MORAL DISORDER

This book of 11 linked short stories, with it inevitable episodic quality, captures that sense we sometimes have of life being a series of crises and peak experiences, separated by stretches of seeming ordinariness. The incidents come from the life of a woman named Nell over a sixty-year span. On the whole, the stories rely more on the richness of the narrative voice (not always first person) than on the immediacy of dramatized scenes. Susan Denaker's reading shows a good understanding of this trait. Her careful pace facilitates the listener's comprehension of Atwood's prose, and her clear, intelligent narration accords well with this thoughtful, emotionally rich book. G.H. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 07]