LAST ORDERS

Jack Dodds and his three buddies, Ray, Vic, and Lenny, have spent a lifetime together in their London neighborhood. They love and hate each other and are safe in their intimate sparring until Jack suddenly dies of cancer and leaves them bereft. One autumn day, the three friends join with Jack's estranged son to toss Jack's ashes into the sea. As the four men drive, they review their collective history and create a memorable quartet about friendship and fate. Graham Swift tells his Booker Prize-winning novel in a fascinating layering of voices, which are wonderfully re-created by this audiobook's seven narrators. Many are stars of the audiobook world, and their skills are in evidence as they disappear into the range of voices and personalities in this wise tale. The only quibble is that the men's voices are similar enough that one doesn't always know which character is speaking. Somehow, though, that doesn't bother. This is a lovely listen. A.C.S. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 03/JAN 04]