The Charles Reade Library Podcast By Charles Reade cover art

The Charles Reade Library

The Charles Reade Library

By: Charles Reade
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Welcome, Reader. Here you shall find no abridgement, no timid excerpt, no mutilated chapter smoothed for idle ears. Here the tale stands whole. The Charles Reade Library restores to the living voice the full vigour of those romances in which wrong is confronted, justice pursued, and the human heart tried as by fire. Prisons shall clang, cloisters shall echo, hearth-fires shall glow, and the oppressed shall speak. For what is a novel, if not a protest against falsehood, a plea for mercy, a trumpet against cruelty? And what is reading, if not the communion of earnest minds across the gulf of years?

Come then. Sit close. The page is opened. The truth, though resisted, shall be heard.Public domain
Episodes
  • Foul Play Chapter 60-63

    Foul Play Chapter 60-63
    Mar 25 2026
    In which a shrewd examination reveals that the newspapers Helen possesses are clever forgeries, leading to a cautious investigation into their authorship and a curious proposal to create a forgery in turn. Meanwhile, Helen’s steadfast resolve faces emotional trials as she confronts painful truths about those charged with crime and deception, navigates complex alliances, and endures illness while her circle of friends and foes alike engage in subtle manoeuvres around her.
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    44 mins
  • Foul Play Chapter 57-59

    Foul Play Chapter 57-59
    Mar 24 2026
    In which Nancy Rouse and Michael Penfold form a heartfelt alliance amid domestic trials and a curious, uncanny discovery that unsettles their quiet world; and Helen seeks the truth about Robert Penfold’s innocence through the keen scrutiny of a skilled handwriting expert and his discerning mother. In this gentle unfolding of mysteries and sorrows, the contrasts between appearances and reality become painfully manifest, and the persistent quest for justice is both a burden and a beacon.
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    36 mins
  • Foul Play Chapter 55-56

    Foul Play Chapter 55-56
    Mar 23 2026
    In which Helen Rolleston, with a tender yet resolute spirit, navigates a labyrinth of social obstacles and legal formalities to inquire into the troubling case of Robert Penfold, encountering cold refusals and unexpected kindnesses that test her fortitude and resolve. Her investigations, shadowed by mysterious watchers and the poignant affections of those around her, lead her to discover the first faint glimmers of doubt amidst the overwhelming tide of condemnation.
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    32 mins
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