SOPHIE'S CHOICE

This recording is a complete and utter success if for no other reason than it makes you almost (almost) forget about Meryl Streep's tragic performance in the film version. It follows, then, that the person responsible for this success is narrator William Hope. He does a masterful job acting, not merely reading, Styron's extraordinary novel. Hope's portrayal of the trio of characters is true and explicit--Southern Stingo, Brooklynite Nathan, and Polish Sophie. Hope's voice embraces these people and destroys their facades to expose all the emotion, pathos, and humanity they can exude. He also transitions from one character to the next flawlessly, using almost perfect diction and pacing. It is entirely possible to hear every word in the book. That's how clear he is. R.I.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 05]