The Great Gatsby

New productions of literary classics allow new generations to discover elegant writing and learn about bygone eras. The 1920s seem so long ago, but this book reminds us that some themes are universal and timeless. Narrator William Hope delivers the novel in a deep, smooth, authoritative voice that fully captures the work by correctly focusing on the author's depiction of the American mythos as well as the plot. Hope's technical skills, such as diction and tone, are also impeccable. His characters, though, are not as successful. He tends to go overboard with his accents and raises his voice beyond what is necessary in order to get Fitzgerald's point across. The effect is that he creates caricatures rather than believable people. R.I.G. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

November 15, 2010

Canadian actor William Hope reads Naxos AudioBooks' first unabridged production of Fitzgerald's classic novel of the Roaring Twenties. It is a book that deserves a perfect reading, and though numerous other narrators have tried--among them Robertson Dean, Anthony Heald, Alexander Scourby, and Tim Robbins--Hope may have come closest to achieving this perfection. He stumbles a bit at the beginning, drawing upon the revelation that narrator Nick Carraway is a Yale man by making the narration somewhat arch, but once he settles down, Hope ably conveys Carraway's optimistic innocence. He also does quite well with the party guests and the gambler Meyer Wolfsheim, faltering only by making Tom Buchanan sound a bit like a gravel-voiced truck driver. Recommended for absolutely everyone, as even those familiar with the novel may notice something new thanks to Hope's nuanced (and only mildly faulty) performance. [Gatz, a live ensemble reading of this classic novel, is currently playing to great reviews.--Ed.]--Michael Adams, CUNY Graduate Ctr. Lib.

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