The Weird Circle

I expected corny, but I didn’t expect *delightfully* corny—and that’s exactly what this uncredited narration delivers. The performer leans into the melodrama, and it works. Their gravelly voice slips effortlessly between aristocratic French smugness and primal dread, especially in *The Horla*, where the creeping paranoia of a man convinced he’s possessed feels more potent when spat out like a curse. The sound design is minimal but effective: a door creaking, a distant scream, the faintest static to imply a world beyond the speakers. That said, the pacing stumbles in *The Necklace*; the adaptation cuts too much of the original’s bite, leaving the ending feeling rushed. And while the old-timey delivery fits most of the collection, it clashes with the modern listener’s ear in places—the over-the-top gasps and prolonged silences can veer into self-parody. Still, the flaws are part of the fun. If you’re a horror purist who loves their ghost stories with a side of theatricality, this audiobook is a time capsule worth unpacking.