The King in Yellow audiobook by Robert W. Chambers (1865-1933)

The King in Yellow audiobook by Robert W. Chambers (1865-1933) Robert W. Chambers (1865-1933) studied art in Paris in the late 80′s and early 90′s, where his work was displayed at the Salon. However, shortly after returning to America, he decided to spend his time in writing. He became popular as the writer of a number of romantic novels, but is now best known as the author of "The King In Yellow". This is a collection of the first half of this work of short stories which have an eerie, other-worldly feel to it; but the stories in the second half are essentially love stories, strongly coloured by the author's life as an artist in France. Only the first half of the collection of stories is presented here: the earlier stories are all coloured by the background presence of a play, "The King In Yellow" itself, which corrupts those who read it, and opens them to horrible experiences and to visions of a ghastly other world, lit by dark stars and distorted skies. This half of the collection is completed by a few very short pieces and two rather strange and beautiful stories of love and time, loneliness and death. (summary by Peter Yearsley)

RUE BARRÉE

RUE BARRÉE

"For let Philosopher and Doctor preach

Of what they will and what they will not,—each

Is but one link in an eternal chain

That none can slip nor break nor over-reach."

"Crimson nor yellow roses nor

The savour of the mounting sea

Are worth the perfume I adore

That clings to thee.

The languid-headed lilies tire,

The changeless waters weary me;

I ache with passionate desire

Of thine and thee.

There are but these things in the world—

Thy mouth of fire,

Thy breasts, thy hands, thy hair upcurled

And my desire."

THE STREET OF OUR LADY OF THE FIELDS

THE STREET OF OUR LADY OF THE FIELDS

"Et tout les jours passés dans la tristesse

Nous sont comptés comme des jours heureux!"

THE STREET OF THE FIRST SHELL

THE STREET OF THE FIRST SHELL

"Be of Good Cheer, the Sullen Month will die,

And a young Moon requite us by and by:

Look how the Old one, meagre, bent, and wan

With age and Fast, is fainting from the sky."

THE STREET OF THE FOUR WINDS II

II

"It is fortunate," said Severn, sitting up and stretching, "that we have tided over the dinner hour, for I have nothing to offer you for supper but what may be purchased with one silver franc."

THE STREET OF THE FOUR WINDS I

THE STREET OF THE FOUR WINDS

"Ferme tes yeux à demi,

Croise tes bras sur ton sein,

Et de ton cœur endormi

Chasse à jamais tout dessein."

THE PROPHETS' PARADISE

THE PROPHETS' PARADISE

THE DEMOISELLE D'YS II

II

I awoke next morning with the music of the horn in my ears, and leaping out of the ancient bed, went to a curtained window where the sunlight filtered through little deep-set panes. The horn ceased as I looked into the court below.

THE DEMOISELLE D'YS I

THE DEMOISELLE D'YS

"Mais je croy que je

Suis descendu on puiz

Ténébreux onquel disoit

Heraclytus estre Vereté cachée."

"There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

"The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid."

THE YELLOW SIGN III

III

The day following was a disastrous one for me. While moving a framed canvas from one easel to another my foot slipped on the polished floor, and I fell heavily on both wrists.

THE YELLOW SIGN II

II

The next morning, Thomas, the bell-boy, brought me the Herald and a bit of news. The church next door had been sold.

THE YELLOW SIGN I

THE YELLOW SIGN

"Let the red dawn surmise

What we shall do,

When this blue starlight dies

And all is through."

IN THE COURT OF THE DRAGON

IN THE COURT OF THE DRAGON

"Oh, thou who burn'st in heart for those who burn

In Hell, whose fires thyself shall feed in turn;

How long be crying—'Mercy on them.' God!

Why, who art thou to teach and He to learn?"

THE MASK IV

IV

The same evening I took the keys and went into the house I had known so well. Everything was in order, but the silence was terrible. Though I went twice to the door of the marble room, I could not force myself to enter. It was beyond my strength.

The mask III

III

At noon next day when I called, I found Boris walking restlessly about his studio.

"Geneviève is asleep just now," he told me, "the sprain is nothing, but why should she have such a high fever? The doctor can't account for it; or else he will not," he muttered.

"Geneviève has a fever?"

THE MASK II

II

Some work that I was doing about this time on the decorations for Geneviève's boudoir kept me constantly at the quaint little hotel in the Rue Sainte-Cécile. Boris and I in those days laboured hard but as we pleased, which was fitfully, and we all three, with Jack Scott, idled a great deal together.

THE MASK

THE MASK

Camilla: You, sir, should unmask.

Stranger: Indeed?

Cassilda: Indeed it's time. We all have laid aside disguise but you.

Stranger: I wear no mask.

Camilla: (Terrified, aside to Cassilda.) No mask? No mask!

The King in Yellow, Act I, Scene 2.

MR. WILDE, REPAIRER OF REPUTATIONS. Third Bell.

MR. WILDE,
REPAIRER OF REPUTATIONS.
Third Bell.

I saw old Hawberk moving about in his shop, and imagined I heard Constance's voice in the parlour; but I avoided them both and hurried up the trembling stairways to Mr. Wilde's apartment.

The king in the yellow THE REPAIRER OF REPUTATIONS II

THE REPAIRER OF REPUTATIONS

II

I climbed the three dilapidated flights of stairs, which I had so often climbed before, and knocked at a small door at the end of the corridor. Mr. Wilde opened the door and I walked in.

the king in the yellow THE REPAIRER OF REPUTATIONS

THE REPAIRER OF REPUTATIONS

I

"Ne raillons pas les fous; leur folie dure plus longtemps que la nôtre.... Voila toute la différence."

THE KING IN YELLOW

Along the shore the cloud waves break,

The twin suns sink beneath the lake,

The shadows lengthen

In Carcosa.