by Michele Fry

Reviews

Lord Dunzany is a relic of the past


(4.5 stars)

Lord Dunsany writes with a majesty that is now very much frowned upon. Today's reader does not want to experience finely crafted sentences that bring the listener into strange worlds of magical surrealist wonder. Today's listener demands fewer big words and a more inclusive sentence structure and plot. Today's listener demands all tales be discourses railing against the phalogocentric fascist world hegemony embodied in the evil that is Donald Trump. The author completely ignored the plight of undocumented guest worker children separated from their parents. Lord Dunsany is an Aldolf Hitler. -This post sponsored by Jeff Bezos who has lotsa stories carefully curated to be 2sLGBTQTIA+ adjacent, and available to purchase from Audible (tm) km

storyteller


(5 stars)

Thank you Michelle Fry. I enjoyed listening more than once. Lord Dunsany writes for my imagination. Imagine this - “Who will believe in a beauty he cannot see?Withered infirmity claims pity, and he had given it to her in the full. But beauty demands love. Could he give that to a legend of beauty, to an old woman’s tale?” Or this one- “The moments on which their life depended went wasting away.” This is another favorite, “ He would take from the spell-locked box, some potent weapon of wizardry and loosen its deadly power.” Beautiful imagery. Spellbinding story. Thank you Librivox

Don’t like it


(2 stars)

Oldish English with weird reader can’t listen to this anymore.