CLASSIC TALES

Recorded as they were performed by well-known actors before a live audience, these six stories make a delightful bouquet of plot, theme, style and performance. Each story is a flower in the bouquet--beautiful in itself but enhanced by being gathered and presented together. Malachy McCourt's waggish reading of Frank O'Connor's hilarious story about a little Irish boy faced with the problem of confessing that he wants to murder his ugly, old grandmother brings shouts of laughter. It is contrasted with Carrie Nye's sly, ironic reading of Edith Wharton's "Roman Fever," in which two middle-aged women compare their lives and unveil the secret that has commanded their hearts. Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory" is the final story presented. John Shea's performance of this powerful story of the friendship between a young boy and his older cousin and their Christmas preparations and celebration is electric. The presence of the audience adds to the listener's appreciation of these wonderful stories. Hurrah for Selected Shorts! L.R.S. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 99]