Fresh Complaint

The theme of complaint extends beyond the title story, but for listeners the key takeaway is the word "fresh." Jeffrey Eugenides's fresh writing merges the mundane with the meaningful. "Airmail," with a plot that fuses amoebic dysentery with spiritual enlightenment, showcases his originality and--since he also narrates it--his ability to navigate multiple accents and personalities. The audio production does have flaws, though. Cynthia Nixon appears miscast in "The Baster," a story with a male first-person narrator. Still, her performances of it and her other story, "Complainers," are stellar. Ari Fliakos narrates the remaining stories with good instincts and character interplay, but a wavering Irish accent injures his efforts. These complaints should not deter listeners from hearing the more profound stories in this collection. K.W. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine