THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH

Norman Dietz, an active audiobook narrator, has a deliberate manner of speaking which seems painfully slow with certain texts and meshes well with others. Here, in this children's classic, he shines. His expressive deliberateness conveys a sense of open-mouthed wonder. His deep and friendly voice sounds like a favored uncle reading to a circle of children. The listener is carried into the story and becomes the jaded Milo, encountering bizarre characters and peculiar places. The text is unadorned by sound effects or music, but it's no impediment to pleasurable listening. D.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JAN 94]