THE COLLECTED WORKS OF BILLY THE KID

Ondaatje’s novel about Billy the Kid (William Bonney) reads like a diary blended with historical accounts. Stefan Rudnicki strikes a tone that's thoughtful and poetic, visceral and violent. It serves both the straightforward storytelling and the musings, as when Bonney describes the deaths he has seen or his calm as he "burned out" a fever. While he's mainly reading as Billy the Kid, interludes in the voices of the others in Bonney's life let Rudnicki show off his vocal talents. This is fiction, but it feels like it's real, making for a dramatic listening experience. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2009]