The Lonesome Place by August Derleth

[@Josephinejefferies]

As an eight year old I had to walk through woods that was full of old army trenches to reach the cinema every Friday night. I remember praying to Elvis to get safely to the cinema where I was going to watch “Kissing Cousins”.

[@theodorecalvin4214]

This story terrified me as a kid and remained lost for the longest time (I always got my horror anthologies from the library, and over time they would vanish for one reason or another). I’ve been slowly reassembling my nightmares, both written and from film, sifting and sorting what was real and what was my mind filling blanks. I appreciate you putting you own voice to it. And do ramble on, friend.

[@batcaveloner1383]

I read it in an American Gothic short stories book!!! :))))

[@nickberry8833]

Me too. I used to lie awake at night scared that I might be able to create something monstrous and awful just by imagining it. Of course, you know what happens when you try not to think about something. A very clever story.

[@MrsJanLong]

Thanks you for this. Right up until my early teens I used to be scared to death of going into our hall at night. I used to run from the living room to the stairs and NOT look out of the window in case something was looking in!

[@ronaldashby935]

I come for the storys. Stay for the ramblings. One of favourite channel's because of this.

[@ClassicGhost]

+@ronaldashby935 I think I listened to too many negative sayers and it has become clear to me. They really are minority.

[@donaldmccleary9015]

Thanks! What a classic. I can think of a time in my life when I felt such fear. Your work is amazing! Never stop!

[@ClassicGhost]

thank you so much

[@roddmatsui3554]

August Derleth and his lore and worlds have been a source of great insight and inspiration and continue to be. 💜

[@nancynickerson4341]

I dunno Tony. I've been sitting here for an hour trying to will my dinner into existence, without success. Might have to get up and make it myself. :-)

[@walterfechter8080]

Portions of this story reminds me of the wooded lanes with their tall old oaks which I passed by the night that I watched "The Curse ("Night") of the Demon." It was on a mild and windy night a few weeks before Halloween. This is a great tale. Thanks, Steven Shipman, for suggesting this story. Thanks, Tony Walker, for your truly effective narrative.

[@StalinLovsMsmZioglowfagz]

Reminded me of stuff from childhood, too. At least I’m assuming your talking about childhood. x)

[@MartiWilliams-r2z]

Just as impressive this time. Thank you, Tony!

[@roxanavasilakis9435]

Thank you so much dear Tony 🌳

[@ClassicGhost]

Thank you for saying thanks 😊

[@ClassicGhost]

Thank you for saying thanks 😊

[@MartiWilliams-r2z]

listening again! Thank you.

[@Lacoleccionistamisterios]

Perfect narration of the childhood fears

[@stardust949]

This author (and your reading of it) truly evoked some faint wisps of forgotten childhood fears...very nice to listen to tonight. Thank you so much.

[@annnovy4537]

I have listened to a lot of your readings Tony, and you have really brightened life up for me. I particularly like your comments on the stories and life in general. What you said about people carrying the mantle of other peoples early comments about them is so true, I have suffered all my life from an inferiority complex caused by others belittling me. “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me”………..not true! Keep up the good work. I feel you to be a friend. Anna

[@ClassicGhost]

:)))

[@annnovy4537]

TV

[@MartiWilliams-r2z]

Same here, Anna. So true. Words are very important Thank you.

[@philmenard8927]

Absolutely one of my favorite stories by Derleth, who is mostly known for his relationship with Lovecraft and his writings and the preserving of those works.

[@Bebecat477]

Thank you for the story.

[@ClassicGhost]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@SC-jh9qp]

I'm a Buddhist and we say that everything is empty of inherent existence in that nothing exists separately from the mind that apprehends it. The bases of imputation (the external world) are in addition impermanent and arise from causes and conditions. So I really enjoyed this little story. I created some 'monsters' when I was a kid, including the sheepskin rug at the foot of our stairs which would rise and begin to ascend as I flushed our thunderous toilet and legged it for my bedroom! Great chat after the story Tony. Perhaps you could raise money by online counselling too 😃❤️👍

[@mariameere5807]

I love the book the power of now by Eckhart Tolley and it’s on KZbin right now read by the author! They keep taking it down and Eckhart doesn’t care about it being there but the publisher’s do! And the meditation called stillness speaks chapter one and in the book in the beginning of it, he says that the entire essence of the book is in chapter one! Also I love the book the power of the subconscious mind by Joseph Murphy! I have been a Buddhist but now I am just a spiritual being with eclectic spiritual beliefs and I feel the truth of something that I read and as long as I have filled my inner void then everything else is just a bonus, my mom was a Buddhist when I was a kid unfortunately not when I became vegan at the age of three! But a few years later and she was convinced that I was a Buddhist nun/monk in a previous life time but I was obsessed with 1920s London for as long as I can remember and even read Agatha Christie as a child in New York & then we moved to Ireland to where my dad grew up when I was eight and it’s a 15 minute drive from the airport and one hour flight to London! I left on my own at 16 to come here and I love it❕‼️ BTW, Isn’t the desire for no desire a desire in and of it’s self?!? I have always wondered how Buddhists deal with this question! Don’t worry it’s rhetorical❕Blessings from London! 🙏 Namaste 🕊🤍🕊

[@skeleczar]

My husband (and my dad, and my brother) have always tried to convince me that the animals I rescue are insignificant, that they are just one tiny drop in the ocean that is life on this planet, and it’s a completely pointless exercise to save one mouse or kitten or chipmunk or pigeon or seagull among millions or even billions. I’ve always tried to explain to them that saving one life is saving the whole world. They have never understood, but I feel like this is a similar concept. There is a whole world that exists from the perspective of that one creature, a whole world that is blipped out of existence upon their death.

[@suecondon1685]

@@skeleczar Love this. ❤️

[@JMDinOKC]

Sounds like quantum mechanics. Stephen Hawking wrote that religion and philosophy are dead. I think he meant that why bother with religion or philosophy to seek the meaning of life when modern physics is weirder than anything religion or philosophy can come up with.

[@SC-jh9qp]

@@GeorgiaPeachHolly The aim of Buddhism is to remove suffering from your life and show others how to do the same. This is achieved by removing negative states of mind, viewpoints and actions and this is ultimately achieved by the wisdom of knowing the connection between your mind, your world and your experiences. So we work at eliminating Anger and Hatred; Attachment to worldly things that lead to dependence upon them for our happiness; Pride; Miserliness; Idle gossiping etc and we focus instead on Loving Kindness towards all people and living beings; Patient Acceptance of Suffering arising from other's actions, our own actions and apparently random events; Generosity, giving material aid, time and good advice to others; Moral Discipline, No killing, stealing, sexual abuse, lying, harsh words, being divisive, abandoning others etc We also focus on removing harmful inner dialogues, taming our random thoughts and developing concentration through Meditation and Mindfulness so that we can abandon preconceived ideas of reality and ultimately gain a Peaceful Mind at all times (which is true Happiness) and accrue the Wisdom needed to help others. Emptiness does not imply nihilism or meaninglessness, (this is a common misconception) , it is a truth about the actual nature of things that can be seen with a clear mind. I'm not trying to persuade you of anything here as we don't evangelise in Buddhism, merely sharing my understanding that I have gained in the 25 years I've been formally practicing. 💗

[@donaldmccleary9015]

Giving this another listen. My first comment from last year was deleted, so I am adding this one. This is a great story. Your narration, as always, is fantastic! I consider this to be fantastic. All of us growing up in the country passed at least one place like this. The story captures the fears and imagination of people, especially kids, and notably fear of the unknown. Anyone who has ever known fear can relate to this one. I wonder how many people who disparage this story do the same to the overly long and cumbersome, although good, story about a clown. That story is based off this one in no small way. Typing this before the point where you begin your chat. Thanks for narrating this classic, Tony! Thanks to Steven for the recommendation!

[@jenniferlevine5406]

Great story! The chat was even better. Thanks for being to entertaining and insightfu!

[@mollyrobbins1515]

One of my favorite stories by one of my favorite authors. Thank you.

[@ClassicGhost]

Thanks for listening

[@beckymartin1810]

Such a wonderful treat to listen tonight. Thank you for sharing your talent and knowledge with us.

[@annabellreads]

I do love the stories where your voice gets slow, creeping, almost drawling back on those vocal folds. One more thing to consider as a reference, especially given the publication timeframe, was the uniquely American concept of sundown towns. However, in those places, the danger was what happened when they left the lonesome places. I'll leave you to do the googling, but I will add, full circle style, one of the episodes of the HBO series Lovecraft Country featured a sundown county.

[@spitfire_2]

Wow! I really enjoyed the story, your narration and follow-up. Excellent. Thank you!

[@martiwilliams4592]

Listening with new ears--captivating also this time around. Love the "ramblings."-- that, that belief lurking behind our eyes. By night---A belief in our own worthlessness. You're masterful, Tony, on many levels. Thank you. Much, much appreciated.

[@terryolsson4145]

Another great little story Tony.....Thank you.

[@soundsilence2604]

Loved the title as much as the story.

[@KABrown-jp5eh]

Thank you!!! &, Happy New Year¡!¡!¡!¡! From Victoria, Australia. 🎊🥳🥂🐨🎉

[@Elder-Witch299]

Loved this, Tony. Your vocal tone and tempo were perfect. It evoked the fear I had when passing the graveyard in the dark as a teenager, when all logic was lost and I bolted down the road like a scalded cat. Looking forward to your next one, but will go to Haunted Places too 😄

[@martiwilliams4592]

Masterful, Tony--also this time around. Thank you.

[@ClassicGhost]

My pleasure!

[@susannowak5544]

Along the “belief makes X real,” theme, Sir Terry Pratchett explored this, in a fun way, in his Discworld book “Small Gods.” Truly fun…

[@RolandWieffering1]

I love A. Derleth stories, hope you'll read more from him. Thanks for this one. Your Dutch follower 👍🏻😉

[@tammyb8742]

As a teenager the house we lived in had a portal in it at least I believe so. My bedroom was in the basement and I would always feel someone watching me or hear weird noises, etc. My parents who stayed upstairs were not aware of the strange things happening in the basement because I didn't tell them. Once my cousin came to visit and she took a shower downstairs. She came screaming up the stairs wet with a towel wrapped around her and she swore someone was watching her. I had never told her either about what I had experienced. Together she and I searched the basement as I had done many, many times but never found anything. As an aside, I pay for YT and notice a lot of channels, especially the podcasts , have ads IN and not separate from their content and that drives me nuts. When someone I follow starts doing that I unsubscribe. I feel like if I pay for it I shouldn't have ads🤷‍♀️

[@ClassicGhost]

that sounds great! But awful at the time.

[@ClassicGhost]

I know what you mean of course. I think if they take it from their podcast fee that happens. There should only be KZbin ads on this youtube video

[@edf777]

Thanks 😊 .perfect timing..its lonesome without our tony..but thankfully never for long at all.another great story tony 👍 👏thanks for never keeping us waiting to long

[@normaemanuel4975]

Yes! Good story! Thank you!

[@evazauner]

derleth is quite good, when he is not trying to copy lovecraft. great reading!

[@martiwilliams4592]

Ditto, ditto, ditto, Tony. Thank you.

[@parapoliticos52]

Reminds me of Stephen King. For good reasons am sure. Excellent narration/dramatization.

[@mamacypress]

Thank you for the fascinating information about Derleth! I discovered his writing from old recordings of Lovecraft here on KZbin, but knew very little about him and his work. Fairly new subscriber - just found your channel in October 2023 while searching for a good recording of Sleepy Hollow. Great stuff! Was quickly added to my bedtime/sick in bed favorites, along with “H.P. Lovecraft Audiobook” and Greg Wagland’s Sherlock Holmes (Magpie Audio). My family is sick of hearing about your work! 🤣

[@ClassicGhost]

Apologies to your family but m glad you like what i do !

[@gillrippingale1173]

Hiya! Yes, another Buddhist here...(with Druidic sympathies!) And I found your musings chimed well with my own explorations/ meditations and investigations! I find everything to do with the mind absolutely fascinating, and also, as an artist, love to ponder over my own imaginative constructions. Stories of artwork coming to life are thrilling! I am off to seek out your real haunting now! How about you get together with Danny Robins sometime..?!!

[@ClassicGhost]

Well, I'm coming from a similar place philosphically/spirtually I guess. Not sure Danny would have me tbf.

[@gillrippingale1173]

@@ClassicGhostI wonder what makes you think Danny wouldn't have you? You have common interests and skills in communicating enthusiasm for the subject matter!

[@StoryVoracious]

Tathagata Buddha, the Father Buddha says... "With our thoughts we make the World .", and so Stephen King's Derry created IT. This story also reminded me of "The Shadow", that you posted recently. As usual I really enjoyed your ramble, lots I can relate to. Thanks.

[@JacqTracks]

Thanks!

[@ClassicGhost]

Thank you very much!

[@JacqTracks]

@ClassicGhost Your work is fantastic (and I get a kick out of the Psychomania clips). Please keep doing what you are doing.

[@Hazel_Fox22]

I really liked Unreal City! I'm usually a witches gal when it comes to supernatural creatures, but vamps come in a close second. Have tried to read Something Wicked This Way Comes and failed..lol. Would love to hear you do it, Mr. Tony.

[@ClassicGhost]

i'd like to do it as i really like the way it's written

[@adonisatreus76]

Great spooky story!

[@ClassicGhost]

I think so too!

[@matthewnisbett4058]

just released that listening to a couple hours of CGS each night helps me feel like I'm pushing back on time cleansing me of this crazy technological age 😜

[@ClassicGhost]

I have moved back to a paper diary, and try to have a day just reading books. But I don't always. make it.

[@vanillasuncherries]

Raises champagne glass in toast at end and takes a bite of carrot cake! 🥕 great story! Love the comments at end cheers 🥂

[@edf777]

I loved your London horror stories any more of those.??iv audible an have your other stories in my library. But really enjoyed. London horror...

[@ClassicGhost]

I might be tempted to write some more. I was talking to Sheila about a trip but she said we always go into the winter when it's freezing so can we go in the summer.

[@alicegraham1571]

During a camping trip in the mountains, I remember my family gathering around a bonfire and my mother telling ghost stories. This was one of them and I remember being both terrified and fascinated by this story. It stayed with me for the longest time but my mom couldn't remember the title of it. Only recently, decades later my mom found it. Doesn't matter that I'm now in my thirties. I still could relate to that childhood fear I felt when I was seven. The creepy description of the monster that fits both practical and psychological fears. The clawed feet and a hulking size mirrors what early man would fear when mammoths and sabertooth tigers roamed the dark. However the lack of face reminds you this isn't just some beast feeding it's young or a human that you can sympathize with. It's worse than If it did have one and it waits. Pray it's not faster than you. Happy Halloween everyone!

[@ClassicGhost]

Lovely response. Thank you

[@Wanda711]

Even though this story is set in a midwest Prairie town, evidenced by the grain elevator, your accent works really well when telling it. You've got a great ear for dialogue; you really did sound like a little boy arguing with his mom, or two friends exchanging secrets.

[@mariameere5807]

Oh my Goddess! ( time to redress the patriarchal balance! Lol ) so happy to receive a video from you since my spirituality obsession the only entertainment I love is paranormal and not terrifying special effects and God you must be sick of hearing this my intuition or just common sense says a lot of people on this channel must say the same thing, but it’s just that I can allow and control how scary the images in my imagination by listening to you read and your voice is associated with joy in my subconscious and now as I write this apparently conscious mind too! Thank you so much Tony! This is so much better than getting pissed in some pub or club and having a nightmare hangover tomorrow! I enjoy the occasional glass of wine but in my wild youth I ended up in rehab’s, many rehabs for cocaine and Valium addiction and sometimes worse but one day I hit rock bottom and you know when you are there and I asked my dad for help and went to rehab ( nothing particularly special this time because I had been to every one in Europe ‼️) and I have never looked back and I love automatic writing and teaching yoga! I lost my business to covid but with the benefit of hindsight it turned out to be a blessing in disguise! Now I have private clients who pay more for one on one attention and I used to pay for that when I was doing a particularly controversial job….I have been a hairdresser which my mother who before her awakening was a complete snob and disapproved of it so can you imagine what she would think if she knew that I was dancing and working the pole in soho every night⁉️ I am over sharing again and my ego is dying so I am not embarrassed about it anymore! Maybe I have told you before on the occasions when I have had a drink but my last drink was on New Year’s Eve! Take care of yourself and your partner who is spiritually gifted and like attracts like so that must mean that you are too! I sense a healing ❤️‍🩹 quality in your voice❕Honesty Tony‼️❕🙏 🕊🤍🕊

[@David-Gerard]

Great story and narrative performance, Tony. Brought back memories of my own childhood with the difference that I used to seek out the dark and scary places. I don’t know why, but i delighted in scaring my friends who weren’t really that anxious to accompany me on these forays. I also used to go to cemeteries and sit among the graves hoping for supernatural experiences. As an adult I couldn’t be more different, motivated more by empathy than meanness. I can’t relate to that 10 year old trickster at all now. I can’t even identify the transition from one personality to who I am today. However, I still feel guilty whenever I think back to those events (e.g., right now).

[@DenWell-SeedsOfChaos]

I have listened to you read this 3 times now (over the last year) I like it a lot, it is like comfort food for me, but not fattening. I've lost 21 pounds (not money) turning to your stories and narrations instead of food to pacify my -antsy- angsty self. So you are a hero now, you should be knighted. ⚔ Edit: angsty not antsy. I get antsy when I am angsty for too long.

[@ClassicGhost]

Now, this is a great idea for a new channel...

[@DenWell-SeedsOfChaos]

@@ClassicGhost

[@mijiyoon5575]

I like this story; it's so realistic despite the supernatural elements & that's what makes it good ... & the concept is scary like the other story by *E Nesbit* that you did last time. What people can create w/ their minds is scary; especially if they act upon it *THX Tony*

[@mares3841]

Wisconsin💛

[@SarahAndrews24]

Wondering if anyone could help me, i am looking for a ghost story where a man who is recently released from prison in london is hungery and cold and to get out of the rain enters a house with "to let" sign but that house is haunted and is built on the mass graves of plague victims..it was a very scary stary, i cannot remember the name of the author or the title, its been a long time..i would love to listen to that story again.

[@donaldmccleary9015]

Sounds like an interesting story

[@SaintPatrick1970]

Good story. Tony, is “Unreal City” going to continue?? I hope so!

[@ClassicGhost]

Eventually. I have to narrate a few more books first!

[@SaintPatrick1970]

@@ClassicGhost: 👍😊

[@sgr1888]

"You've heard of the backrooms? I made them..." -The Lonesome Place.

[@jturtle5318]

Poor Megan thought she'd be a Disney princess, not working royalty.

[@TheWhimsicalMimzy]

If you like writers from the 1950s, you might enjoy C. M. Kornbluth. He died in 1959, but many of his stories are still relevant. You spoke of worshipping Mickey Mouse--Kornbluth wrote a pastiche of the book of Genesis in that vein after watching the Mickey Mouse club with his children. In this time of giant Disney, it still works. 👵🤗❤

[@Jynxxxycat]

Do you know that this is one of my favourite stories, of all time? And I was going to suggest it to you?

[@ClassicGhost]

I didn’t know that!

[@citycrusher9308]

@@ClassicGhost 28:22 - I love everything about your channel (except the F-male worshiping/man hating attitude you exude) - that is contemptuous

[@donaldmccleary9015]

One of my favorite, too!

[@stiingya]

Sure hate the jump scare at the end of a relaxing listen...

[@ClassicGhost]

+stiingya it’s a horror story though

[@stiingya]

​@@ClassicGhost The story isn't full of sound effects to scare us, and it's not like you read the story in a scary way? You just read the story. Then you usually have a nice long talk at the end which most of us enjoy listening too as well, then silence, then BLAH BLAH FLASHING SCARY FACES... doesn't go along with the tone of the rest of the video at all...

[@michellebastiani6470]

You have improved so much with narrating these types of stories. You have always been so good since I first found your channel but I can notice the difference since you started doing that special kind of reading. I can't recall what you called it but I'm sure you do 😉. Also I would like to say that here in the US we get spam calls constantly to our cell phones, home phones. For goodness sakes my older kids who have phones get the spam calls ALL day. Luckily I have found a app that has helped me block 99% of them. My husband has an iphone and hasn't been able to completely get rid of the invasive calls like me but he won't take my advice. But truly these calls are harassing far past just annoying. I'll stop making this longer now, I'd just like to say whoever has to go out of their way to be rude to you and your channel obviously lack anything interesting going on in their lives so they just deserve our pity. I had tried to get a channel going on YT myself like 8 yrs ago and I had mean comments a few times and all of them were from other young women, go figure. P. S. I am looking forward to the day that you do "Something wicked this way comes", whenever it comes I'm looking forward to it. The others you mentioned I'm looking forward to as well just like with all your videos. Hill House will be amazing also. Ok ok I'm gonna stop now before I go on to the next subject lol. Thank you for your talent and sharing it with us, I greatly appreciate it as always. Have a great week Tony, Happy late New Year 🥳🫶🎇✌️

[@ClassicGhost]

Very kind Michelle.

[@mistresscupcake8913]

Hopefully you didn't have to pass by any lonesome places or spooky grain elevators on your way to get the carrots!!!😆

[@ClassicGhost]

Well there is a bit of a shaded nook I have to go through on the way to the carrot seller's cottage

[@columreddy]

Is the air we breath still free? 🤷

[@ClassicGhost]

If they could charge for it, they would.

[@Bbergster]

These sales oriented commercials know that I don’t bite…. So now they just push these free idiot video games! 😹 It’s insulting. They know me better than I know myself!

[@mijiyoon5575]

I'll try to get back here w/ a comment ... soon

[@ClassicGhost]

All good

[@mijiyoon5575]

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🍽

[@mijiyoon5575]

Carrots for *Tony* welll ... you said you needed some carrots 🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕

[@waltercook4868]

I love your channel but don't always tell you as such. Sorry about that.

[@ClassicGhost]

You did now though 💙

[@CharlieOkeson]

38 minute video with an 18 minute story, just so people know.

[@paramama00]

Great isn't it 😊❤❤❤!!;;🎉

[@justin_5631]

What a pathetically repetitive story. One decent idea spoiled by terrible writing.

[@paramama00]

Isn't it wonderful to listen to 😊😅❤❤❤❤🎉? Looking forward to hearing more ❤😂😊!!

[@donaldmccleary9015]

Thanks! What a classic. I can think of a time in my life when I felt such fear. Your work is amazing! Never stop!

[@ClassicGhost]

Donald you are very generous