CLASSIC RUSSIAN SHORT STORIES

The survey begins with Pushkin's "The Shot." Why should an officer who can shoot a fly with his pistol be so reluctant to use that instrument to save his honor? It ends with Gogol's "The Overcoat." A poor clerk bets his life on a new coat. This may be one of the funniest stories ever written; it is certainly one of the saddest. Charlton Griffin is an extraordinarily gifted narrator, and his performance is enhanced with music and sound effects. There are six different stories, and six different writers. Since Griffin's voice is the same, and since so much ground is being covered, the listener must pay attention or else be lost. The effort is rewarded. These are the classics. B.H.C. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 02]