July
2009
AUDIO BOOK REVIEWS
by Jonathan Lowe
Was there ever an actor more iconic than
Paul Newman? Since the star's death in
the Fall of 2008, author Shawn Levy has
been compiling anecdotes and opinions
for his new book PAUL NEWMAN: A LIFE.
What he reveals is a man of contrasts.
A rebel yet devoted husband, Newman was
also a Hustler and philanthropist—an
average student who took acting seriously
and became Nobody's Fool. Like
his colleagues Steve McQueen and James
Dean, Paul also loved fast cars, but not
Hollywood glamour. So he became one of
those rarest of stars who cared little
for stardom, and therefore surprised everyone
by actually being kind and giving to everyone
on the set. (As opposed to the egocentric
Madonna, as revealed in her brother's
recent biography.) Levy is in obvious
awe of the man, and since there is little
here on the negative side of the ledger,
this biography sounds like a love poem
to one's favorite actor. Of course there's
not much negative to say about this blue-eyed
charmer, either. (As opposed to, say,
Sinatra). On audio, the book is narrated
by Marc Cashman, a voice-acting coach
who has dubbed foreign films and created
voices for video game characters. From
his tone on this generous production,
it's a sure bet that both author and narrator
consume plenty of Newman's Own spaghetti
sauce and popcorn. (Random House Audio;
6 hours abridged) |
Next, if you remember when you were fifteen,
you can probably relate to feelings of
angst. Few teens have a sense of perspective,
and so problems seem magnified at a time
when peers can seem cruel and vindictive,
and self esteem at an all time low. For
Colie Sparks in KEEPING THE MOON by Sarah
Dessen, summer in a seaside town in North
Carolina—while her mother tours
Europe—naturally portends disaster.
Saddled with a bad self image to begin
with, Colie expects the worst. But this
is a summer that will change her life
forever, with the help of new friends
at the waitressing job she takes. Dessen
also drafts a cool eccentric to help Colie,
in the form of a non-judgmental aunt.
The young adult novel boasts believable
characters enhanced by a spirited performance
by Stina Nielsen. Nothing too dramatic
or evil happens here, except that, in
the eyes of a teen, everything that happens—particularly
romance—has infinite repercussions.
(Penguin Audio; 6 1/2 hours unabridged) |
Imagine that a gathering of billionaire
corporate big wigs, meeting for a private
party at a ski resort in Montana, gets
invaded by an armed militia seeking to
put them on trial for greed and environmental
pollution. The trials are broadcast live
on the internet, and everyone gets to
vote on the executions. That's the premise
of TRIPLE CROSS by Mark T. Sullivan, author
of
Labyrinth and
Serpent's Kiss. As the markets
crash on the news, an FBI financial crimes
specialist, (along with the exclusive
Jefferson Club's director and his three
children), seek to undermine the plot
and uncover a twisting secret. Narrator
Lloyd James interprets the character voices,
adding color to the text, although not
without a few glitches (including a couple
repeated lines not caught by the editor).
Nothing stunning here, either, just an
original plot that could have been more
deftly written, knowing how hostage stories
always seem to rely on the usual cliches
of language, surprise ("no, no, noooo!"),
and pedestrian romance ("wasn't I
good?"). (Tantor Audio; 12 hours
unabridged) |
SF author Robert Sawyer's 2000 novel CALCULATING
GOD has won a recent Audie award for its
production at Audible. The plot features
a curator for the Royal Ontario Museum
who encounters a spiderlike alien paleontologist
named Hollus, and begins an in depth conversation
about science and religion. Hollus is
only one of three species of alien, and
proves to be a surprise in several ways.
One, he turns out to be a she—and
a mother—despite assumptions to
the contrary. Second, Hollus believes
in God, and argues proof linked to astronomical
events common to both of their worlds.
So it's intelligent design vs. natural
selection, but not in the context of limiting
God to a short history or having to dupe
man by creating light waves en route to
Earth from distant galaxies. Curator Jericho
is dying of cancer, which adds tension
and urgency to an understanding of these
deep mysteries, but although one of the
races has a near light speed spaceship,
none of them can cure Jericho. What they
do is even more astonishing, though, and
explains why they can't cure him. Great
books have big themes, and push the envelope,
and this one certainly does. Is it great?
Well, it's better than most, and with
the narration of Jonathan Davis, whose
talents encompassed both
Star Wars on audio and
Snow Crash—a true masterpiece—you
can hardly do better. (Audible; 10
hours unabridged) |
Finally, a London financier named John
Stone either fell to his death or was
murdered, and it's up to the journalist
hired to write his biography to find out
in STONE'S FALL by Iain Pears. Given the
scope of this epic multi-generational
historical mystery, however, finding out
the truth will take time. Lots of it.
Moving backward from London in 1909 to
Paris in 1890 to Venice in 1867, the full
telling of the tale requires three separate
narrators: John Lee, Roy Dotrice, and
Simon Vance. What is revealed is more
ambitious than any mere whodunit, too,
for the real story here is the evolution
of international finance and the eventual
arms race. Money and politics figure high
as the theme of this triptych, unfolding
amid an age that saw the birth of espionage.
The narrators are all first rate, equipped
with the requisite vocal and pacing skills
to keep the tale engrossing. You need
narrators like these, too, considering
that a full day is needed to listen, nonstop.
Pears is author of
An Instance of the Fingerpost,
and
The Dream of Scipio, as well
as much non fiction in the fields of finance
and history. (Random House Audio;
24 hours unabridged) |
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