Massmarket - trying to fix
-- Publishers Weekly, 2/2/2005 8:10:00 AM
A starred or boxed review indicates a book of outstanding quality. A review with a blue-tinted title indicates a book of unusual commercial interest that hasn't received a starred or boxed review.
THE MOTIVE
John Lescroart, read by David Colacci. Brilliance Audio, unabridged, 12 CDs, 14 hrs., $40.95 ISBN 1-59355-362-5
As series protagonists Deputy Chief Inspector Abe Glitsky and defense attorney Dismas Hardy struggle to solve a dual murder in this first-rate audiobook, listeners learn quite a bit about firefighting, arson investigation, the San Francisco police department line of command, how city contracts are awarded and, the author’s specialty, the complexities of courtroom procedure. This, plus a large cast, an intricate story line replete with red herrings and a particularly tricky finale, makes this audio a formidable test for any narrator. Colacci passes it stylishly, matching Lescroart’s crisp and accessible procedural descriptions with a confident, no-nonsense delivery, while providing the secondary characters with subtle touches—wariness for an arson investigator; smug cynicism for a city planner; a suspicious, chip-on-the-shoulder inflection for a troubled cop; etc. But his expertise is most evident in his handling of the protagonists. For Glitsky, Colacci assumes a voice conveying a flat, middle-aged weariness that increases in frustration and sadness as the lawman learns of his newborn son’s potentially fatal heart defect. And he captures Hardy’s many shifting moods—from the lawyer’s pretrial uncertainty to the jauntiness in his byplay with law partner Wes Farrell (another Lescroart series protagonist)—with ease. Listeners couldn’t ask for a better performance. Simultaneous release with the Dutton hardcover (Forecasts, Nov. 29, 2004). (Jan.)
STATE OF FEAR
Michael Crichton, read by George Wilson. Harper Audio, unabridged, 16 CDs, 18.5 hrs., $49.95 ISBN 0-06-078601-9
For his latest foray, Crichton alters his usual formula—three parts thrills and spills to one part hard science—to a less appetizing concoction that is half anti-global warming screed and half adventure yarn. This adds a mission impossible element to Wilson’s narration: how to make pages of research interesting enough to hold the listener’s attention until hero and heroine face their next peril. Unfortunately, Wilson approaches the statistical information like a newscaster communicating via Teleprompter. This earns him an A-plus for elocution and timbre, but a more average grade when it comes to dramatic interpretation. Consequently, the scientific material that Crichton spent three years researching seems even more copious in audio format than in print. And it’s certainly much harder to flip past. Wilson is more successful in handling conversational passages, employing accents and adding subtle touches to various voices—a cynical tone for the hero, who’s a mildly hedonistic corporate lawyer, and an edgier, less patient attitude for the beautiful, ready-for-anything heroine. As they hot-foot it around the globe, assisting an Indiana Jones–like MIT professor in thwarting evils perpetrated by a mass-murdering environmentalist, Wilson stirs up a little suspense by speaking faster and more energetically. But the book’s abundance of statistics would slow any narrator’s momentum, and Wilson is no exception. Simultaneous release with the HarperCollins hardcover (Reviewed, PW Annex). (Dec. 2004)
LOOP GROUP
Larry McMurtry, read by C.J. Critt. Recorded Books, unabridged, eight CDs, 7.5 hrs., $34.99 ISBN 1-4193-1282-0
In this somewhat scattered narrative, 60-year-old Maggie Clary wonders if she will ever truly feel like herself again, now that she’s had a hysterectomy. True, she still runs a successful company that dubs grunts and voices for low-budget Hollywood movies, and the operation certainly hasn’t affected her sex life. She owns her own home in the heart of Hollywood, and knows how to have a good time smoking pot and cleaning her pool. Even the fact that she can count on the support of three relatively stable adult daughters and her best friend, Connie, doesn’t stop Maggie from experiencing great doses of existential angst. Narrator Critt successfully captures this bunch of at-ends characters. Each of Maggie’s daughters speaks with her own slightly different Valley Girl accent when agonizing with or about their mother. Connie sounds more like a petulant teenager than a mature woman, which, given her lifestyle and concerns over men and booze, accurately represents her character. But Critt’s particular strength is her handling of Maggie’s slightly fusty middle-aged inflections, endowed as they are with a sparkle that conveys the spirit of a woman who is at once depressed but still very much grappling with life, Hollywood-style. Simultaneous release with the S&S hardcover (Forecasts, Nov. 8, 2004). (Dec. 2004)
MAGIC SEEDS
V.S. Naipaul, read by Aasif Mandvi. Recorded Books, unabridged, eight CDs, 9.5 hrs., $29.99 ISBN 1-4193-0000-8
Mandvi turns in a soft, reserved performance of Naipaul’s novel about idealism, revolution and self-discovery. The book follows on the heels of Naipaul’s Half a Life, continuing the story of Willie Chandron, the product of a mixed-caste marriage, as he attempts to find his place in the world and come to terms with himself and others. Perhaps the nature of Naipaul’s spare yet powerful writing is what led Mandvi to take such a quiet and nearly monotoned approach to his narration. It’s a fitting idea, as Naipaul himself seems to write with a detachment to his character, and Willie is frequently swept along by the wills of others. But what might seem right in theory doesn’t translate in practice, and Mandvi’s narration has as much a tendency to besoporific as dreamlike. His characterizations are likewise subtle, and though he has a natural capacity for the Indian accents that figure so heavily in the book, he seems to struggle with whether or not to fully embrace the voices of English characters. It’s less of a poor performance than it is a daunting task, and while Mandvi’s reading may show deference to the text of a recognized master, it doesn’t make for a compelling listen. Simultaneous release with the Knopf hardcover (Forecasts, Oct. 18, 2004). (Nov. 2004)
Nonfiction
FRENCH WOMEN DON’T GET FAT: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure
Mireille Guiliano, read by the author. Random House Audio, abridged, three CDs, 3 hrs., $22 ISBN 0-7393-1656-7
Is it possible to fill up on chocolate croissants, butter and cheese and remain thin? According to Guiliano, who battled with her own weight after consuming such treats, it isn’t, and anyone hoping to hear otherwise will be disappointed, but not surprised, by her commonsense prescription: be active (i.e., take the stairs instead of the elevator), eat three squares a day (always at the table, not on the go), carry a healthy snack for cravings, and take pleasure in the occasional indulgence. With her sophisticated French accent and enticing manner of describing even the healthiest of foods (like unsweetened yogurt, soy nuts and hazelnuts), Guiliano is certainly adept at making her weight-loss philosophy sound good. But in practice, some listeners may have trouble warming up to the wholesome foods that tease her palette. Someone who normally snacks on potato chips might be loathe to switch to soy nuts, and it’s easier said than done to eat two bites of a brownie, savor the pleasure of those bites (as Guiliano says a French woman would) and then put the rest of it down. Though Guiliano’s asides about her own life are entertaining and the recipe cards included with this audio contain such tempting and healthful treats as Mousse au Chocolat and Pumpkin Pie with Hazelnuts, many listeners may find themselves thinking “been there, tried that” by the end of this audio program. Simultaneous release with the Knopf hardcover (Forecasts, Nov. 22, 2004). (Jan.)
COLLAPSE
Jared Diamond, read by Christopher Murney. Penguin Audio, abridged, eight CDs, 9.5 hrs., $34.95 ISBN 0-14-305718-9
In the Pulitzer–Prize–winning Guns, Germs, and Steel, Diamond chronicled the rise of human civilizations since the Ice Age. This time, he turns over the log and probes the rotted side—the demise of once-productive societies such as the Maya, Easter Islanders and Greenland Norse. He also sounds the alarm on environmental practices undermining modern societies, including China, Russia, Australia and the United States. Narrator Murney has his work cut out for him, even though this audiobook is abridged. The narrative, which spans the globe and the ages, is dense, overwhelmingly so at times. Diamond parses myriad ecological, geographical and biological impacts, from weather patterns to deforestation to sperm count. But Murney rises to the occasion. His engagement never flags, and he strikes all the proper notes of concern and warning. The delivery feels effortless, his tone a blend of newsreel narrator and professor-at-the-lectern. Diamond teaches geography at UCLA, and his prose style, unsurprisingly, contains shades of the lecture hall. In fact, given such abundant and oft-alarming information, listeners may feel the urge to take notes for the final exam. Though grounding materials such as photographs and maps would have made this audiobook easier to follow, their absence is a minor fault in an overall fine production. Simultaneous release with the Viking hardcover (Forecasts, Nov. 15, 2004). (Jan.)
FAITHFUL: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season
Stewart O’Nan and Stephen King, read by Adam Grupper and Ron McLarty. Simon & Schuster Audio, unabridged, 11 cassettes, 16.5 hrs., $49.95 ISBN 0-7435-3951-6
“Why do you suck so much?” O’Nan shouts at his TV. Until the 2004 baseball season, this had been the query of many a Boston Red Sox fan. But 2004 was not only the year in which they broke the “Curse of the Bambino,” it was also the one that O’Nan and fellow Sox fan and friend King documented through journals and e-mail. The result is a book-length conversation, perfect for audio format. In the hardcover, King’s writing is signified by bold-faced type. The distinction here is made by the use of two narrators. Since McLarty has successfully narrated King’s work before (Salem’s Lot, etc.), it may seem that choosing him would be a no-brainer, but his tough New York accent and beefy voice don’t quite mesh with that of King, who, though a demon at the typewriter, is amiable and soft-spoken in public interviews and television appearances. However, this new hardboiled persona does contrast well with Grupper’s rendition of O’Nan, who’s given an energetic, crisp, almost naïve-sounding voice. All in all, both readers deliver excellent and enthusiastic performances, and they work well together to convey the excitement of this memorable season. Simultaneous release with the Scribner hardcover (Forecasts, Nov. 29, 2004). (Dec. 2004)
HELL OR HIGH WATER
Peter Heller, read by Patrick Lawlor. Tantor, unabridged, nine CDs, 10.5 hrs., $34.99 ISBN 1-4001-0141-7
To Buddhists, Tibet’s Tsangpo Gorge is a sacred place—drinking one drop of its water is said to free you from rebirth as a lower life form. It was the inspiration for Shangri-La in the novel-turned-movie Lost Horizon and, to kayakers, it is one of the sport’s last remaining holy grails: “three times deeper and eight times steeper than the Grand Canyon,” it’s the deepest river gorge in the world. Heller, a writer for Outside magazine, was tapped in January 2002 to accompany a team of kayakers who were giving the Gorge another try, led by filmmaker Scott Lindgren, who would later turn the experience into a movie (Into the Tsangpo Gorge). Narrator Lawlor does a competent job presenting the ensemble cast; the seven men in the expedition each comes across in his own voice, and Lawlor’s vocal dexterity is particularly impressive in the book’s most thrilling sequence, a knife-point encounter with thieving locals. The mix isn’t all that it could be, though. Lawlor’s voice is thin in places and, at over 10 hours, the audio is too long and packed with too much detail for the casual listener. Adventure buffs, however, will savor the expansive, epic journey Heller and Lawler re-create here. Simultaneous release with the Rodale hardcover (Forecasts, Aug. 16, 2004). (Nov. 2004)
