ON ANIMALS

Susan Orlean has a thing about animals, particularly those that might be kept as pets. In this entertaining book, which she narrates herself, Orlean investigates our intense love of the domesticated animals who steal our hearts, be they chickens, dogs, donkeys, or lions. Orlean has a flattened, nasal voice that is nonetheless engaging. She reads clearly at an unrushed pace with a downbeat delivery that suits the book's funny situations and quirky, occasionally bizarre, characters. The woman with tigers in rural New Jersey is definitely bizarre, while the owners of the show dog are a tad quirky. As for Orlean herself, she is thrilled when the post office calls to say, "You have a package here, and it's clucking." A.C.S. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2021]