WITHIN A BUDDING GROVE, PART II

In the second of the seven novels that make up Remembrance of Things Past, the young narrator, Marcel, and his grandmother visit the seaside resort of Balbec for his health. Neville Jason seamlessly portrays the parade of characters with subtle changes in inflection--whether Robert de Saint-Loup ("his head erect, perpetually balancing the movement of his limbs around the fugitive and dancing monocle") or Albertine Simenon ("her polo cap pulled down towards her plump cheeks"). In addition to selecting the lyrical piano interludes, Jason has shaped each scene in his clear, measured presentation so the irony, humor and richness of Proust's observations engage the listener intimately. J.H.L. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 98]