ISLAND The Collected Stories

Eight sensual, sentimental tales in a minor key about the small lives of rural Canadian fisherfolk, miners, and farmers are noteworthy for their lyricism and authentic detail. What concerns the author is what concerns his subjects--family, love, the struggle to make a living, pride. The readings in this CBC selection vary from the stentorian pretentiousness of Frank Perry to the superbly atmospheric renderings of Gordon Pinsent and Joseph Rutten. All have been indifferently mastered, suffering intermittent stridency and loss of the upper register. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 02]