The Great Stories

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Is there anything better than being told a good story? Well, yes. Being told one of the truly great stories probably beats it. In this podcast, Trev Downey reads the very best in the genre and discusses them with his guests.

Trevor Downey


    • Mar 23, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 56m AVG DURATION
    • 68 EPISODES

    Ivy Insights

    The Great Stories podcast is an absolute gem that captivates listeners with its spellbinding storytelling and insightful discussions. Each week, Trev enchants us with his velvety voice as he narrates great short stories of literature, making it a delightful experience to listen to with our kids in the car. His splendid reading skills truly bring the stories to life, and we can't help but be completely immersed in them. The discussions that follow each story, led by Neil, add another layer of depth to the podcast, allowing us to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the literature.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is Trev's exceptional delivery and narration. Whether it's a classic or a lesser-known story, he perfectly captures the essence of each tale and keeps us engaged from start to finish. His voice is like magic, drawing us into these literary worlds and making us feel every emotion. The conversations between Trev and Neil after each story are also incredibly enjoyable. They discuss the themes, characters, and writing styles in a genuine and intelligent manner without ever coming across as snobbish.

    The worst aspect of this podcast could be that it sometimes focuses too much on American writers or specific genres such as sci-fi. While they have been on an American writers kick lately, it would be wonderful to see more variety in terms of authors and genres explored. Perhaps including more international authors or delving into different periods of literature would broaden the scope even further.

    In conclusion, The Great Stories podcast is an absolute delight for book lovers and those new to short stories alike. Trev's dulcet tones combined with his impeccable storytelling skills make this podcast perfect for relaxing evenings or even as a sleep aid if desired. The discussions between Trev and Neil provide valuable insights and make us feel like part of their conversation. This podcast has sparked our interest in discovering new writers and has become one of our favorites due to its engaging format and captivating content. We hope to see this podcast continue for a long time, exploring both classic and lesser-known stories, and perhaps even venturing into different literary territories.



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    Latest episodes from The Great Stories

    Episode 68: The Landlady by Roald Dahl

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2025 42:28


    Trev Downey reads and discusses The Landlady by Roald Dahl

    Episode 67: The Demon Lover by Elizabeth Bowen

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2025 45:53


    Trev Downey reads and discusses The Demon Lover by Elizabeth Bowen

    Episode 66: Game by Donald Barthelme

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2024 43:38


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses Game by Donald Barthelme.

    Episode 65: The Color Out Of Space by H P Lovecraft

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2024 103:31


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses The Color Out Of Space by H P Lovecraft

    Episode 64: Reunion by John Cheever

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2024 33:21


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses Reunion by John Cheever.

    Episode 63: The Man Of The World by Frank O'Connor

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2024 47:28


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses The Man Of The World by Frank O'Connor

    Episode 62: A Worn Path by Eudora Welty

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2024 45:51


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses A Worn Path by Eudora Welty

    Episode 61: The Summer People by Shirley Jackson

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2024 58:00


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses The Summer People by Shirley Jackson.

    Episode 60: Korea by John McGahern

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2024 44:02


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses Korea by John McGahern

    Episode 59: Who's-Dead McCarthy by Kevin Barry

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2024 27:27


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses Who's-Dead McCarthy by Kevin Barry

    Episode 58: A Painful Case by James Joyce

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2024 53:32


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses A Painful Case by James Joyce

    Episode 57: Casting The Runes by M R James

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2023 70:33


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses Casting The Runes by M R James

    Episode 56: The Last Question by Isaac Asimov

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2023 52:28


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses The Last Question by Isaac Asimov

    Episode 55: The Dream Of A Ridiculous Man by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2023 89:51


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses The Dream Of A Ridiculous Man by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

    Episode 54: The Creature by Edna O'Brien

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2023 36:08


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses The Creature by Edna O'Brien

    Episode 53: Pretty Mouth And Green My Eyes by J D Salinger

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2023 53:27


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses Pretty Mouth And Green My Eyes by J D Salinger

    Episode 52: Shooting An Elephant by George Orwell

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2023 45:05


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses Shooting An Elephant by George Orwell

    Episode 51: Tower of Babylon by Ted Chiang

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2023 76:13


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses Tower of Babylon by Ted Chiang

    Episode 50: Oh, Whistle, And I'll Come To You, My Lad by MR James

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2022 64:00


    Trev Downey reads and then briefly discusses Oh, Whistle, And I'll Come To You, My Lad by MR James

    Episode 49: Sea Oak by George Saunders

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2022 60:00


    Trev Downey reads Sea Oak by George Saunders

    Episode 48: Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2022 34:58


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut

    Episode 47: A Cruelty by Kevin Barry

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2022 43:29


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses A Cruelty by Kevin Barry

    Episode 46: Dagon by H P Lovecraft

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2022 33:15


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses Dagon by H P Lovecraft

    Episode 45: Baster by Jeffrey Eugenides

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2022 65:45


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses Baster by Jeffrey Eugenides

    Episode 44: A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2022 45:59


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka

    Episode 43: To Build A Fire by Jack London

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2022 61:52


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses To Build A Fire by Jack London

    Episode 42: The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2022 36:22


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant

    Episode 41: The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2022 31:14


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

    Episode 40: All You Can Do Is Breathe by Kaaron Warren

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2022 50:39


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses All You Can Do Is Breathe by Kaaron Warren

    breathe kaaron warren
    Episode 39: The Million Pound Bank-Note by Mark Twain

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2022 55:23


    Trev Downey reads and then very briefly reacts to The Million Pound Bank-Note by Mark Twain 

    Episode 38: Button, Button by Richard Matheson

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2022 34:55


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses Button, Button by Richard Matheson

    Episode 37: My Father's Life by Raymond Carver

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2022 29:28


    Trev Downey reads and then briefly discusses My Father's Life by Raymond Carver

    Episode 36: The Signalman by Charles Dickens

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2021 46:15


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses The Signalman by Charles Dickens

    Episode 35: The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K Le Guin

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2021 75:12


    Trev Downey reads The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K Le Guin and then discusses it with Neil Poole.

    Episode 34: Autopsy Room Four by Stephen King

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2021 62:07


    Trev Downey reads Autopsy Room Four by Stephen King

    Episode 33: Where Are You Going, Where Have you Been? by Joyce Carol Oates

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2021 99:57


    Trev Downey reads Where Are You Going, Where Have you Been? by Joyce Carol Oates and then discusses it with Neil Poole.

    Episode 32: The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2021 68:33


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

    Episode 31: Cathedral by Raymond Carver

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2021 59:37


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses Cathedral by Raymond Carver.

    Episode 30: The Monkey's Paw by W W Jacobs

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2021 47:22


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses The Monkey's Paw by W W Jacobs

    Episode 29: The Man In A Case by Anton Chekhov

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2021 43:31


    Trev Downey reads and then briefly discusses The Man In A Case by Anton Chekhov

    Episode 28: Fjord of Killary by Kevin Barry

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2021 85:17


    Trev Downey reads Fjord of Killary by Kevin Barry and then discusses it with Neil Poole.

    Episode 27: The Dune by Stephen King

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2021 41:48


    Trev Downey reads The Dune by Stephen King

    Episode 26: Speech Sounds by Octavia Butler

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2021 85:10


    Trev Downey reads Speech Sounds by Octavia Butler and then discusses it with Neil Poole.

    Episode 25: The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2021 37:14


    Trev Downey reads The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

    Episode 24: The Dead by James Joyce

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2021 89:36


    Trev Downey reads The Dead by James Joyce in this special feature-length, story-only episode.

    Episode 23: The Five Forty Eight by John Cheever

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2020 84:52


    Trev Downey reads The Five Forty Eight by John Cheever and then discusses it with Neil Poole.

    Episode 22: Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2020 70:41


    Trev Downey reads Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne and then discusses it with Neil Poole.

    The Man In The Black Suit by Stephen King

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2020 96:23


    Trev Downey reads The Man In The Black Suit by Stephen King and then discusses it with Neil Poole.

    Work by Denis Johnson

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2020 69:05


    Trev Downey reads and then discusses Work by Denis Johnson with Neil Poole.

    Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2020 77:02


    Trev Downey reads Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin

    2BR02B by Kurt Vonnegut

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2020 17:56


    trev Downey reads 2BR02B by Kurt Vonnegut

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