Utopia

Surprisingly apropos as civilization enters the twenty-first century, Sir Thomas More's Utopia offers a perceptive analysis of social, economic, and moral hypocrisies in sixteenth-century England through a portrait of an ideal world on an imaginary island. In this perfect communal world the sparkling of the stars is valued above precious gems. But elements of hypocrisy creep in--as revealed in More's offhand acceptance of slavery and misogyny. Through James Adams's skillful narration one envisions More standing at a lectern in historical garb. Adams's deep, measured tones lend weight to the utopian portrayal, as do his accurate pronunciations of the names of Greek philosophers. The disparity between More's world of harmony and balance and the real events of the last 500 years makes this work all the more relevant. A.W. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine