The Essential Reads cover art

The Essential Reads

The Essential Reads

Written by: Isaac Birchall
Listen for free

About this listen

The Essential Reads podcast is a collection of classic audiobooks from your favourite authors such as Orson wells, Robert Lewis Stevenson, Mary Shelley, and many more, narrated by Isaac Birchall. Join Isaac on his journey to help get these books to the masses in an easy accessible way. Support the show and Join the Book Club https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads

Isaac Birchall
Drama & Plays
Episodes
  • Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen chapter 28 | Audiobook
    Jan 11 2026

    Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen chapter 28, narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Nothing happened over the course of the next few days. Willoughby neither came nor wrote. Lady Middleton has invited the girls to a dance, and though Marianne is deeply distracted she consents to go. When they arrive at the venue, they find the room crowded and hot. Lady Middleton sits at a card table, and the girls find some chairs by her. Elanor then spots Willoughby, talking with a woman, and he acknowledges her presence before going back to talk to the other younger woman. Elanor turns to her sister to see if she too has seen Willoughby. She has… Elanor tries to keep her sister composed, but cannot, and soon Marianne stands up, and Willoughby approaches them, addressing himself to Elanor. Elanor is distressed by his address and finds it confusing that he seems to not know about their being in town. Marianne is having none of it however and asks outright why he is ignoring her letters, and why he wont even shake her hand. He reaches out to her, but her touch seems to pain him, and after a moments pause, he recollects himself and says that he regrets that he missed them the previous Tuesday. Marianne questions him again, and he says that he received her letter, and then leaves the Miss Dashwoods alone to see his friend again. Marianne collapses into her chair, distraught. Elanor goes to Lady Middleton and informs her that Marianne is ill and says that they must go home. Lady Middleton is too polite to say no, and the carriage is soon called for, and they go home where Marianne runs up to her room and cries, while Elanor thinks over everything that has happened between her sister and Willoughby. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Jane Austin's timeless classic Sense and Sensibility follows the story of two girls, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, and their endeavors in love, marriage, and societal expectations. Love is not easy however, and Elinor finds her sense tested by her charming brother-in-law, while Marianne's sensibility brings her nothing but heartbreak.

    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
  • Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen chapter 27 | Audiobook
    Jan 7 2026

    Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen chapter 27, narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Mrs. Jennings, talking about the good weather, gives Marianne some relief in suggesting that the “Sportsmen” would be in the country hunting before making their way into town. Marianne believes that the weather will soon change and bring Willoughby into town. They go into town and deliver letters to all of Mrs. Jenning’s acquaintances, and they all feel a change in the weather. Mrs. Jennings is treating the Dashwood girls with the greatest kindness, and Elanor is actually happy to be in the city. Colonel Brandon visits them every day, and Elanor fears that his feelings for Marianne are growing stronger… Eventually a letter to Marianne from Willoughby arrives, and Marianne is now more anxious than ever and refuses to do anything but wait for him to arrive, but Willoughby does not come. Sir John and Lady Middleton arrive in town and invite the Dashwoods over for a ball, where Willoughby, in spite of being invited, does not show his face.Colonel Brandon arrives the next day and seems anxious. After several minutes of silence, he asks Elanor when he should congratulate her on her sister’s upcoming marriage. Elanor asks where he has heard about it and says it is strange, as she doesn’t know about it herself. He replies that everyone is talking about it, and Elanor notices that he is clearly upset at the information that his “rival” has seemingly won. Elanor reconfirms that she knows nothing about a marriage but does state that Marianne and Willoughby do seem to be attached. On this information Colonel Brandon leaves.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Jane Austin's timeless classic Sense and Sensibility follows the story of two girls, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, and their endeavors in love, marriage, and societal expectations. Love is not easy however, and Elinor finds her sense tested by her charming brother-in-law, while Marianne's sensibility brings her nothing but heartbreak.

    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
  • Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen chapter 26 | Audiobook
    Jan 4 2026

    Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen chapter 26, narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:The Dashwoods and Mrs. Jennings leave for London. Marianne is very quiet, presumably thinking of Willoughby, forcing Elanor to talk with their host for the 3 days’ journey. Once they arrive in London, the Miss Dashwoods write letters, Elanor to her mother, and Marianne to whom Elanor suspects to be Willoughby. Marianne is anxious all day and thinks that every carriage passing by is a sign of Willoughby. Finally, when someone knocks on the door and Marianne’s excitement was at its peak, and it turns out to be Colonel Brandon, Marianne flees from the room. Elanor talks with the Colonel briefly before the entrance of Mrs. Jennings, who presses him to reveal the secrets behind his departure. Marianne is melancholic for the rest of the day. In the morning Marianne is happy again, expecting to see Willoughby. Mrs. Palmer comes over, and is so happy at seeing the Miss Dashwoods, and all of the women of the house go into town. While the rest are occupied by shopping, Marianne is looking all over for Willoughby’s figure or face, failing to see him anywhere. When they go home, she is informed by the footman that no letters had arrived for her either. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Jane Austin's timeless classic Sense and Sensibility follows the story of two girls, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, and their endeavors in love, marriage, and societal expectations. Love is not easy however, and Elinor finds her sense tested by her charming brother-in-law, while Marianne's sensibility brings her nothing but heartbreak.

    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
No reviews yet