TERRIBLE TIMES

In the third book of the Eddie Dickens trilogy, Eddie once again faces obstacles from within his family and without, as he is delegated to rescue a floundering family newspaper in America. One might wonder how this is possible with the likes of Mad Uncle Jack planning the voyage, Lady Constance Bustle and Swags as traveling companions, and Even Madder Aunt Maud as a stowaway. Yet Ardagh, with his flair for the absurd and his backward and forward storytelling, brings Eddie home. Martin Rayner takes the characters and convoluted story line in stride. Using pauses and chatty familiarity, he manages Ardagh's frequent asides and parenthetical matter, enabling the listener to keep track of the threads of the story. The sense of a personally related family story is palpable. A.R.
(c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 04]