JUST WILLIAM

William Brown, fondly known as Just William, is a British cultural icon. This dauntless 11-year-old emerged from stories written from 1920 to 1950, yet small boys, imagination, and mischief never go out of date. A quintessential schoolboy, William is a British equivalent of Dennis the Menace. Actor Martin Jarvis creates a brilliant portrait of William. Heard first as radio broadcasts, the stories enthralled legions of British fans. This collection is William’s American debut, as the stories are not even available here in print. Martin Jarvis inhabits these escapades of boyish enthusiasm. He creates William’s manner, his apologies, and his imaginative explanations with devilish charm and hilarious wit. Some calamity always trails in William’s wake, and both adults and children will succumb to William’s charm and hope he doesn’t move next door. What will Americans think of William? This audio collection is William’s entrée and Jarvis’s portrait couldn’t be a better introduction. Some of William’s social courtesies will seem out-dated and Briticisms abound, but William’s adventures are timeless, funny, and charming. This is not for listeners who don’t like British accents; but for Anglophiles, it’s heaven. Martin Jarvis’s remarkable talents are showcased in these dozen stories, and his performance should not be missed. R.F.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 02]