ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

What a delight to hear Michael York's rendition of this classic. His distress at Alice's predicaments humanizes a character who has become a near stereotype over the decades. Listeners experience Alice's surprise as she tumbles down a near-endless hole, nibbles and drinks tidbits that make her grow and shrink, and meets one absurd personage after another. York's elegant accents highlight Carroll’s wordplay and the tangles it makes of Alice's distorted reality. His cameos of the hurried White Rabbit and dreamy-voiced, hookah-smoking Caterpillar are sound. Especially riveting is the Queen of Hearts, with her imperious shout—“Off with their heads!" As Alice explores Wonderland, York is a superb guide. S.W. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2008]