THE HUMBLING

Creating distinctive characters is one of the gratifying gifts in the arsenal of a talented narrator. But more important in the case of a work by a literary giant is capturing the author's unique sensibility. That is what makes Dick Hill such a splendid reader of Roth's novels. Roth's heroes are tempestuous, comic creations ceaselessly in arguments with themselves, with others, and with life itself. They are infuriating, fully engaged, and, of course, hyper-articulate. Roth's latest creation, Simon Axler, is a once-eminent actor now in his mid-sixties who is facing dual crises that leave him railing, Lear-like, against the tides of age. As a character, Axler is exasperating and foolish, but in Hill's performance, mesmerizing. M.O. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2010]