No! I Don’t Want to Join a Book Club

An inspired choice for narrator, Sian Phillips gives perfect voice to protagonist Marie Sharp in this insightful and entertaining audio. In a British accent that is elderly yet full of spitfire, Phillips conveys all the facets of Marie’s distinctive personality: strong-willed, opinionated, witty, by turns delightfully acerbic and unabashedly sentimental. Marie looks forward to turning 60, seeing it as a time to relax, potter about and enjoy her grandchild without feeling guilty about being unproductive—and she refuses to allow anyone to tell her otherwise. Listening to Phillips’s reading, one can see the flash of fire in Marie’s eyes as she tells off a pompous psychologist, the hint of remorse that always follows her outbursts (because she really is an old softie, despite her determination to be a curmudgeon) and her deep love of her friends and family. Phillips also creates believable voices for the large supporting cast, including a Polish housecleaner, a young French girl renting a room in Marie’s house, an elderly gay couple and a Cockney drug dealer. Simultaneous release with the Viking hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 11). (May)