Halloween Audio: The Beast with Five Fingers
Disclaimer: We are posting special Halloween content in the spirit of the holiday. We understand that this year is different and difficult in many different ways for a wide variety of people. Ideas and imagery in these posts can contain subject matter of a dark, desperate or gruesome nature and may sometimes mention death. These stories are also likely not suitable for small children. Please be forewarned.
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William Fryer Harvey or W. F. Harvey (1885-1937), was an English born writer of short stories, most notably in the macabre and horror genres. Among his best-known stories are “August Heat” and this story, “The Beast with Five Fingers”. Both have been described by horror historian Les Daniels as “minor masterpieces”.
Harvey’s short stories are dark, murderous and even at time slyly humorous, which you may find in this particular story. Quite a few of Harvey’s best tales are based around wanderings and the strange encounters that ensue.
Harvey was a doctor, even receiving the Albert Medal for Lifesaving when serving the Royal Navy during World War I, but turned to writing short stories when illness meant that he could no longer practice medicine.
Harvey’s ‘The Beast with Five Fingers’ inspired a film of the same name, released in 1946, directed by Robert Florey and starring Peter Lorre, but the film deviates from the source material quite a bit.
‘The Beast with Five Fingers’ by W. F. Harvey is in the Public Domain.
All of us at Mylocalradio.com hope that you enjoy this short story and have a fun, safe and exciting Halloween!
Chapter 1 – ‘The Beast with Five Fingers’ by W. F. Harvey, Runtime: 16:02 (Audio from Librivox.org, read by Phil Chenevert. Public Domain)
Chapter 2 – ‘The Beast with Five Fingers’ by W. F. Harvey, Runtime: 15:49 (Audio from Librivox.org, read by Phil Chenevert. Public Domain)
Chapter 3 – ‘The Beast with Five Fingers’ by W. F. Harvey, Runtime: 20:07 (Audio from Librivox.org, read by Phil Chenevert. Public Domain)
Chapter 4 – ‘The Beast with Five Fingers’ by W. F. Harvey, Runtime: 16:48 (Audio from Librivox.org, read by Phil Chenevert. Public Domain)
