DRACULA

Stoker's familiar classic is presented in truly memorable ways. The vampire himself, Count Dracula, is made chillingly bloodcurdling by narrator Greg Wise, but the other characters he reads are equally on target. Speaking of targets, the damsels whose necks the count would love to kiss are flawlessly rendered by Saskia Reeves. This is an audiobook tour de force, a seemingly full-cast recording of many voices and accents, set amid exquisitely handled elements of drama, fear, puzzlement, and resolve. Daytime listeners will hate to see it end; nighttime ones may hesitate to turn off the lights and will keep their crosses and wooden stakes handy. T. H. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 03]