The Telephone by Mary Treadgold

[@franken-pattern]

I've been having a very nice day painting on a large canvas and playing with my blue budgies! Then, when I sat down after all of my artistical shenanigans, there's this! Thank you for making a great day better, Mr. Walker!

[@ClassicGhost]

Wonderful!

[@ClassicGhost]

I had a nice day too

[@maryeckel9682]

Awww, I had a blue budgie as a kid. He was so funny!

[@ClassicGhost]

In fact we had two budgies when i was a kid, Frankie and Johnny. one was blue but i can’t now remember which

[@craigoliver8712]

​@@ClassicGhostThe 1 that wasn't yellow was the blue 1

[@breaghboo-gc7ub]

I love your narrations, Tony, AND your chatty commentary afterwards. Your anecdote of the old couple at the end gave me chills too!

[@dawnmorris5978]

Thank god for Tony

[@meganmcnelis7136]

I was reminded of The Pomegranate Seed when I heard this story too!

[@AndreaDingbatt]

Came for the Story, Stayed for the Bletherings and Especially the Anecdote!! Many Thanks Tony, Much Appreciated!! Having known both sides of Pshyc Care I can Tell you how much your Humane-ness, (I know,I Know its not a Word or is it?!!) This is a very Rough Translation from Welsh to (my bad,)English.Slightly Adapted. Please Accept this as the compliment its meant as!! A Humane Voice can be a Lighthouse. ( Author, Lizzie, my Nan Cwmbran, Wales..) A Humane Voice within the Wilderness. ~Makes a Great and Positive Difference to Many Peoples Quality of Life. Honestly and Sincerely, it Shines a Beacon-Light for Forgotten people,~ ones who got Left Behind.... Because, a Sincere and Sensitive,, Un-Jaded Soul ,, Lifts up a Beacon Lamp for those who Lose and Weep, Tearing Themselves asunder in Manic or Psychotic Peaks or Depths Under Troughs of Terrible Distress. A Humane Human Voice can and Does Return to us Reason. Maybe for Just a Moment, but that Moment is a lifejacket that Prevents Paranoia Drowning many. As we Return from that Darkness Within, because someone Cared enough to Hear, Return we Do!! For how long each respite lasts, gather we more Strength more ,Coping Skills Grasp at last Contentment and True Happinesss. And at long- last, Our lifetimes *Lasting Peacefulness Returns. Elizabeth Dyke//Demdyke, Cwmbran. Newport.Wales..UK. Could Be *Childhood

[@Story-Voracious66]

If I may, sending many kind thoughts from Australia. Happily paying forward kindness from others here. Peace find you. 💛

[@AndreaDingbatt]

​@@Story-Voracious66❤ Many Thanks for your Kind Reply!! ☺️ Namasté 🙏🕊️💞🌟 Andréa and Jasper. ..XxX...

[@thurayya8905]

Yes, yes! A new story read by the best 💎.

[@libertycowboy2495]

Long exhausting day...finding this made everything better!

[@martiwilliams4592]

Ditto this time around, a captivating, thought-provoking story, narration, commentary. Masterful, much needed and appreciated. Also this time around. Thank you, Tony.

[@applewagon253]

As always, the chat at the end made me think. It wasn’t my favorite story from a ghost story perspective, but I did enjoy it from just a story perspective. I’m kind of inclined to think there is objectively good or bad literature but that personal taste will always trump that!

[@elaineparker6171]

Loved the story and the critique..I love the anecdotes and the hairs on the back of my neck were raised when you described the lady making those phone calls

[@GingerTomMom]

I think a lot of critics are more about themselves and how clever they can be ("look at me, ma - I'm the town wit!"), rather than about improving advice about writing style, developing talent, etc. I always enjoyed narration. I may not like the story, but the narration always gets better and better. Thank you.

[@ClassicGhost]

Exactly! It’s not constructive criticism it’s ’watch how clever i am in destroying this’ criticism. I just read a review of the recent Scotland game that was like that

[@rosanna5515]

Good observation. Thank you🎉.

[@gillc9773]

The anecdote at the end was quite freaky!!😮 Strange but true🎉

[@waltercook4868]

Really good story. Thanks for sharing. I was surprised at your response to it. I thought, given your background in mental health, you would spend more time talking about the feeling of guilt and how the phone dialog with the deceased wife was an imagined manifestion. But, you didn't or, at best, gave it the faintest brush of acknowledgment coupled with true love. And at the end, the man basically says, '"Okay, I'm all better now, let's go." I was certain the story would end in disaster. Surprised again.

[@MithrilMagic]

I really enjoy stories like this. With telephones. There’s something so invasive and wonderfully macabre about hearing a disembodied voice or presence that gives me chills and I love that! There is a story on the KZbin Channel “Miss Worm” and she wrote a story about a telephone and it’s so interesting.

[@trstnmxc23]

Just wanted to chime in about the commentary as it seems to come up a lot - I think it really adds to experience - I love the historical context you provide, the literary analysis, and of course the personal ramblings which add your own wonderful unique stamp. You're quite charming and why listen to "classic" stories without getting some historical perspective to accompany, it, right? Please never stop.

[@ClassicGhost]

Thanks for the words of support

[@jeanetteshaw4573]

So excited for this new story!!! 😊😊😊Thanks Tony!

[@lunablue745]

I felt s dash of "Rebecca" while listening. I suppose it was the way the younger wife felt the first wife would take back the husband. The futile feeling of fighting a ghost. There was also the aspect of the second wife treating Max in a more maternal manner. She was hyperfixated on his happiness. In both stories, the second wives desperately wanted to keep the happy lives they had built with their husbands and for dead wife #1 to exit stage right!

[@ClassicGhost]

I completely get that

[@MaggieatPlay]

Excellent! A new old story narrated by Tony. Very enjoyable tale. Thank you, Tony!

[@sandramclaughlin3943]

I lay awake last night and listening to this story, beautifully read gave me peace. I escaped into another's existence. Thank you.

[@ClassicGhost]

Peace.

[@JesusIsTheAnswer332]

Love hearing about your experiences, & even your fitness training which I perpetually say I’ll begin “tomorrow.” Happy for you & here’s hoping I will really start tomorrow. I continue to Enjoy your great stories!!!

[@oreganoharvey1091]

Becoming entangled in the web of this podcast is one of the best things ever! Thank you, Tony!

[@ClassicGhost]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@deegeraghty9426]

Excellent story. Great narration. Enjoy the extra information & chat afterwards. Thank you 😊

[@lesleykaygosson315]

Fantastic Story ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Perfect Narration ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐❤️

[@amandalee215]

Wonderful stuff, thank you, Tony

[@donaldmccleary9015]

Great story and narration! Thanks!

[@anders4881]

Thanks for the story and your very welcome commentary afterwards. I’d definitely recommend rereading Emma as an adult: she really is awful but totally engaging at the same time, just like some of Benson’s characters (Mapp & Lucia especially).

[@gisellebaptiste]

This anecdote would be awesome as part of a novel. As a story it could go in so many different directions from comedic to tragic, wired, horrific, evil etc. Especially because of the hissing speech. They way you simulated that hissing speech frightened me and it's 10:04 am where I am! Please do an audio book based and include it. Also, I laughed heartily at you saying "we gave him some valium and he was fine" so thanks for that. It made me forget my fright.

[@lunablue745]

I agree. I felt this story went by too fast. It would have been wonderful to get a more nuanced picture.

[@edf777]

Thank you sir 😊❤

[@THEPAGEBURNER1979]

Tony’s Ghost story podcast for the win. Classic Ghost stories is Awesome also

[@patriciablue2739]

Wonderful commentary on the story. A psychiatric nurse wow. Thank you for sharing.

[@peterbianchi6219]

"Aristotle is this Greek dude, ... way back." Love it! --- just got to "a dog would cement it". Absolutely. Commentaries by Tony always chatty and great. ... but men can be feminist or at least pro-feminist, as they can also be anti. .. Hah! Now I got to the Valium! Always listen 'till the end.

[@lindadean3374]

Thank you, Tony for ur awesome Utube channel….ur work & consistent excellent story narration…makes me smile to c ur latest offering…❤❤❤

[@donaldkelly3983]

Never heard of Treadgold before, so I appreciate the introduction. You mentioned F.R. Leavis, who I haven't heard of since college. He thought the novel was a Platonic entity, "The Great Novel". I think there are just novels.

[@ClassicGhost]

Great comment.

[@AlgorithmEngagementEntity]

Always delighted to see you in my feed. Thanks Tony 👻

[@Tomohawk-e1n]

"Scotland had one of its rare, perfect summers" understatement of the millennium. There's a reason we're aw chalk white up here. Thanks for another belter Tony, you're a credit to oratory Ps Tam is Scots for Thomas

[@margaretgilbert2901]

Love your channel, your voice, and your commentary.

[@shanonquinn5681]

Once again, a wonderful reading of a fascinating story. My personal taste requires developed characters, appealing settings, and a well thought out plot. The Telephone certainly delivered. It has that bit of raw, messy reality to it that inspires a combination of harsh judgment and sympathy. It's much simpler when the spurned wife is wicked. It's sad she was a good woman. I'm a bit creeped out by the anecdote at the end. I can fall asleep with ghost stories ringing in my head, but living people are frightening. Also, I have always defined "feminist" as one who believes women should have equal rights and opportunities as their male counterparts. So yeah, you could be one. Thanks again, off to find The Pomegranate Seed.

[@mijiyoon5575]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thanks *Tony*

[@stalinlovsciafbifakemsmzio6674]

Extremely creepy, thanks T! Been busy. Catch ya on the rebound!

[@ClassicGhost]

glad that you are back

[@gillc9773]

Really enjoyed your discussion at the end. Very enthralling and relaxing at the same time.🎉❤

[@greatestytcommentator]

Came for the story... Mind Blown by the anecdote! Wow. ❤

[@Story-Voracious66]

A story of letting go, of moving on perhaps. I is so tempting and irrational to want to call that old number, even though you know that they're gone, in hopes that yet the spirit may linger still... Thanks for the talk and sharing your experience with the poor woman who spoke "parcel tongue". Very creepy. That's great copy for underground and Bunny Men. Thanks Tony.

[@thelastsausage635]

I love that Stereophonics song! And I loved this story and the way you read it- it was exquisitely poignant , thanks Tony👍🥇

[@imh9524]

I enjoyed the story. What a great career that woman had! I'm really surprised that you think you can't be a feminist because you're a man. I didn't start reading Austen until I left formal education. Picked up P&P at the library one day and was totally hooked. Read everything of hers I could get my hands on. Coming from a poor background, I couldn't relate to the social setting of the books either, but her writing goes much deeper than that. As a lover of fine writing, and a writer yourself, it's worth giving her a go. 🙂

[@KayBacci]

I wasn't really enthralled by the story, but I enjoyed your comments after it, Tony. I am interested in your stories about your career as a psychiatric nurse, and your anecdote about the real patient who made the creepy phone call was very chilling. I'm going to listen to 'The Pomegranate Seed' now. ♥️

[@scapegoat685]

I think you have such a soothing, easy to listen to voice. Some story tellers on here are very creepy, and I don't mean in a spooky way. Beginning to listen to 'what' you are saying and you are drawing me in....

[@Tinyflypie]

I had a very strange experience with the telephone. It was the day of my father in law's funeral. I was sick with flu and stayed home. The house was very quiet when the phone rang. I answered and my father in law's voice said 'Alice, is that you? Alice, Alice.' I was terrified and yelled 'who is this?' Though I knew. "It's Tom, he said. Still shocked I (wish I hadn't) said 'what do you want?' There were voices (sounded like Mongolian throat singing and then silence. I told no one for years. Enjoyed your commentary.

[@DeborahMcgee-t8c]

Just in time TONY WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO WATCH THEN YOU POPPED UP LOVE FROM DEBORAH IN IRELAND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK ❤💐👍

[@martiwilliams4592]

Thank you!

[@latertjs]

I can not even imagine someone not enjoying your commentary- very often I laugh out loud at something that you have said- so if anyone doesn't enjoy your comments- they can just go away and listen to someone else. I thought the pomegranate seed was pretty dark- this was not as dark for me. Keep them coming and enjoy the commentary.

[@marciedewolff9357]

Whoop whoop! Thank you Tony for giving a day that was just pure sh-t from the minute my feet hit the floor a great finish!

[@bamorosocenteno]

Please don't listen to the haters. You are great at what you do.

[@ClassicGhost]

Thank you . There are so many more supporters but there are still nasty people I have to delete

[@A.L.Gardner]

I actually enjoyed the anecdote more than the story, that tale of the whispered telephone "conversation" was scary. I hope you revisit Jane Austin, she had a great sense of humour.

[@ronaldmussulman2735]

This really reminds me of, The Pomegranate Seed. Very similar type stories.👻

[@AlexandriaSWest]

I liked this story! Goodreads tends towards pretentious pseudo-intellectual nonsense by people who are very pleased with their “work” of writing reviews. 😂

[@mq9893]

Seriously, they have a whole pseudo-Think Tank of overworked interns-Eng Lit/Lib Arts- churning out grandiose 'insulty-praisey phrases', maybe, adderal all night & day & they are creative/brutal *^*^ts. Thank You for seeing the pretentiousness & comm. on it here I had too much fun typing this, sorry.. too long laughing at the "Art of the review", an op-ed piece in an old newspaper or magazine.. & finding said reviewers..reviewed.. Ex: ....."Congrats on your "cute story", just Love.. love, love....absolutely in bliss, just such a great, amazing and it is genuinely one of the best we feel...of course, of course, we are speaking about our names. Yes, a lovely name.Genuinely, the best name I can think of.. ..can't wait for another cute take" .....🥺what about the book🤧.... -"Superbly granite of a tale about building stuff..." -" the amazing lover of lit history & old musty libraries "was given a bit of praise for her very, very, first published story with a real publisher" have a great day thanks again .

[@helenbrown7983]

I thought the young woman became his first wife rather than his mother. Excellent narration

[@mijiyoon5575]

*Tony* your posh accent made me laugh🤩🕸it is a world wide web

[@hill9948]

Love your narration and commentary. I’ll have to agree with Goodreads with this one. It was a little disappointing. The lead up was good but the ending fizzled out.

[@vanillasuncherries]

That woman at end sounds like people who call me all the time in the psychic hotline I work on telling me they are in a relationship with person X meanwhile X has a restraining order on them. More common than you would think or they are like the stalker in baby Reindeer. Good story.

[@markferguson3745]

I think that what makes great writers great is that they can manage to break the molds.Jane Austen is a good example, as is Somerset Maugham.Character is hard to do well, but then so is atmoshere without becoming rapidly tedious. Evelyn Waugh? I'm not sure if I would have survived High School without Waugh, and he can lay out character and atmosphere as one.

[@agnieszkaswietlik5322]

Wonderful rambling on criteria of estimating literature. I also believe there are some objective ones. Worthwile to research them in this downgrading, emoticon, reactive age.

[@thurayya8905]

"In the cold dead hours . . . "

[@ainemoroney9965]

You could donate the books your finished with the the library/university and have the section named after you. Wouldn't that be fun! Or open house book shop and therapy centre every Saturday. This story is so different to what I normally like. Short, jarring and open ended. My education through you is broadening my tastes. Maith thú 😉

[@skeleczar]

A long time ago when I was more black and white about things, I would have thought this wasn’t such a good ending and I would have just read into it that they weren’t so pure, and I would just believe that she was an unreliable narrator. I WAS COMPARING IT TO THE POMEGRANATE SEED, TOO! (Sorry, I always start to comment before I finish listening.) I forgot the end of the pomegranate seed so I’m going to go listen to that one again. Anyway though, I do really like this one though, and I liked the ending as well.

[@skeleczar]

Also, I consider you a feminist. You’ve never said anything anti-woman, quite the opposite, in fact. Lots of men are feminists, probably most, actually. Most that I know at least seem to like and respect women just fine. Oh! Also, I loved that used Shiela as the wife in that story on Apple Podcasts, the Towpath one! ❤ It was such a good one, super creepy. Holy crap that lady at the pay phone is so scary and sad, and her poor husband.

[@mq9893]

@@skeleczar ☺ Yes, I'd say you are spot on about your description of long before, being black & white on thoughts off the story/narrator. Tony shows me where I've grown a wee bit, with his final thoughts on tales-author. Bigger picture etc. So I thank you 📚🤓

[@jenniferhawkins3142]

Question for you, Tony. Does it matter if we join your youtube as paying member or Patreon? Is one financially better for you than the other?

[@ClassicGhost]

Difficult for me to answer that here

[@greatestytcommentator]

I have asked this of many of my favourite content creators... they seem to be shafted either way. I'd like to just buy Tony a Fish Supper and a Pint one day

[@mq9893]

@@greatestytcommentator 🍻 cheers

[@psychedianic]

"Choose the least worst." American politics in four words. 😂 This was a good story. Fantastic commentary. I am happily within your web - Learning so much with each broadcast. My wish list of authors and books gets longer with every listen. Thank you!🎉

[@ClassicGhost]

do you know any funny way that comment meant a lot to me because I owe so much to my English teachers inspiring me and if I can do the same that’s really wonderful

[@cammyers1487]

Why does it always seem important to point out what people do in their bedrooms? What does that have to do with this story, anyway?

[@amyjones8114]

I think it kind of develops the female’s character in this story. As if the physical aspect of their relationship is tremendously important to her. Maybe that’s how she thinks she pleases Alan more than his wife does.

[@KristinChoruby]

If you're thinking of revisiting Jane Austen, Tony, I think you'd be most likely to enjoy Northanger Abbey. It's shorter and more tightly paced compared to Austen's later novels, and it spoofs the gothic novels that were popular (and controversial) in those days. Also, if it makes you feel better, I tend to have trouble getting through Emma too, and I consider myself an Austen fan! I don't know what it is about that particular book--the overall plot and characters are wonderfully zany, and I especially like the male lead (the only sane person in the whole tale, bless his heart) and his interactions with Emma, but somehow I always lose steam around the middle of the story. Maybe there's a slow/dull/unnecessary passage at that point that would have been better left on the cutting room floor🤷‍♀. Or I simply need a break from Emma's, er, "strong personality"😅.

[@lunablue745]

Or you could watch the movie "Clueless!" AS IF!!😂

[@KristinChoruby]

@@lunablue745 Or "Emma Approved" on KZbin 😉

[@craigoliver8712]

​@@lunablue745Watched it a couple of weeks ago,I like the t.v version of Emma with the young lady from the film Atonement- also starring Kiera Knightley+ James McAvoy

[@lunablue745]

@@craigoliver8712 I love Kiera! She is in my favorite version of Pride & Prejudice.

[@tonymardon3710]

Tony, ghosts and phones- watch ‘night call’, an episode of The Twilight Zone (original series), it’s great 😀

[@craigoliver8712]

I listened to this episode about a year back here on KZbin,I think it may have been the 1st episode in the original tv series,if not certainly 1 of the first

[@stewartlancaster6155]

story ends 19.52

[@craigoliver8712]

Are you giving this info as a point of reference or as a slight?if it is the latter skip it+jog on(tis not rocket science)

[@kathleenwagner7444]

Re Goodreads: I wonder if the explanation for the contributors' severity is simpler than you suggest. In every platform I visit, people are much more likely to leave an unfavorable comment than an appreciative or encouraging one. I don't suppose that there are more angry or vicious people than contented and goodnatured ones, but that they feel a greater desire to air their views. Perhaps they feel unjustly shortchanged and tricked by a book or story that displeases them, and that makes them angry. Emma, to my mind, is the finest novel in English, but it's the most natural thing in the world that it should not appeal to a teenaged boy who's assigned to read it for school. (I wonder if assigning literature in school and then talking rubbish about it in class really fosters a love of reading. If I hadn't already loved books before school got hold of me, I think endless years talking about "themes" would hardly have implanted it.) With proper respect to Aristotle, I don't read for plot or for character; I read for beautiful, skillful writing. Part of Emma's enduring interest is tracing the hints she does and the hints she doesn't pick up that her project for getting her friend suitably married isn't going to prosper. It's really very well done.

[@merryhineline7781]

This story reminded me of a Twilight Zone episode with the same name.

[@danaheffern1196]

I love your story reading and your talks afterward. A note to you, you are a feminist! -- Feminist simply believe women have the same rights as men. We are all entitled to human rights. These include triimination; to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; to be educated; to own property; to vote; and to earn an equal wage.

[@ClassicGhost]

Blimey! Well, I do think all those things.

[@garybernstein3527]

I always enjoy your comments and the fact that you pre-associate as you give your comment seems to add something. in this case however your comments for your associate so wildly and strangely I think you may be experimenting with a different state of consciousness as you gave these comments. something very strange about you saying that you don't believe feelings do anything but harm and don't belong in a story and the underlying support for the meaning of Love is something we should learn from The Princess Bride . nonetheless I was fascinated to hear your comments even though they seem to be coming from a strangely more disorganized dimension

[@ClassicGhost]

I think my brain is wired a little differently

[@craigoliver8712]

​@@ClassicGhostThankfully 🙏

[@jehouse61]

Rebecca...

[@camileaa]

15:28

[@thornmichaels5388]

Tony, you're a delight, but you absolutely can be a feminist and a man simultaneously. I think you have a mistaken idea of the definition of the word. Or at least, I hope you do.

[@craigoliver8712]

Why do you hope so?because 1 isn't a feminist it doesn't automatically make them a misogynist,I imagine Tony is "old skool"(like myself)I believe in equal rights,pay, accountability+everything else but I would deem it strange+silly if anyone deemed me a feminist (maybe a generational thing)not sure the male youth of today would subscribe to being called "feminist" either,even if their views are the same as one(just a male thing I would suggest)

[@robm2796]

You definitely can be a feminist as a man Tony 😊

[@donnasandstrom6286]

You used to talk about the author and the story and then ramble. You're out of sequence. Still here though. Aristotle didn't write the story I was listening to.😊

[@ClassicGhost]

+@donnasandstrom6286 oh

[@lccsd2392]

of course you can be a feminist.

[@JanetElson]

I’m confused. Are they two men or is the narrator a female?

[@ClassicGhost]

The narrator is female

[@thatfeeble-mindedboy]

This would work so much better if read aloud by a female. I wonder why they chose to use a male reader? We’re they trying to make some point about gender stereotypes? Pity.

[@ClassicGhost]

You’re over thinking it . There’s only me here and i’m a bloke so that’s why.

[@JennyLane8666]

True love IS the greatest thing in the world. Except, of course, for a nice MLT. Mutton lettuce tomato sandwich? When the mutton is nice and lean??