THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST

Kazantzakis's fictional story of Christ unfolds at an almost unrelievedly high pitch of emotion; Joshua Saxon's narration manages to convey that high pitch without seeming overwrought in a performance that engages, rather than wearies, the listener. His voice is strong--but flexible and expressive. Its usual mode is slightly hoarse and resonant with feeling, with barely restrained passion, all true to the book. Saxon's acting is more heartfelt and energetic than nuanced, but that also fits the text and is mostly convincing, occasionally moving. He varies his voice successfully for different characters. A scattering of mispronounced words, some momentarily jarring, can be taken in stride. Saxon delivers a vivid, generally skilled, and appropriately impassioned reading of this long and difficult work. W.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2021]