A HOUSE CALLED AWFUL END

When Eddie's parents send him to live with Mad Uncle Jack while they recover from an illness that makes them turn yellow and go crinkly around the edges, Eddie brushes off his mother's concern that he might end up in St. Horrid's Home for Grateful Orphans. But end up there he does in this story that owes much to Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Narrator Martin Rayner seizes on the absurd in his reading, giving uniquely appropriate voices to the major characters--particularly Mad Uncle Jack and Even Madder Aunt Maud. Rayner's British accent is light enough to give flavor without overwhelming the listener. While this is not as darkly humorous as the sublime Snicket audios, many fans will find this a similar listen. A.F.
(c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 04]