Audio Reviews: Week of 3/26/2007

Sevenfood stories involving both gourmets or gourmands are found in this collection. In T.C. Boyle's "Sorry Fugu," performed by Tony Roberts, an Italian chef sets out to conquer the taste buds of a critic who never found anything to praise in her restaurant reviews. Roberts's chef has great range as he musters his staff with a booming voice and later coos seductively to the critic about the glories of pasta. The tables are turned on M.F.K. Fisher's culinary voyager in "I Was Really Very Hungry," when she falls into the hands of a server determined to have her diner try every delicacy ever produced by the chef, reverently called Maître Paul. Christina Pickles switches back and forth between the French waitress and the narrator adroitly. Two of the short stories involve food bets. In Roald Dahl's "Taste," two bon vivants place large bets on the identification of an unusual vintage. By the time John Lithgow has completed his description of the contest, the listener can taste and smell the wine. The best story in the collection is Damon Runyon's classic nugget, "A Piece of Pie," in which a Boston gambler pits a newcomer against New York's biggest glutton in an eating contest. John Shea's description of the food is a side-splitting feast. Though the stories are uneven, the performances would get five stars from any food critic, and the audio is worth its weight in paté. (Mar.)

Huber's slightly nasal, vaguely Middle-American drawl is a strange fit for a murder mystery set in northern Sweden. I The strategy is mostly effective, though, rendering Larsson's novel about the puzzling death of a priest more familiar to American listeners than it might otherwise appear. In her reading, Sweden is just next door to Michigan, and the aggressive normalcy of Huber's no-nonsense voice brings the terrible conundrum of lawyer Rebecka Martinsson, embroiled in guilt and anger and a desire to understand after an accidental death, to life. Huber makes no effort to sound Swedish, other than pronouncing names and places properly, and in the end, this gives Larsson's mystery a familiar, well-worn feel it might otherwise lack. Simultaneous release with the Delacorte hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 20). (Feb.)

For the low-tech world of audiobook recording, any move forward resounds with the heavy tread of technology's step. Lane's reading of Dugoni's legal thriller features the clever, realistic touch of rendering the book's ever-present telephone and cellphone conversations through static and slightly digitized reception. While only a small detail, the phone effect is evidence of an open-minded attitude to audiobook recording—one that looks for new ways to do the same old same old. Lane (a veteran of more than 100 audiobooks) reads unobtrusively but distinctively, artfully pausing for effect to underscore the domestic and legal tension in Dana Hill's life, whose already difficult juggling of work and personal life is further complicated by the murder of her twin brother. Lane manipulates pitch and tone to differentiate between characters, nicely avoiding overwrought voices, and his solid work amply redounds to his credit as a nuanced reader. Simultaneous release with the Warner hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 20). (Feb.)

Something of a Hamlet for the 21st century, this audiobook presents Philip Noble, an 11-year-old boy whose father recently died in a car accident. But when his father returns as a ghost demanding revenge for his death, Philip must decide whether or not his Uncle Allan murdered his father. While grappling with the idea of murder, Philip must contend with all the typical stresses of adolescence including romance and bullys. HighBridge Audio's decision to cast 11-year-old Andrew Dennis to read this novel pays off. His youthful voice adds authenticity and his narrative skills fully envelope the first-person perspective of Philip. He also ably distinguishes additional characters. His most impressive feat is the level of emotion and intensity he maintains through many of the scenes. Several times, Haig repeats a word or phrase more than five times. In the text, this works because readers can skim, but listeners must hear each one. However, Dennis infuses different emphasis for each repeated word, making it work. Simultaneous release with the Viking hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 13). (Feb.)

Wyman has a daunting assignment: finding the right voice for Dorsey's larger-than-life antihero, Serge A. Storms, a likable, certifiably insane serial killer who rarely stops talking long enough to breathe. Wyman settles on just the right combination of tones for the screwball sociopath's generally amusing rants against government, the media, marriage and ignorant cops. At first, Storms seems like just another motormouth Florida crime crazy, but Dorsey makes us move past his verbal diarrhea to the oddly honorable, moral, blissfully happy man who just happens to be a raving wacko. Wyman undercuts the character's in-your-face boorish nattering with a redemptive exuberance and a winning joy of life. He also has no trouble delineating supporting characters like a dazed and reluctant newspaper reporter; a dim, dogged federal agent on Storms's trail; a pompous news executive; several neurotic psychologists; and another serial killer in the area. The result may not be a masterwork of suspense—there's never a doubt that Storms will prevail against knife, gun or twister—but you couldn't ask for a funnier guide to the Sunshine State, with or without hurricane. Simultaneous release with the Morrow hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 11). (Feb.)

Welcome to the world of perverse self-mutilation, insane coincidences and extreme makeovers speckled with violent acts and prescription drugs. After surviving a gunshot wound that destroyed half her face, Shannon meets the vivacious Brandy Alexander, whose glamorous nature seduces her into traveling cross-country in a delightful and ironic crime spree. In typical Palahniuk fashion, the story leaps about in an erratic and initially bewildering manner, but ultimately makes sense. Anna Fields executes a brilliant performance through Shannon's first-person narrative. Her smooth and stable tone leads listeners through this deliciously chaotic tale. When Shannon speaks, Fields proves both amusing and impressive. Her magnificent performance only adds to Palahniuk's story. Norton paperback (Reviews, July 5, 1999). (Feb.)

The extra-solar world of Zarathustra is devoid of intelligent life, or at least it was thought to be until prospector Jack Holloway discovers a race of Ewok-like Fuzzies. But the company that has been exploiting the planet for its resources will lose its charter if sapient life is discovered, so Holloway must find a way to keep the Fuzzies from being foundin order to keep the charter. Holsopple reads in a pleasant, sonorous tone, using one unadorned voice for narration and a series of others for character dialogue. The vocal shifts are subtle but effective, and make the dialogue sound rather like real conversation, rather than simply words being read from a page. Some of the dialogue is a bit silly (Holloway constantly refers to himself as "Pappy Jack" when talking to the Fuzzies), but Holsopple manages to pull it off. The end result is a faithful adaptation of Piper's beloved 1962 classic (a Best Novel Hugo Award nominee) that fans both new and old should enjoy. (Feb.)

Harrison's novel of a dying man's retelling of his complex family history requires multiple readers to bring it to life. Svendsgaard, Porter, Weiner and Garcia all stick close to the rueful and world-weary, with long pauses and a subtle downturn of intonation marking their readings. They tag-team Harrison's prose, which shifts back and forth between the reminiscences of its protagonists, with Svendsgaard often leaping in to amend or second the stray thoughts of dying Donald Burkett. Weiner, as Donald, gives his reading just the right flat, clipped tone, each sentence ending abruptly and without warning. Donald's memories, in Weiner's rendering, are less the florid interior dramas of a romantically rendered past than the honest remembrance of what once was. The other readers follow Weiner's lead, echoing his spare performance ably and underscoring his fine work. Simultaneous release with the Grove hardcover (Reviews, Sept. 25). (Feb.)

Echoes and parodies of complex psychosexual antecedents, including Freud's analysis of Dora, the Salem witch trials and parts of The Malleus Maleficarum, underlieJulavits's third novel. The novel's complex structure (it spans 15 years and weaves back and forth in time) creates listening problems that tax even a skilled performer like Shelly Frasier. Mary Veal, who may or may not have been kidnapped as a teen returns to West Salem, Mass., years later for her mother's funeral. Characters sound too similar: Mary sounds too much like her teen self and the two male characters, Mary's first therapist and the alleged kidnapper have almost identical voices. The same problem conflates Mary's sisters, Regina and Gaby. Frasier does a better job with Mary's well-to-do Aunt Helen and Roz Biedelman, Mary's second therapist, who is the manipulative spider at the center of this tangled web of a novel. Enchantment might be too much for any single reader to tackle, and a cast approach would have been a better idea. However, Frasier is an engaging performer, and the spell of this beguiling work will entrance listeners to the very end. A Doubleday hardcover (Reviews, July 10, 2006). (Feb.)

Volume one contains The Dunwich Horror and The Call of Cthulhu, two chilling tales from one of the original masters of horror. (Volume Two contains The Shadow Over Innsmouth and Dagon.) The Dunwich Horror follows the tragic events in Dunwich when Wilbur Whateley delves into dark occult practices with deadly repercussions. The Call of Cthulhu explores the remaining artifacts and notes by several people pursuing information around the mysterious figure of Cthulhu. These dark tales become unnerving with the deep and solemn voice of Wayne June. He provides a great range and energy to the characters, particularly in Dunwich. His almost regretful tone instills listeners with dread and fear. June does falter slightly in that occasionally his character voice carries over into his narrative voice. The director and sound editor sometimes fail to make sure that his voice stays consistent throughout the audiobook, with sound and loudness shifting significantly several times. These are marginal issues, though, since Wayne's performance and Lovecraft's words leave the listener looking forward to future volumes. (Jan.)

A complex tale of murder, betrayal and unexpected revelations of self-discovery are some of the compelling elements that make up this exceptional entry into O'Connell's mystery series featuring a NYPD detective and ex-feral child, Kathy Mallory. While on a deeply personal road trip along Route 66, Mallory gets caught up in a manhunt for a serial killer. The investigating authorities believe Mack the Knife has been murdering children and burying them along the old highway for over a decade, with the death toll reaching more than 100. When adult bodies begin showing up, Mallory embarks on a mission to end the murder's killing streak, no matter what the cost. Bresnahan manages to balance multiple viewpoints and a wide variety of characters without resorting to over-the-top vocal theatrics. Her clear, matter-of-fact delivery keeps the plot moving at a steady pace and works well with the material. She is especially effective in her portrayal of the no-nonsense Mallory, a troubled character who never lets emotions get in the way of her job. Bresnahan's narration pulls the listener deep into this absorbing and suspenseful story. Simultaneous release with the Putnam hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 16). (Jan.)

Those expecting another great audio, like Elaine Erika Davis's rendition of Memoirs of a Geisha, are sure to be disappointed, but the plodding pace of this new work of history cloaked under a fictional kimono is not the fault of Barbara Caruso but of its author. The minute details of the tea ceremony as it was transformed by historical events are not interspersed with enough plot for Caruso to keep the story moving. Unfortunately, Aurelia's obsession with Yukako, who saved her from the sad fate of European orphans in a strange land, is the subplot of Yukako's drive to save the tea ceremony from obscurity. Caruso gives Aurelia's voice all the wide-eyed wonder of Gulliver among the Lilliputians, but since Aurelia recounts her life in her old age, this tone is a bit forced. Yukako and other women are nicely individualized, but men tend to grunt out their words. Listeners fascinated by Japanese history will be rewarded by a compelling look at an elegant tradition that is sadly too slow and ritualized for Americans who measure life in nanoseconds. Simultaneous release with the Riverhead hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 30). (Jan.)

Rosalyn Landor's musical, upper-middle-class British accent is a pleasure to listen to. Her expressive voice is perfect for the first-person narration of Amy Crane, a new mother facing the stress of sleepless nights and dirty diapers; the low self-esteem of weight gain and fear that her significant other is cheating on her; and the conflict of whether to return to work. Landor perfectly captures Amy's anxiety, self-denigration, hope and excitement at every turn. She also clearly differentiates between the character's voices and easily portrays an American friend of Amy's and a West Indian suitor of Amy's mother. This is a mommy lit novel that translates seamlessly to the audio medium. Simultaneous release with the Hyperion hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 16). (Jan.)

As an eight-year-old boy coping with the horrific loss of his parents and a nagging sense of being "different" from his peers in the Mississippi town of Forest, Sessums assumes the persona of What's My Line panelist Arlene Francis. "Call me Arlene!" he insists, and his grandparents—despite their rather reactionary stances in the realms of politics, religion and sexuality—manage to lovingly comply. In performing his electrifying coming-of-age memoir, Sessums adroitly introduces the cast of characters who shaped his journey. The vocal renderings of such memorable figures as the family's loving and devoted—as well as self-confident and determined—maid Matty May, who repeatedly recites "Poitier" as a mantra in the days and weeks following Sidney Poitier's 1963 Oscar win, resonate with remarkable clarity. Listeners accustomed to contemporary autobiographical titles should be forewarned that they are entering unapologetic gothic territory akin to that of Eudora Welty (a friend and mentor to Sessums) or even Flannery O'Connor. Raw human emotions of love and hate play starring roles, refusing to remain mere stage props. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 6). (Mar.)

Ehrenreich's social history of collective joy, ranging from pagan ritual to rock concerts, comes off as an extended, rambling lecture, taking in a varied array of subjects along the way. Taking the hint, Ward reads Ehrenreich's book with a touch of the lecturer's oratorical savvy, and some of that same figure's dry deliberation. Ehrenreich argues that communal ecstasy has been too often misunderstood as an excuse for booze-fueled sexual bacchanalias, ignoring its political and social components. Ward is neither overly joyous in her reading, owing too much to the nature of her material, nor overly serious, her voice tinged with the slightest hint of charmed pleasure at the prospect of declaiming on Ehrenreich's chosen subject. The unabridged audio is not overlong as audiobooks go, but there are moments where Ward's reading drags ever so slightly, pulled down by a sameness of approach that threatens to inspire the opposite of the ecstatic moments Ehrenreich's book describes. The solid quality of Ehrenreich's prose papers over the gaps and gives Ward's reading the pleasurable (if not quite monumentally joyous) sensation it possesses. Simultaneous release with the Metropolitan Books hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 6). (Feb.)

Music critic Sheffield's touching and poignant memoir of love and death will strike a chord in anyone who has used a hand-selected set of songs to try to express something that can't be put into words. A socially awkward adolescent, Sheffield finds true love as a college student in the late '80s with Renée, a "hell-raising Appalachian punk-rock girl." They're brought together by their love of music, get married and spend eight years together before Renée suddenly dies of a pulmonary embolism. Sheffield's delivery is not that of the typical actor/ reader. We come to know Rob as this geeky, lanky guy, and his reading is characteristically a little bit uncoordinated, yet it is tender and heartfelt enough to win us over. Each chapter opens with a song list from a mix tape made at the time. Listeners may wish that, as with Nick Hornby's essay collection Songbook, there had been an audio component that would allow the music to take us back or would introduce us to new songs that helped Sheffield press on into an uncertain but hopeful future. Simultaneous release with the Crown hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 18). (Feb.)

When Thomas was 19, her father, one of the founders of Raytheon, moved her family to Africa to live among the bushmen of the Kalahari. It's hard to imagine a teenager today who would not only give up the comforts of living in an industrialized nation like the United States but also utterly embrace and come to love a group of people who live without possessions or even permanent dwellings. Thomas sees the !Kung San as noble people, and her voice imparts the respect—almost awe—she feels in their presence. Her narration is as intimate as if she were sharing with friends her intricate knowledge of the plants and animals of the Kalahari. She speaks Ju/wasi, the click language, so she can easily explain much by using the group's own words. Thomas's voice is also wise and loving: she helps us see as these gentle people do and takes us with her through their endangered, fragile environment. Simultaneous release with the FSG hardcover (Reviews, Aug. 21). (Jan.)

This is not the book for people who merely want to enjoy a comfortable retirement, but for those whose goal is nothing less than becoming fabulously wealthy. Masterson (Automatic Wealth) derides what he calls the "pinch-save-and-wait" philosophy of contributing the maximum to one's 401(k) and depending on compound interest and time to work their magic. Such tactics, he says, can take decades to bear fruit, whereas most of his clients are baby boomers who hope to realize astonishing gains in a few short years. The first part of the book is about "super-sizing" one's income to six-figure levels in order to free up money for investing in one's own businesses, and soaking up knowledge from mentors and bosses. The rest contains numerous stories of self-made millionaires (almost all from sales and direct marketing) along with Masterson's advice: invest in businesses you understand and, more importantly, can actually control; be entrepreneurial and a risk taker; never stop networking and selling yourself; invest heavily in real estate. Masterson's aggressive, gratingly self-promotional message is oddly out of synch with Dietz's gentle, avuncular, let's-chat-on-the-porch narration. Dietz's wonderful storytelling voice is wasted on this get-rich-quick scheme. Simultaneous release with the Wiley hardcover (Jan.)