Ten works by nine authors make up this enjoyable collection. The highlight is the short novel by Seamus O'Kelly, "The Weaver's Grave." As with the other story collections by Audio Connoisseur, the dignified, actorish readings by Charlton Griffin are enhanced by sound effects and music layered in subtly and effectively. A solo violin adds weight and poignancy to the setting for the comic clash between the two old men in the O'Kelly selection. The combination of reader, sound effects, and music makes for a classy production and another strong addition to the Audio Connoisseur catalog.
Glenn Hopp
AudioFile Magazine
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It happens every year at the Ides of March; the bookstores fill with new tomes about Ireland. You can see the displays of large-format photo books and guides to Irish pubs, but to get a better feel for the Emerald Isle, you would do well to listen to one.
The Irish have long had a reputation as tellers of tales, and over the years that country has produced more than its share of excellent short story writers. This collection, which includes works by James Joyce, Oliver Goldsmith, Oscar Wilde and Frank O'Connor, among others, provides a good introduction to the genre.
Charlton Griffin reads all of the stories and effectively voices different characters; there are times you would swear there are several readers. Sometimes his Irish accents veer close to Barry Fitzgerald, but all in all, his narration works very well. This production also features music, songs and sound effects, all of which help set the scene for the stories.
The tales by Joyce and Wilde are among their less well known, and for that reason are good selections. "Adventures of a Strolling Player,” by Oliver Goldsmith, works admirably in this format, as it is related by one character to another in a tavern; at several points in the story, the men stop to "clink" glasses.
"My Oedipus Complex" by Frank O'Connor emerges as the best of this volume. O'Connor may not be as widely known as some of the other authors, but he is a master of the short story form and this is one of his best. It centers on a young boy whose life with his mother is thrown out of sync when his father returns from the war.
Patrick Flynn
AudioBooksToday.com
