The Secret Life: Being the Book of a Heretic

audiobook

The Secret Life: Being the Book of a Heretic

by Elizabeth Bisland

EN·~5 hours·59 chapters

Chapters

59 total

Transcriber's Note

0:32

THE SECRET LIFE

0:37

June 21. L'Enfant Terrible.

6:24

July 7. An Optimistic Cynic.

3:53

July 20. A Poet Sheep-rancher.

2:38

September 4. An Eaten Cake.

3:14

September 12. Concerning Elbows on the Table.

1:37

October 14. An Autumn Impulse.

1:54

November 1. John-a'-Dreams.

24:03

November 6. The Fountain of Salmacis.

3:51
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Description

A weary yet mischievous narrator confides in a private diary, using it as a sanctuary for thoughts too daring to utter aloud. He muses on the invisible tricks of midsummer night, the temptation to expose hidden sins, and the paradox of speaking truth in a world that pretends to see only what it wishes. Through a playful fable about a king, two cunning weavers, and an imagined robe visible only to the honest, he illustrates how societies cling to comforting illusions while denying their own blindness.

The memoir unfolds as a series of candid reflections, witty anecdotes, and sharp observations on the constraints of propriety. Readers are invited into the author’s “secret garden,” a space where conventional decorum is unbound and the honest voice, however fragile, finds a quiet audience on blank pages. The tone is both reflective and gently rebellious, offering a glimpse into the inner life of a self‑styled heretic who dares to question the accepted narratives of his time.

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Details

Language

en

Duration

~5 hours (336K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Release date

Jun 24, 2014

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

Subjects

About the author

Elizabeth Bisland

Elizabeth Bisland

1861–1929

Best known for racing around the world against Nellie Bly, this sharp-eyed journalist turned one extraordinary assignment into a lasting place in literary and travel history. Her writing mixed speed, curiosity, and a calm, reflective style that still feels modern.

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