The William Harrison Ainsworth Library cover art

The William Harrison Ainsworth Library

The William Harrison Ainsworth Library

By: William Harrison Ainsworth
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Step within, gentle listener, and unlock a library of old romance, shadowed towers, moonlit roads, haunted halls, loyal hearts, bold villains, and the storied pageantry of England’s past. The William Harrison Ainsworth Library presents the author’s works read in full, restoring to the ear those stirring chronicles of history, legend, crime, chivalry, and Gothic wonder which once held Victorian readers spellbound.Public domain
Episodes
  • Rookwood Book 1 Chapter 8 - An Irish Adventurer

    Rookwood Book 1 Chapter 8 - An Irish Adventurer
    Jun 11 2026
    In which a small assemblage of Sir Piers Rookwood’s acquaintances gather in his favourite retirement chamber, sharing claret and pipe smoke as they reflect upon the late gentleman’s character and mysterious final moments. Amidst portraits of his forbears and his own hunting gear, they muse on his peculiar end, the shadow of past scandal, and the unsettled affairs that linger after his passing.
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    28 mins
  • Rookwood Book 1 Chapter 7 - The Return

    Rookwood Book 1 Chapter 7 - The Return
    Jun 10 2026
    In which the sombre preparations for a funeral at Rookwood Hall unfold amidst the sweltering August evening, with tenants and visitors gathering under a crimson sky while the expected sexton is conspicuously absent. A travel-worn young nobleman arrives in the garden, his noble countenance marked by exhaustion and inner turmoil, only to be startled by the unexpected appearance of Peter Bradley, whose reaction betrays a profound surprise.
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    6 mins
  • Rookwood Book 1 Chapter 6 - Sir Piers Rookwood

    Rookwood Book 1 Chapter 6 - Sir Piers Rookwood
    Jun 9 2026
    In which the sombre tale unfolds around the Rookwood family, revealing the unravelled fortunes and troubled spirits that shadow their once proud estate, with Sir Piers beset by domestic tyranny and dissoluteness. Amidst this gloom, young Ranulph Rookwood embarks on foreign travels, his promising nature a striking contrast to his lineage’s stained reputation and present woes.
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    8 mins
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