WATERSHIP DOWN

Narrator Peter Capaldi’s resonant voice is perfect for this rerelease of Adams’s 1972 epic. Besides his natural Scottish accent, Capaldi crafts more than 20 distinctive voices for this story of a small group of rabbits who are fleeing an impending disaster. Hazel, the group's leader, sounds likable and capable—but without the machismo of Bigwig, the group's strongest defender. Fiver, too, has a standout voice as the meek prophetic visionary who often influences decisions. Capaldi’s pacing is dynamic. His narration of lush descriptive passage of the English countryside is unhurried and soothing, while depictions of battles with rival rabbits and predators bring out all the danger and terror. Capaldi delivers a riveting version of this wonderful classic. L.T. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2020 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2019]