Silas Marner

In her lifetime, Marian Evans (1819-80) was celebrated under her pen name of George Eliot as England's greatest living novelist. Today, she is known primarily as the bane of school kids who, having SILAS MARNER thrust down their throats, learn to despise the written word. Dove seeks to make palatable the dreaded tome, about a reclusive miser redeemed by the orphan girl he raises, by engaging Stephanie Beacham to narrate its cassette version. And what a job she does! Thoroughly nuanced and idiomatic. Unfortunately, sloppy editing destroys most of her rhythms and blunts the power of her performance. However, Beacham so excels that one willingly endures the botched surgery on her pauses to hear her breathe dimensional life into the old bogey-book. If you're a former school kid wondering just what the heck makes this novel living literature, you may find out by picking up this audiobook. Y.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine


This classic story of guilt, innocence, and the power of love, with its diverse cast of characters, is a challenging audio production. The capable Andrew Sachs provides a steady, enjoyable reading. His light British accent carries the story, which is set in early nineteenth-century England. Faced with depicting young and old, gentlepeople and common folk, Sachs provides genuine characterizations. He handles the variety of dialects masterfully and with clarity. Most enjoyable is his vocalization of Eppie, a sweet and charming characterization that reflects the light she brings into Silas Marner's life. J.J.B. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine