The Origin of Species

In celebration of the centenary of Charles Darwin's birth, Tantor has published a narration of his seminal work, THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. The package includes an ebook, a searchable electronic edition of the original book. David Case, a fine British narrator who died in 2005, presents Darwin's work as if the author were reading it. Choosing to narrate in the high-pitched, nasal tones of Darwin's era and class is clever acting, but it can be hard listening. Case also veers toward a monotone, which doesn't help listeners follow Darwin's descriptions of mollusk types and the variation of finch beaks. I read much of the ebook and tuned into the narration occasionally, which worked well. A.C.S. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine


Very few people can confidently summarize Charles Darwin's contribution to the theory of evolution. Fewer still can claim an understanding of his methods. This two-cassette abridgment will put the average lay person well ahead of his peers on both counts. Ken Ruta has a very listenable voice and reads Darwin's lucid, dense prose with appropriate deliberatation and clarity. The sound is a bit telephone-like (lacking in lows) but is perfectly intelligible. J.N. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine