THE INNER CIRCLE

Michael Kramer's dispassionate narration may at first strike listeners as unengaging, but soon it becomes apparent that he's made a clever choice. His detachment reflects one of the themes at the heart of Boyle's novel, whose protagonist, John Milk, becomes an assistant to the ground-breaking sex researcher Alfred Kinsey. The professor insists that his employees--The Inner Circle--not only share his viewpoint, but demonstrate in their own behavior that sex is merely a physiological function that stands apart from notions of love, loyalty, and fidelity. Kramer's delivery exudes the remoteness that Milk struggles to maintain for Kinsey, a man he admires and loves, and also portrays the inevitable cracks that emerge in Milk's facade. M.O. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 05]