MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN

This surely rates as one of the more challenging audiobooks to perform. (The novel was published in 1999.) The story's narrator, Lionel Essrog, has Tourette syndrome. Geoffrey Cantor delivers his eruptions of words effectively, seamlessly moving from Lionel's verbal tics to his straightforward storytelling. He does convincing New York accents and delivers the gangster patter with the right tone and style. He reads Lethem's literary take on classic detective fiction with empathy, and his narration is eloquently done. This 2014 production is a roller-coaster ride through 1950s New York City with stops at a Zen center, a Brooklyn brownstone occupied by a pair of mobsters--one even reminds the listener of Brando in THE GODFATHER--and a thrilling chase scene that ends up on the coast of Maine. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2023]