GOD IS DEAD

This blackly humorous group of linked short stories begins with God, incarnated as an African woman, dying in the Sudan. She/he is eaten by dogs that can then communicate telepathically, so that the news gets out. The world goes to pot, then recovers, but never fully. Gabriel Baron's voice is not naturally strong or engaging, but he uses it skillfully. His reading is expressive, accurate, and well paced, and he modulates his tone well to indicate different characters. But his capable performance can't quite compensate for the sometimes tedious, farfetched satire, which only strikes fire occasionally. Listening to this book is probably better than reading it, but it's still not quite enjoyable. W.M. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 07/ JAN 08]