VERY OLD BONES

William Kennedy resumes his melancholy chronicle of the tragically dysfunctional Phelans, whose sufferings he began recounting in BILLY PHELAN'S GREATEST GAME and continued in the wondrous IRONWEED. This time his protagonist is Orson Purcell, the illegitimate son of painter Peter Phelan, whose art explores the origins of the family's twisted saga. If you believe that audiobooks shouldn't mediate between listener and novel, Prichard's sparse reading will be satisfying. His narration provides minimal interpretation and characterization. The burden is on the listener, who is required to pay close attention to this rich, dense work. It's worth the effort; Kennedy's tale is uncompromising, but moving. M.O. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: MAR 97]