THE ERNEST HEMINGWAY AUDIO COLLECTION

Charlton Heston reads THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA and THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO on three of the four CDs in this attractive package; both readings are captivating. THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA, which won a Grammy in 1977, particularly merits acclaim. Heston's deep, melodious voice personifies old Santiago as movingly as Spencer Tracy did in the film rendition of the same role. In SNOWS, Heston sensitively reveals the nature of the dying man--his anger, hostilities, sorrows, and compassions. Readings by the author himself, recorded on primitive equipment between 1948 and 1961, include his Nobel Award acceptance speech, his "Second Poem to Mary," and four other brief selections. They are interesting only because we have so little documentation of Hemingway's voice, which turns outs to be squeaky and high-pitched. The famously macho man and great writer sounds much better in Charlton Heston's voice. R.E.K. 2002 Audie Award Finalist (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/ JAN 02]