WHAT’S BRED IN THE BONE

Frederick Davidson performs this intelligent and entertaining novel about the life of Francis Cornish as told by the guardian spirit who controls his fate. Cornish is a secretive man of extraordinary artistic talent, who suffers with a lonely heart. The attentive listener is aided by Davidson’s portrayal of this spirit’s slightly detached, but affectionate and bemused, tone towards Cornish, as well as by Davidson’s reasonable pace and careful pronunciation. Seasoned with a pleasant British dialect, Davidson’s cultivated tone fits well Davies’s elegant writing style. In addition, Davidson employs a rhythmic rising and falling of pitch, which is surprisingly effective in entertaining and relaxing the listener. His emphases are intelligently chosen, and his characterizations of women are especially good. P.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: NOV/DEC 96]