RHUBARB

Craig Silvey's poetic debut novel is a first-rate fit for audio, thanks to the deep, shivery voice of Humphrey Bower. Bower becomes blind Eleanor Rigby and agoraphobic cello player Ewan, two people who find each other. In addition, Bower voices all the lonely people in the world the couple inhabits, including Eleanor's mother, a TV addict; Frank, a depressed widower; Bruno, the faux-Italian; and others. The setting of Western Australia and the deep, dense journey into the consciousness of each character provide a sense of place, photographically accurate or dreamscape surreal. The novel is breathy in its staccato-short sentences and florid in its convoluted, lush language. Even its sometimes confusing plot shifts are overcome by Bower, who rides the story like a surfer on a magnificent wave. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 07]