THE BOX

The stories in this brief collection—fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and horror of the "Twilight Zone" type—are somewhat dated and uneven, but entertaining; the title story was recently made into a film. Grover Gardner's reading is precise and fluent; he never gives the wrong emphasis or mispronounces, and his pacing is effortlessly fine. He subtly varies his voice to indicate different characters, always smoothly, yet clearly; one hardly notices him doing it. His style is too precise and polished to be a comfortable match for the two dialects called for—one urban black, one countrified—but he does well enough. Overall, his subtle and skillful performance enhances the entertainment value of these stories. W.M. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2010]