Listen Up
Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie
Read by Samuel West
Naxos AudioBooks
$11.98 (CD $13.98)
Two cassettes, 2.5 hrs., abridged
The charming boy who wouldn't grow up has inspired so many storybooks, plays, and cartoons it might seem hard to take a fresh look at the story. From the opening passages, Samuel West draws the listener's immediate attention. His resonant voice is charismatic; like Peter, he begs listeners to follow the tale he'll tell. To return to Barrie's original story reveals a charm and a certain moralism that both captures its own period and retains a freshness for today's young listeners.
West delivers deliciously imaginative character voices - Wendy, Captain Hook, pirate Smee, Peter, and each of the lost boys and pirates - but never allows them to become caricatures. The adventure is very real, and West's superb storytelling style involves listeners of all ages. He reveals a subtle side of Barrie's enduring classic that's overshadowed in stage and screen productions. The production uses carefully chosen and beautifully orchestrated music, and the abridgment flows smoothly. A family listening treat that will delight adults - even if they think they're too grown up.
Crooked Little Heart
By Anne Lamott
Read by Kate Burton
Random House Audiobooks, $18
Two cassettes, 3 hrs., abridged
Word by Word, by Anne Lamott
A Recorded Workshop with the author
Writer's Audio Shop, $17.95
Two cassettes, 3 hrs.
Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott
Read by the Author
Audio Partners, $17.95
Two cassettes, 3 hrs., abridged
Listening to any of these audio titles make a glorious introduction, or reacquaintance, with Anne Lamott. Known for her fiction - "Crooked Little Heart" is the newest - Lamott is also loved and respected for her writing workshops and her inspiring book "Bird by Bird," which follows the structure of a workshop with encouragement and observations on writing.
