NJAL'S SAGA

Dramatic and compelling, this medieval novel recounting bloody feuds and complex legal battles in Iceland, along with adventures and battles abroad, is often flat in the writing. Much of Gunnar Cauthery's narration is similarly--and fittingly--flat in tone, but still expressive. When emotion in speeches is required, or appropriate, he provides it. His pronunciation of Norse names is convincing and authoritative. There would be no point trying to give all the shifting wilderness of characters unique voices; Cauthery gives distinctive voices to major figures and differentiates the rest sufficiently. His pacing and match of expression to sense are unnoticeably deft, allowing the listener to simply absorb the story. This is a skilled presentation of a remarkable work, a historic treasure. W.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2021]