cover image English

English

Wang Gang, , read by Michael Sun Lee. . Penguin, $39.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-14-314438-0

Wang's novel—based partially on his own experience—of learning English study during China's Cultural Revolution—is rather botched by a confusing performance by Christopher Lee. Lee's stop-and-start reading, overly careful parsing and somewhat stilted performance of the book's dialogue impedes listeners from immersing themselves in this critically and commercially successful Chinese novel. The pauses, rather than adding to the drama, conspire to suck it out of this story of totalitarian inhumanity, familial squabbling and the glories of learning English. Lee sounds like he is reading from a script he is unfamiliar with, with meaning and momentum taking a backseat to his careful pronunciation. A Viking hardcover (Reviews, Feb. 2). (Apr.)