Sense and Sensuality

Simon Vance delivers a short biography of dramatist, playwright, and critic Oscar Wilde before he prepares the listener for a creative dialogue between Jesus, Pascal, and Wilde. The pacing is even, the characterization distinctive. Shortly before death, Wilde is transported to a cemetery where he meets with Jesus. Vance voices Wilde's questions to Jesus with empathy and portrays Jesus's answers from Scripture in easy, natural tones of authority laced with deep empathy. Their discussion involves the nature of man, pain, and pleasure and the differences between God's law and grace. With versatility and skill, Vance makes each conversationalist distinct, but naming the speaker is unnecessary, distracting, and takes away from an excellent narrative. G.D.W. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine