DOWN THUNDER ROAD

In an interview at the end of the audio version of Down Thunder Road, author/reader Marc Eliot refers to Bruce Springsteen as a Hamlet. Despite the implicit range of this literary reference, the boundaries of Eliot's own work are much narrower. Forsaking any real examination of Springsteen's work itself, Eliot instead traces the rise and fall of former manager Mike Appel's relationship with Springsteen. Eliot's narration is straightforward and well-executed. He jumps nimbly between protagonists with the simplest changes of inflection and intonation--no small feat considering the large amount of directly quoted material, including a highly effective dramatization of court transcripts. While limited in scope, Down Thunder Road proves to be entertaining. R.W.B. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPT 92]