THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

Joanna David's precise and luxurious reading does much to enliven Brookner's text, but this story of two friends reunited takes a long time to get started. Told from the perspective of a judgmental and discontented narrator, the story meanders as she sometimes repeats herself, telling the story rather than showing the episodes themselves. The action picks up in places, enough to provide some conflict and interest, but overall the novel is slow. David's enthusiastic reading and attention to delivery are delightful in an audiobook that needs that kind of energy. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 05]