Owls Hoot in the Daytime and Other Omens

Selected Stories of Manly Wade Wellman, Volume 5

By: Manly Wade Wellman

Narrated by: Brian Troxell

Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Owls Hoot in the Daytime & Other Omens is the 5th and final volume of Night Shade Books' five volume "Selected Stories of Manly Wade Wellman." This volume contains all of the John the Balladeer stories (sometimes better known as Silver John), Manly's most famous character.

Contents:

• Introduction by Karl Edward Wagner
• O Ugly Bird!
• The Desrick on Yandro
• Vandy, Vandy
• One Other
• Call Me From the Valley
• The Little Black Train
• Shiver in the Pines
• Walk Like A Mountain
• On the Hills and Everywhere
• Old Devlins Was A-Waiting
• Nine Yards of Other Cloth
• Wonder As I Wander
• Farther Down the Trail
• Trill Coster's Burden
• The Spring
• Owls Hoot in the Daytime
• Can These Bones Live?
• Nobody Ever Goes There
• Where Did She Wander?

Afterword by Gerald W. Page

©2003 The Estate of Manly Wade Wellman (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

I love Manly Wade Wellman, and this one is special

This is a collection of tales as told by John the balladeer. It's like going back in time to sometime in the 1800's Appalachian stories except that one of the recent story that I listened to mentioned the Korean War. Also, sometimes science is mentioned that says it's a little more modern than the stories seem. But if you would like to take a trip back to simpler times with good people, and some bad characters, you'll really enjoy this. It almost makes me wish for a campfire to sit around to make it complete.

Very Country

reminds me of going to listen to my grandfather tell tales. The musical bits could use a bit more musical voice and the whole thing would benefit from guitar acompaniment.
I will warn there are some outdated tropes, in particular where women are involved, all of them virtuos damsels in distress or corrupt (often bigcity) women who rely too much on their money, looks, or occasional witchery to be a 'good' woman.

I'm loving these stories!

This is a collection of short stories, all but one being told from the point of view of Silver John.

excellent stories from a master of the pulps

Manly Wade Wellman had several "occult detective" sort of characters, but John the Balladeer is the most far afield for that subgenre. A minstrel wandering in the North Carolina Appalachians in the mid-20th century, he encounters conjure folk, haints, and monsters out of Appalachian tradition--or inventions of Wellman's that resemble such. The narrator has a great accent for these tales, imbuing them with a folksy charm the text suggests.

Great stories, amazing performance

Manly Wade Wellman's John the Balladeer stories are unlike almost anything else, and highly entertaining. I've been a fan for years. They feature many of the common pulp tropes of the time - one can identify the antagonist immediately based on their physical description - but if that doesn't distract you from these stories' unique subject matter, you'll be highly entertained.
The most surprising thing was the quality of the narration. Most of the audiobooks I find on audible have quality performances that allow one to be engrossed in the story. But Brian Troxell captures so many of these characters perfectly, while keeping each distinct from the previous heroes and villians. The narration enhances the stories greatly.

Creepy fun

These stories, which are understandably dated, were too much of a chore for me to read (I know how bad that sounds) but Audible brought them to life. Troxell is an amazing narrator and it was so easy to imagine the woodland scenery and the characters. Seriously good stuff. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.

Fun collection of folksy / horror tales.

I enjoyed this collection of Manly Wade Wellman's stories. Narrator Brian Troxell did a nice job of voicing the characters. I would recommend this collection if you like Wellman's stories or if you think it looks interesting.
If it appeals to you when browsing, you will more than likely enjoy it too.

Folk Horror at its best

I love the Silver John stories. For me it’s like comfort food. This collection contains all the Silver John stories and is well a worth a listen. They don’t write stories like this anymore.

The performance was perfect. Brian Troxell captured the soul of the stories. I can’t imagine a better choice of narrators.

Thoroughly Enjoyed Every Minute

I couldn’t stop listening to these tales told by an excellent author and very talented narrator. The narrator captures our protagonist’s Appalachian dialect with such beautiful cadence and confidence I couldn’t put it down. I fell in love with John and would bid him come sit on a log stool by the fire and hark him to play me song.

American treasure are these stories

Manley Wade Wellman is one of the great writers of weird and horror fiction,and these are the best.