PARADISE

Philip Bosco's scratchy voice and sedate pace are perfect for the memoirs of this famous fiction writer from West Texas, and Bosco handles its subtle humor with skillful restraint. In the poignant beginning, McMurtry relates uncomfortable personal details about his family that flow into a travel story as he sets sail on a ship in the South Pacific. His descriptions of the other passengers, one a woman "whose face was a venetian blind of wrinkles," sound like some of the characters from his novels. In a clever mixture of guide's chatter, local history, book reviews, and food lessons, we enjoy an audio cruise to the Marquesa Islands by an expert in reporting on casual seediness. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 02/ JAN 03]