Great American Authors Read from Their Works, Volume 1

[Editors? Note: The following is a combined review of Volume 1 and Volume 2.]--What a treasure it is to have this collection of some of modern literature's best authors reading some of their most renowned works for fans and future generations. Listeners will hear James Baldwin's anger and underlying bitterness in his tone as well as William Styron's particular enunciation and subtle vocal variations. This production also features two cuts with James Jones, describing sublime details as men prepare for battle. Philip Roth narrates with obvious emotion as he recounts his characters' plights. Bernard Malamud's slight accent and love for his characters are both entertaining and personal. John Updike's soft but firm delivery and Nelson Algren's nasal tone and clipped narration make for great storytelling as well as providing insight into the creative process. R.O. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

June 1, 2014

Gr 8 Up-James Baldwin, William Styron, James Jones, Nelson Algren, Bernard Malamud, and John Updike read their own works in these reissues, making the literature seem immediate and evocative. Baldwin's stories, "Another Country" and "Giovanni's Room," are intensely personal, with adult language, suicide, and sexuality. Styron's "Lie Down in Darkness" bears a strange portent of abandonment and death. "From Here to Eternity" and "The Thin Red Line" are Jones's war stories that reveal a poetic horror. Algren's "The Man With the Golden Arm" refers to a card shark and addict, while Malamud's "Mourners" is a view of decrepit old age at its most unbearable. "Lifeguard," as read by Updike, gives insight into a young man's arrogance and ego. The most skilled reader is undoubtedly Philip Roth, who believably creates three separate characters in "Letting Go." Liner notes will help listeners understand the time in which the writings take place as well as the context of each work. These masterpieces are all notable examples of 20th-century American short stories, and hearing the writers interpreting their own words is a rare treat.-Lonna Pierce, MacArthur and Thomas Jefferson Elementary Schools, Binghamton, NY

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