u/No_Quail_6150

I'm reading Sense and Sensibility and Gaskell's North and South (third time for S&S and second time for N&S) and just... there is not enough internet discourse about Mr. Thornton as a leading man to rival Darcy, Knightley, and Wentworth. And that final chapter! UGH:

Still lower went the head; more closely hidden was the face, almost resting on the table before her. He came close to her. He knelt by her side, to bring his face to a level with her ear; and whispered-panted out the words: --

"Take care. -- If you do not speak -- I shall claim you as my own in some strange presumptuous way. -- Send me away at once, if I must go."

This, imho, is just as good as -- maybe better? -- than "If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more" and "I am half agony, half hope" and "One word from you will silence me on this subject forever."

Please just join me in loving on Austen's spiritual daughter's very capable writing here.

I'd love to hear this group's recommendations for storytelling podcasts that honor traditional stories (from any and all cultures). Stories can be scary, violent, or have tragic endings, but they should be told with children in mind.

One thing that I am NOT looking for: podcasts that implicitly apologize for their material by adding lots of bells and whistles in their production (I'm thinking Greeking Out and Grim, Grimmer, Grimmest). These podcasts aren't BAD; they're just not what I'm looking for right now. Instead, the stories should be told with such beautiful language and be spoken so exquisitely by their performers that they are compelling without lots of fart noises, "pop-up explainers," or extremely caffeinated voice-acting. Think granola, not cocopuffs; Waldorf, not YouTube shorts.

Podcasts that I think fit this bill are:

Super Great Kids' Stories (Wardour Studios)

Circle Round (WBUR)

Folktales from Sudan (Hana Baba)

Thanks in advance!