The Charles Reade Library cover art

The Charles Reade Library

The Charles Reade Library

By: Charles Reade
Listen for free

About this listen

 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
  • It is Never Too Late to Mend Chapter XVI

    It is Never Too Late to Mend Chapter XVI
    Apr 17 2026
    In which Mr. Eden grapples with the harsh realities of prison rules and the malevolent influence of Governor Hawes, striving to preserve hope and humanity through the industrious efforts of female artisans and the honest confession of prisoners. Amidst bitter setbacks and the stripping away of their work, a faint but resolute alliance forms as Eden and the converted turnkey Evans prepare to challenge Hawes’s corrupt dominion through a bold appeal for justice.
    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • It is Never Too Late to Mend Chapter XV, part 3

    It is Never Too Late to Mend Chapter XV, part 3
    Apr 16 2026
    In which the harsh realities of theft and cruelty are laid bare with both stern rebuke and compassionate appeal within the confines of a prison chapel, as a preacher’s fiery denunciations and heartfelt exhortations ripple through the inmates. Subsequently, a conflict unfolds between the prison chaplain and the governor over illegal punishments and the mistreatment of prisoners, heralding a fierce defence of the law and justice amid the shadows of incarceration.
    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
  • It is Never Too Late to Mend Chapter XV, part 2

    It is Never Too Late to Mend Chapter XV, part 2
    Apr 15 2026
    In which a despairing prisoner on the verge of madness finds solace and a flicker of hope through the compassionate and steadfast presence of a Christian chaplain, whose kindness begins to thaw a hardened heart despite the dark and cruel environment. Meanwhile, the chaplain’s efforts to educate and redeem even the most impaired inmates reveal the bitter conflict between humane reform and the harsh realities of prison discipline.
    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
No reviews yet