Sodom and Gomorrah--Part I

SODOM AND GOMORRAH is the eighth in Naxos AudioBooks' adaptation of REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST. In this volume, our narrator, Proust, visits the coastal resort of Balbec for a second time and observes the homosexual behavior of his acquaintances. Neville Jason makes vivid distinctions among the singular characters, such as the aging Baron de Charlus, the insouciant violinist Charles Morel and the pretentious Mme. Verdurin. But Jason is particularly skillful in portraying Proust's dramatic shift from observer to participant when he discovers his beloved Albertine's preference for women. The abridgment is excellent--the mood and progression of the text are enhanced by a marvelous selection of piano and violin music--and the reader feels not the least bit cheated out of the whole--only, perhaps, the regret in having to wait, with a Proustian longing, for the next recording in the cycle. J.H.L. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine