HOUSES OF STONE

Women's literature scholar Karen Holloway determines to solve the mysteries of "Ismene" and her apparently autobiographical novel. Michaels's format, a story within a story, presents special difficulties in audio. As the two stories shift back and forth, Rosenblat's attempts to keep the distinctions of each clear are often confounded by muddy writing. Nonetheless, Rosenblat skates with zest through the Gothic doings. Her character differentiations are clear and rather fun, but Michaels's descriptive details weigh her down. This book is clearly a candidate for abridgment. S.B.S. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 96]