The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe (audible)
Narrated by: Ruth Wilson
If you’re planning on cozying up with Ruth Wilson whispering sweet nothings in your ear, let me reframe that picture for you. Instead, imagine her plunging you headfirst into the depths of Edgar Allan Poe’s eerie masterpiece, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” all while trying to convince you she’s the sanest person in the room — murder confession notwithstanding.
Narrated with a blend of allure and downright creepiness that only Ruth can deliver (thanks, “The Affair” and “Luther” for prepping her for this!), she doesn’t just narrate — she performs. She embodies the unnamed narrator’s chilling descent into madness, making every shadow in your room suspect and every little noise a heartbeat thumping under the floorboards. And let’s talk about gender-bending casting — no pronouns, no problem. Audible’s choice to have a woman narrate flips traditional assumptions on their head, adding layers to the madness and ambiguity.
I listened to this in the dead of night, which in hindsight, was a questionable decision. Major heebie-jeebies ensued. Ruth’s haunting delivery amplified the tale’s allegorical layers, where our murderer might just stand for wild imagination clashing against the old man’s rationality. Oh, and a word of advice: skip the nightcap or any psychedelic adventures before you hit play. Ruth’s voice, coupled with Poe’s twisted narrative, is the only trip you’ll need — it’s already a mind-altering experience.
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