Audio Reviews: Week of 4/30/2007

Peter Paige, who played Emmett Honeycutt in Showtime’s Queer as Folk, takes on the title role in a full-cast recording of Tom Jacobson’s play. Bunbury, a never-seen character in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, joins forces with nonappearing Romeo and Juliet figure Rosaline (Crossing Jordan’s Kathryn Hahn) to travel across the literary canon to empower his brothers and sisters in literary purgatory (including Blanche DuBois’s young husband in Streetcar Named Desire and George and Martha’s offstage son from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), conjured as plot devices but never brought to life. The pair’s intrusions inadvertently transform dark tragedies into lighthearted comedies. Jacobson adds a slightly more serious twist to the frivolity by shedding light on gay subtexts in classic works. Paige and Hahn both inhabit their roles skillfully. The allusions require a solid grounding in literature, particularly drama, to fully grasp and appreciate. Perhaps too referential for the most mainstream of audiences, Bunbury will appeal to erudite listeners with an appetite for irreverence. (Mar.)

It would be difficult to imagine richer material for an audiobook reader, comedically speaking, than Joseph Heller’s classic novel of wartime madness. Sanders is the lucky actor chosen to read Heller’s masterpiece, and he does well by it, proceeding gamely through the novel’s staggering array of comic set pieces and deliriously woozy dialogue. Heller’s humor is straight-faced, requiring little more than a steady, sure voice, and Sanders offers just that. Line by line, joke by joke, Sanders reels through the marvelous phantasmagoria of Heller’s World War II, tongue planted firmly in cheek. Caedmon’s impressive package includes a 1970s-era recording of Heller reading selections from his book. Heller is a delightful contrast to Sanders, his slight lisp accentuating a marvelous Brooklyn accent. Heller reads as if with cigar perched on his lip and turns his novel into an extended borscht belt comic’s riff. (Mar.)

Dalton uses all his pacing and vocal skills and his wonderful, deep Welsh tones to keep listeners engaged and on edge through this mystery set in 1950s Dublin and Boston. He skillfully sustains our empathy for widowed Dublin coroner Quirke, the alcoholic, angry and acerbic narrator who drags himself into solving the mystery of Christine Falls’s death in childbirth and the disappearance of her newborn—a scenario that parallels Quirke’s own experience. Black (pseudonym of Booker Prize–winner John Banville) is a fine writer, reminiscent of P.D. James in his care for language and his emphasis on psychologically complex characters, including Mel, Quirke’s obstetrician stepbrother; Sarah, Mel’s wife (and sister of Quirke’s dead wife), whose love for Quirke is reciprocated; and Mel and Sarah’s confused daughter, Phoebe. Black weaves his characters through a neat and original plot that descends into the dark depths of Quirke’s family history and rises to the highest ranks of the Catholic church. Detective fiction readers will love Black’s writing and Dalton’s reading, and look forward to more from both. Simultaneous release with the Henry Holt hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 27). (Mar.)

That voice! It sounds so... familiar, somehow. Dietz is best known as a voiceover artist, so hearing him read Klein’s comic novel of con and countercon will jog vague memories of movie trailers and commercials half-buried in the deepest recesses of memory. Dietz has fun with the world-weary cadences of longtime hustler Kip Largo, an ex-convict who’s seen every trick in the book and still gets himself snarled in what may be the biggest con of all. The only downside is that Dietz has decided to read every female character as a breathy, simpering buffoon—a questionable aesthetic choice that interrupts the flow of the reading each time a woman appears. The remainder of the novel trots along at a brisk clip, and Dietz ambles along right next to it, hardly breaking a sweat. Simultaneous release with the Warner hardcover (Reviews, Jan. 8). (Mar.)

A storm of media attention rains down on the small town of Paradise, Mass., and local police chief Jesse Stone when a famous national talk show host is shot and left hanging from a tree. To add to his troubles, Stone’s ex-wife, Jennifer, is seeking his protection against a stalker/rapist. Overwhelmed, Stone asks current girlfriend, Boston PI Sunny Randall, to watch over Jennifer while he tries to solve the two murders. Over the years Parker has honed his writing into its own minimalist art form, conveying more meaning in one line than many authors do with pages of prose. Unfortunately, Sowers doesn’t handle that prose as well as one might hope. At times his character voices run together, making it difficult to distinguish which character is talking in a scene. And, even though he has a fine speaking voice, he misses the clipped, cynical delivery that gives the Parker books their cool, dry wit. Simultaneous release with the Putnam hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 4). (Mar.)

Gould’s precise diction, which proved to be surprisingly effective in his narration of Raymond Chandler’s works, is just as satisfying in interpreting Spiegelman’s new John March novel. And why not? Spiegelman has come closer to channeling Chandler than just about any other private eye writer in recent memory. March has a mindset and honor system remarkably similar to Chandler’s Philip Marlowe. These are sleuths who use their brains along with their muscles, and Gould’s careful enunciation reflects that. Through March’s first-person narration, we walk the cold, sleet-slippery mean streets looking into the murder of a beautiful and promiscuous young woman. Gould creates an impressive lineup of characters: dumbing down his voice to become a lovesick bruiser, catching the hollow bravado of an actor in midlife crisis or adding a touch of East Coast snobbery to an assortment of quiet money types. Red Cat is a solid, stylishly written crime yarn, and Gould’s interpretation turns it into a near-classic. Simultaneous release with the Knopf hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 6). (Mar.)

Undeterred by modern science’s discoveries of the true nature of Venus and Mars, Stirling posits an alternate history/reality where the pulp-era visions of those two planets were actually correct. In this first volume of the series, the American and Soviet space programs send emissaries to the lush jungle planet of Venus—which they find is inhabited by dinosaurs and intelligent natives—to vie for control of the planet’s valuable resources. McLaren reads in a rich, resonant baritone and deftly handles dialogue, throwing a nice variety of accents into the mix—adding just enough to flavor the performance without overwhelming it. The pulpy nature of the narrative makes it well-suited to audio; it harks back to the days of the old radio dramas. McLaren conveys this essence while keeping his performance in line with modern narration standards. Stirling does a fine job updating and bringing some scientific rigor to the “planetary romance” genre pioneered by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and McLaren delivers an engaging performance that will leave listeners no choice but to stay tuned for Stirling’s next episode. Simultaneous release with the Tor hardcover (Reviews, Sept. 18). (Mar.)

In a family of private investigators, privacy is nonexistent. The Spellman parents spy on the kids just as much as the kids spy on the parents. But after 28 years of this, middle child Isabelle wants out of the family business. Her parents agree, but only if she solves the 10-year-old cold case of a missing teenage. Amusing and entertaining, Lutz’s tale of investigation, family and love is given an additional bemusing touch by Ari Graynor. She grasps the material and Isabelle’s resigned disposition of both loving and loathing her family. She captures Isabelle’s more emotional responses and the youthful tone of her younger sister, Rae. However, she is occasionally too breathy, literally blowing into the microphone. While these come off as sighs, they still seem to cross that line between narration and interpretation. The abridgment of some of the book’s various subplots increases the speed of this already fast paced comedy-mystery. Simultaneous release with the S&S hardcover (Reviews, Jan. 1). (Mar.)

Matt Stromsoe is a walking-wounded former cop whose wife and son were killed in a car explosion meant for him. His last chance for salvation is being bodyguard for beautiful TV weatherwoman Frankie Hatfield, who possesses a secret formula for making rain that a sociopathic exec at the L.A. Power & Water wants destroyed. The exec has enlisted the aid of the same vengeful gang leader responsible for the murder of Matt’s family. Pretty melodramatic stuff. But just as Parker’s storytelling skill transforms it into a credible, character-rich novel, Lane’s clean, unruffled narration deepens the drama and sharpens its suspenseful edges. The author provides even the least of the participants with rich backstories that Lane smoothly delivers, often employing accents and attitudes that add a needed patina of realism to the scenes. The author and narrator stumble only on a few passages of “cute” dialogue between Matt and Frankie. But, happily, that is kept to a minimum. Simultaneous release with the Morrow hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 18). (Mar.)

Looking to add 42 CDs to your collection in one fell swoop? Possessed of 54 hours of free time that desperately need to be filled? Look no further than this audiobook of Pynchon’s latest literary behemoth, a product so ridiculously outsized it deserves a Pynchon book of its own to celebrate it. Hill is to be commended for making his way through the 1,100 pages of Pynchon’s novel, traipsing all the way from the union-busting American West of the 1880s to the WWI-era Balkans, shifting accents and deliveries with aplomb along the way. While it is hard to imagine anyone mustering the energy to listen to all of Pynchon’s admittedly brilliant late career masterpiece, Hill admirably meets the challenge, although he occasionally makes the mistake of emphasizing the book’s comedy over its deep moral and intellectual seriousness. At 54.5 hours long, though, a little extra comedy is probably a necessary accoutrement. Simultaneous release with the Penguin Press hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 30). (Feb.)

Mary Birdsong, who plays Deputy Kimball on TV’s Reno 911!, spawns a comically horrific incarnation of boss-from-Hell Vivian Grant, who steamrollers over assistants, editors, agents, authors and even corporate executives at the venerable publisher that houses her highly controversial—but amazingly lucrative—imprint. Grant utters the f-word with a frequency that would leave Tony Soprano blushing and catapults office supplies across conference rooms during her frequent tirades. Newly hired Grant Books editor Claire Truman valiantly strives to hold onto both her cool and her job, as relationships with friends and family—not to mention her planned nuptials to hunky Wall Street broker Randall Cox—lapse onto autopilot. Birdsong’s depictions of the principal male characters are a little too affected, but she maintains a pitch-perfect command of female banter. The book-business jargon may somehow seem both too familiar for industry insiders and too insular for a broader audience, and the romantic triangle wins no prizes for originality. Yet listeners in the mood for some hearty laughs at the expense of a deliciously devilish workplace villain should find themselves thoroughly entertained. Simultaneous release with the Warner hardcover (Reviews, Sept. 11). (Feb.)

With skin the color of a bleached-skull and milk-white hair, Elric of Melnibone is the reluctant ruler of his dying nation. His cousin Yrkoon, meanwhile, believes he rightfully belongs on the throne, which eventually leads to an epic battle between the two, with each wielding one of the demonic runeblades Stormbringer and Mournblade. The audio begins with a 10-minute long “dramatic introduction” read by the author setting the stage well for the book to follow. Moorcock is engaging, with an interesting voice, and is so good that his opening narration somewhat overshadows West’s. While Moorcock’s narration is ornate and stylized, West’s is pleasant, plain and workmanlike. Atmospheric music plays in the background throughout, helping transport the listener to the land of Melnibone; it evokes the appropriate mood and complements the narration nicely. (Feb.)

This first novel by Hill, the second son of Stephen King, provides the perfect raw material for Lang to create an auditory world so convincing that the listener will feel as if they have seen a film by the time they are through. The complex plot can be simply stated: as a lark, retired heavy metal star Judas Coyne buys a haunted suit online. The ghost turns out to be the very angry stepfather of an ex-groupie/lover of Coyne’s who killed herself after he sent her away. The relentless ghost is there to kill Judas and anyone who tries to help him. Lang’s superb narration is nearly hypnotic in its calm delivery, perfect as backdrop for the action and horror that surrounds it. His Coyne is reminiscent of John Goodman, deep and understated, with a foundation of confidence with a barely perceptible trace of a Southern accent. Each disk starts with a bit of Nine Inch Nails–ish heavy haunting electronica, an ideal tone setter for the journey. Simultaneous release with the Morrow hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 11). (Feb.)

Reed will find lots of work in the audio whodunit world. She has a low, slightly gravelly voice that fits the genre well. She distinguishes characters without trying to be them and helps a wacky protagonist become a believable character. The gruesome story begins with the discovery of the bodies of six young girls who are bagged, tagged and shelved in an old underground chamber in the yard of an abandoned Boston insane asylum. Bobby Dodge (returning from Gardner’s Alone) is called to the crime scene. Gardner offers up numerous plausible suspects, suspense and violence, and lots of requited and unrequited love. The book is longer than it needs to be, somewhat repetitive and has a hokey ending with a murderer who appears out of nowhere. But Hide is still an enjoyable thriller and a well-read listen. Simultaneous release with the Bantam hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 27). (Feb.)

Veteran narrator Anna Fields (whose real name was Kate Fleming) died recently, and this audiobook—one of her final performances—shows just what a loss her passing is to the industry. This quirky romance full of eccentric, colorful characters is a perfect showcase for her talent. She creates distinctive, believable voices that bring the characters to life: the slow, deep drawl of football star Dean Robillard and the feisty, sarcastic tone of Blue Bailey, the down-on-her-luck wanderer he picks up on the road. There’s also the timid, innocent, anxious-to-please quaver of 11-year-old Riley, whose irresponsible rock star dad also fathered Dean, and the crotchety, elderly, Brooklyn-tinged voice of Nina, the mean-spirited old woman who owns the small town they all end up in. Field’s wonderful performance elevates the material and makes this romance even more entertaining on audio than it is in print. Simultaneous release with the Morrow hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 6). (Feb.)

It hardly seems possible for anyone to best Hugh Fraser’s savvy audio performance of Christie’s Hickory Dickory Dock, but Rosalind Ayres produces an amazing range of voices and accents to create her own one-woman full-cast audio book. After the death by poisoning of wealthy Rex Fortescue, others in the household are murdered in ways that mimic a Mother Goose rhyme. Ayres’s Miss Marple is well-mannered, polite and even diffident. Ayres seems to be mocking stereotypes of British accents. Percival, the elder son, is stuffy and nasally clogged. Lancelot, the younger son, is ironic and cavalier. Ayres can slip effortlessly from one accent to another, as when the lofty voice of Rex’s secretary collapses into the low-class accent of an East Ender after she discovers her boss’s body. The greatest mystery in this 1953 novel is why any mid-century father would name his children Lancelot and Percival. Though the story lacks action and enough Jane Marple for Ayres to develop, her performance is a delightful romp for any Christie fan. (Feb.)

On the sixth anniversary of its original publication, Pollan’s scientific twist on the human/plant symbiosis makes its audio debut. Pollan preaches a unique sort of romantic environmentalism where humans and plants satisfy each other’s desires for survival, enjoyment, satisfaction and escape. He uses the apple, tulip, Cannabis and potato to develop his ideas, offering the histories of each and how they developed reciprocal relationships with the humans with whom each interacted. Scott Brick exudes excitement and breathes life into the recording—the timbre of his voice offering just the right touch of humor and depth. Listeners will feel like Brick truly loves the book and loves reading it aloud. It’s a great combination for listeners: interesting subject, great writing and wonderful reading. Definitely not to be missed. (Reviews, Apr. 9, 2001) (May)

Jaspin’s harrowing and exhaustively researched history of racial cleansing in the United States is painfully eye-opening, and Leslie’s voice—filled with horror and sorrow—takes the pain to another level. One’s eyes cannot lightly skip over the cringe-inducing passage that explains the physics of whipping, or the scene of the burning and disembowelment of a pregnant woman, or white leaders’ hate-filled speeches. In a low tone radiating rage and disbelief at the senseless violence and hardcore racism, Leslie relates Jaspin’s accounts of a dozen instances of blacks being driven out of their homes by whites in a steady, commanding pace. The stories are disparate in locale and time—the cleansings happened in both North and South after the Civil War through the ’20s—but they flow together thanks to their grim shared topic, Jaspin’s eloquent prose and Leslie’s almost cinematic delivery. Jaspin pursued this topic for 10 years. Listeners will be glad that he persevered to produce this important book: his passion and conviction are richly evident and inspiring throughout thanks to Leslie’s first-rate narration. Simultaneous release with the Basic Books hardcover. (Mar.)

Bennetts raises a genuine flag of concern on the playing field of the sexes. Rather than falling into the trap of the so-called “mommy wars” debate, she addresses an important contention of the women’s movement: women’s economic dependency on men. Whether women choose to or are coerced into giving up jobs for their families, Bennetts sees serious problems when capable women remove themselves entirely from the economy. In doing so, they return to the power structure of the past, where ultimately the woman must yield to the economically independent man. While she makes many extremely valid points, her execution falls shorter than one would hope. She proves a bit long-winded, even in this abridgment. Her voice drones on through examples and statistics that pass the point of proof into redundancy, and her voice lacks passion and energy. Nonfiction narrators need to be animated in order to hold the listener’s attention. She speaks in a gentle tone that sometimes comes across as mildly condescending. In the end, despite her flawed delivery, her message certainly demands consideration. Simultaneous release with the Hyperion/Voice hardcover (Reviews, Jan. 22). (Mar.)

Former president Carter, who captured a Grammy for Our Endangered Values, now embarks on an ambitious audio-only series. Since leaving the White House more than 25 years ago, Carter has led a weekly adult Sunday school class at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga. Each Sunday Mornings in Plains release will include past lessons grouped around a particular book of the Bible. Leading a Worthy Life explores Ephesians, which outlines the Apostle Paul’s case for reconciliation and unity in the face of disagreement and division. The recordings date from early 1998, though the applications seem even more relevant in the face of September 11 and the conflict in Iraq. Carter firmly stakes out his theological claims in the left-of-center evangelical realm, a territory that such bestselling authors as Jim Wallis and Brian McLaren have recently rendered less lonely and isolated. Carter’s unscripted and intimate discourse marks an auspicious beginning to a project that holds tremendous potential for bringing practical issues of faith into the public arena. (Mar.)

Everett’s performance in 1997’s My Best Friend’s Wedding turned the camaraderie between gay men and straight women into a mainstream pop culture staple. However, 2000’s The Next Best Thing landed with a thud, and Everett quickly exited the rarefied air of stardom. Reading his new memoir, the veteran actor of stage and screen oozes rakish charm, a gossipy court jester providing wickedly witty—if not particularly consequential—commentary on show business shenanigans. Everett glibly dishes the dirt on such co-stars as Faye Dunaway, who Everett confides has earned the nickname “done fade away” among backstage insiders, and Sharon Stone, who coaches the skeptical Everett on channeling the aura of a character. Everett, whose family background steeped him in an Edwardian stiff-upper-lip ethos, does occasionally pause for reflection on pain and loss, especially his experiences in the waning days of the South Beach party scene. A guilty pleasure, albeit a rather sophisticated and tony offshoot of the species, this will primarily appeal to listeners who appreciate the E! cable network and In Style magazine. Simultaneous release with the Warner hardcover. (Feb.)

For a nation brimming with religion, Prothero wants to know why so many people lack genuine knowledge about their religion as well as others. Believing that American culture seriously lacks knowledge about the fundamentals of most world religions, he argues that schools need to teach classes that legitimately explore all world religions. In the tradition of E.D. Hirsch, he provides a collection of quintessential terms that define the current religious landscape. While the dominant presence of Christianity may cause resentment among secularists, the author is fairly objective in his discussion and justification for such reliance on Christianity. In terms of sound quality, the editors missed several vocal shifts, points where the author begins reading a new sentence in a distinctively different voice than the previous sentence. As narrator, Prothero proves competent but not entirely compelling. His pacing and emphasis certainly work well with his material, but his soft voice and relaxed tone leave something to be desired. Though these are his own written words, he doesn’t command the text in the way one would expect. Simultaneous release with the Harper San Francisco hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 20). (Mar.)

Supporters will hail this New Age self-help book on “the law of attraction” as a groundbreaking and life-changing work, finding validation in its thesis that one’s positive thoughts are powerful magnets that attract wealth, health, happiness... and did we mention wealth? Detractors will be appalled by this as well as when the book argues that fleeting negative thoughts are powerful enough to create terminal illness, poverty and even widespread disasters. The audio version of this controversial book, read by Byrne and contributing authors such as John Gray and Neale Donald Walsch, is uneven at best. The cheesy, obvious sound effects will not do much to add intellectual respectability to a work that has been widely denounced as pseudoscience. Mostly, this audio is hampered by its confusing and disjointed organization—techniques that worked reasonably well in the print version and the movie, such as cutting every few seconds from one enthusiastic “expert” to another, make for a choppy and somewhat bewildering listening experience. The gentle cadences of Rhonda Byrne’s breathy, Aussie-infused voice are certainly the best part of the audio, but her material is scarce and provides mostly connective tissue between the testimonials. Simultaneous release with the Beyond Words hardcover. (Feb.)

Orman, whose sunny demeanor and sage personal finance advice have won the hearts of millions of readers and viewers of her eponymous CNBC show, dishes out money basics especially for women. Why is it, she asks, that in an age where women are earning larger paychecks than ever before and attaining ever-higher positions in the corporate world, that so many feel like they are drowning in debt and financial ignorance? Orman begins with some classic schadenfreude by telling her own inspiring story: the college dropout and waitress, primarily on the basis of her gangbusters personality, got some customers to loan her money to start her own restaurant—but the clueless neophyte promptly lost every penny to a shady broker. Undeterred, she decided to educate herself about money by becoming a broker herself. She shares her hard-won wisdom with trademark enthusiasm. This is a book for total beginners—those who need to learn the difference between a savings and a checking account, or between a traditional IRA and a Roth. But even financially savvy listeners will enjoy Orman’s chatty style, accentuated by the conversational and intimate approach she takes with the narration. Simultaneous release with the Spiegel & Grau hardcover (Reviews, Mar. 5). (Feb.)