In a Steamer Chair and Other Stories
Robert Barr
Read by David Wales
Thirteen short stories by one of the most famous writers in his day. Robert Barr was a British Canadian short story writer and novelist, born in Glasgow, Scotland. In London of the 1890s Barr became a more prolific author - publishing a book a year - and was familiar with many of the best selling authors of his day, including Bret Harte and Stephen Crane. Most of his literary output was of the crime genre, then quite in vogue. When Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories were becoming well known, Barr published in the Idler the first Holmes parody, "The Adventures of Sherlaw Kombs" (1892), a spoof that was continued a decade later in another Barr story, "The Adventure of the Second Swag" (1904) (For these two stories, see in LibriVox Barr's The Triumphs of Eugène Valmont). Despite the jibe at the growing Holmes phenomenon Barr and Doyle remained on very good terms. Doyle describes him in his memoirs Memories and Adventures as, "a volcanic Anglo - or rather Scot American, with a violent manner, a wealth of strong adjectives, and one of the kindest natures underneath it all." (Summary by Wikipedia and David Wales) (6 hr 37 min)
Chapters
Reviews
TRAVEL WAS ONCE CIVILIZED
AVID READER
A fine selection of short stories. especially the beginning novelette. David Wales gives life to a time when travel by ship was distinctly pleasurable. Today, transoceanic travel is taken in stuffy. overcrowded airplanes where the noise and uncomfortable juxtaposition of usually obnoxious (or at least uninteresting) persons make it a time of discomfort rather than a time of relaxation. Then there are the much ballyhooed cruise ships whose overcrowded conditions, combined with the many passengers whose sole purpose is to overeat and to get drunk cause many to look forward only to the end of the voyage. The stories certainly evoke memories of a much better day!
Wonderful!
jbrown
This is a nice compilation of excellent short stories. The narration is exceptional and every story only made me want more. I’m very grateful to LibriVox and especially to the narrator. Truly wonderful!
In a Steamer Chair
sonso
Mr David Wales is an excellent reader who brings life to all the stories he reads, thank you very much
A smile a minute !!!
Stevepro
I love a good nautical yarn told by an excellent spinner, and David Wales is one of my favorites.
Wonderful in every way!
Vivia
I'm going to check out the other recordings by Mr. Wales, who sure is easy on the ears!
ZB
Thanks a lot for very good reading performance!
Jordana Welch
Mr. Wells has a wonderful reading voice.