Across the River and Into the Trees

In classic Hemingway style, a middle-aged American colonel stationed in Europe spends a great deal of time philosophizing about the meaning of war and agonizing over the unspecified physical impairments that prevent him from having a sex life with his teenaged paramour. Boyd Gaines captures the novel's poignancy and brings some life to the endless narrative passages. He imparts an indeterminate European accent to the young Italian countess while giving her a sense of maturity beyond her limited years. While not one of Hemingway's best, this work shows his passion for description and his attraction to impossible romantic situations. Gaines conveys it all in the same tone one imagines the author heard while writing it. R.L.L. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine