I have multiple audiobooks narrated by him in my library. His voice is so calming yet can be terrifying depending on the story (Dracula particularly). This is the best rendition of this tale I’ve ever heard; Sir Christopher Lee reciting ‘The Haunted Palace’ within the narrative is beyond rapturous
@@LucyLioness100 I agree! I've listened to a lot of different versions of this story. And my goodness he is literally PERFECT. I really, really think he nailed it
When I was literally a babe in arms and crying in the night, my mother (in pace requiescat) would walk around our home with me in one arm and a collection of Poe in the other. I can vividly recall the wonder I felt, though of course I cannot have understood more than a fraction of what I was hearing, when she read aloud The Fall of the House of Usher, Ligeia, and A Descent into the Maelstrom. This may sound like rampant bull, but I wouldn't dishonor my mother's memory. It left me with a love of literature, particularly Poe. What a wondeful gift.
Fantastic :) I bought this from ASDA with a voucher when I was 9, by the time I was in my teens the two tapes were stretched, snapped & repaired several times but still got used most weeks... then lost when I left home. Started to listen to these and can recite word for word ... lol Thanks Mc
While I do also enjoy Basil Rathbone’s recitation of this iconic tale, by far this reading by Sir Christopher Lee is the greatest. His timbre hauntingly conveys Poe’s prose with a flow between enchanting yet also underlying terror; his reading of “The Haunted Palace” sends chills down my spine yet also creates the imagery Poe creates with his verse
Christopher Lee reads this fucking perfectly. He way he captured the mood of that climax towards the end was beautiful. I must try and find some more readings he did.
No matter what he reads, Christopher Lee always makes it interesting. I just love listening to the sound of his voice as he reads; I can almost imagine sitting across from him in an armchair by the fire place on a stormy night, a book open on his lap, the flames in the hearth dancing as he reads aloud while a storm rages outside, lightning occasionally flashing across the dark, dancing skies...
"The Fall of the House of Usher" always scared me as a kid, not because of the story, but because I have relatives named Usher and part of my brain was afraid their issues would happen to us, lol. I still loved Poe though
I definitely borrowed this cassette tape from Sutton Coldfield Library when I was in England 28 years ago. I did not understand much of it at the time, but now I do a little bit better. It all brings back memories of the English countryside with dark, cold, wet and lonely winter time. Thank you for uploading.
I love this reader's voice pitch, tone and inflection. A good reader makes an already very good story more interesting to listen to. ♥️ Thank you for posting this. Edgar Allan Poe is one of my top favorite writers.
The fall of the house of usher is one of my favorite stories. I listened to it one time when I did something that was wrong and obscene. My dad found out what happened and was angry at me. Listening to this story made me feel calm and relaxed.
What a disappointment finding out that this is an abridged version with several omissions. Lee's voice and narration is amazing, perfect for this, but you don't simply edit Poe.
I agree. Poe's general rule of thumb when writing a short story was to keep it short enough to complete in one sitting. He also did not believe in wasting words, that every word needs to add to the story (driving plot, building atmosphere, etc.) or be removed. To abridge something so meticulously crafted feels insulting.
First read this story in elementary school. Over the years I’ve enjoyed reading it multiple times. This abridged version does no appreciable violence in to the story.
the narrator in the story is one damn good friend. i can only dream of a friend like that to sit and read to me and indulge my fancies while i go nuts.
Seeing the latest Netflix series drew me back to the original audiobooks narrated by Christopher Lee that I remembered my own childhood. This is narration in its most perfect presentation…how wonderful to hear them again after so long. Thank you!:-)
I keep imagining Lord Summerisle, reading this to the children of the island, on the beach, with the smoldering embers of the Wicker Man in the background.
The finest first sentence in one of the finest opening paragraphs in English literature! Du Maurier comes a close second in Rebecca. Revery…and then voici! we are there.
I thought I was losing my mind at first. Something wasn't right. But no, my mind is not lost. After starting the video over, I realized what was wrong. The story has been edited big time! WTF!
While in College, in the early 70's; a Psych Prof. gave our class copies of an article from a Medical Journal, in which amateur sleuth Doctors would per descriptions given by an author: diagnosis said maladies. I wish I still had it, for their 'guessed' diagnosis for the Family Usher was given, as well as for the sister.....ergo, today--would be treatable. I believe it was mostly due to: diet and too much a lack of 'fresh blood'--genetically. Has anyone else ever come across, articles doing such things?
Haven't heard of that, but sounds quite interesting. That reminded me of a documentary about Poe's death. There were a few doctors who diagnosed Poe with heavy metal poisoning from a story he wrote. It was called Dead Men's Tales.
@@scaridaghostly Oh! Now I get what you meant. If you like his movies (LOTR, Star Wars, etc) you could try his older stuff ... like the series of British movies from the late 1950's through the 1970's where he played Count Dracula, or the drive-in flick Horror Hotel (aka City of the Dead), or the anthology movie Dr. Terror's House of Horrors. He really had a good deep voice in his prime. I still find it cool that Lee not only played Dracula but also the Frankenstein monster and the mummy, in other films. He might be the only actor who has done all those roles. Also: he turned down the role of Doctor Loomis in John Carpenter's 1978 thriller Halloween, and later told Carpenter it was a huge mistake.
