SILAS MARNER

Those fortunate enough never to have been required to read Eliot's classic in high school will find delight in choosing voluntarily to immerse themselves in this performance by Derek Perkins. He brings out Eliot's wit and compassion, as well as the psychological acuity that led Trollope to call her "the first of English novelists" of her day. The story takes place mostly in narrow geographic bounds, so there is not much variation of accent, but Perkins makes all the characters distinctive enough for the listener to follow the story. Marner himself is particularly affecting, a man who understands loss and betrayal, and has learned to recover from both. D.M.H. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2018]