Mash

Starred review from March 31, 2014
Hookerâs novelâwhich inspired the eponymous feature film and television sitcomâfollows three Army surgeons as they work together in Korea during the Korean War. As casualties rise and the conflict drags on, the surgeons find their own chaotic and darkly funny ways of coping. Veteran narrator Heller skillfully reads this memorable audio edition. Hookerâs classic black comedy features a host of quirky characters, making it the sort of novel that might require multiple narrators for the audiobook. But here, Heller is up to the task by himself. His narration is never showy; instead he uses subtle vocalization to distinguish each character. Hellerâs narration captures the bookâs irreverence with a conversational, brisk paceâalmost as if he were recounting stories with former brothers-in-arms.