THE SCANDAL OF THE SEASON

Cameron Stewart's crisp narration leads us into the social whirl of 1711 London and the world of Alexander Pope, a striving poet. His observations on society resulted in "The Rape of the Lock," a poem that launched his literary success. Gee's book is meticulously researched--from its details on the Catholic-Jacobite controversies to the historical personages of the time. While the writing reflects a period awash in banter and wit, the slowness of the story might frustrate some historical fiction lovers as much as it pleases others. Cameron Stewart's reading is successful except when he flies into a distracting falsetto as he delivers the dialogue of the female characters. S.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 07/ JAN 08]