WAR OF THE ENCYCLOPAEDISTS

Robinson and Kovite's novel documents a year (2004-2005) in the life of a quartet of American hipsters, some of whom go to war in Iraq. The book is beautifully written. Its occasional indulgence in literary virtuosity that does not further the plot is consistent with the characters' worldview. The authors narrate their own audiobook together--trading off scenes and voices. Although not professional performers, they are excellent readers. Their narration is well paced, and they have strong, clear voices. As with many ensemble performances, there's added energy when two people read to/with each other. The evolving online encyclopedia entry, which appears like a chorus, works well even though it requires the narrators to read repetitive Internet code. F.C. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2015]