The Graduate

Set during the sexual revolution of the 1960s, this classic story of a directionless college graduate is performed in all of its soap-opera glory. Benjamin Braddock is seduced into a summer affair with the frigid wife of a family friend but is soon conflicted over his attraction to his lover's daughter. Scott Brick displays a wide range of vocal styles and gives a melancholic yet playful performance that captures character personalities with precision. It's a superb delivery--from the high-pitched voice of insecure, sexually inexperienced Benjamin and the browbeating tones of his parents to the husky, sultry voice of Mrs. Robinson. Brick's sexy bass voice and measured pace make this a deliciously fun distraction listeners will enjoy. A.L.B. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

January 26, 2009
Graduating college provided no answers for Benjamin Braddock; it only furthered his frustration and angst with the world. Upon returning home, his disdain leads him into an affair with Mrs. Robinson, the wife of his father's business partner. However, no sooner does Braddock score with her than he is off courting her daughter, Elaine, in some perverse rendition of the Oedipal complex. Brick provides a strong narration of the text and executes believable voices for his male and female characters, as usual. His delivery of Benjamin is distinct enough to not seem derivative of Dustin Hoffman's performance in the 1967 film adaptation. However, Brick often portrays Benjamin as a whiney and petulant dolt much more than Webb's spare and sly 1963 novel suggests, which undermines the character's narrative. A Washington Square Press paperback.