THE HUNT BALL

Rita Mae Brown narrates her story of the intricacies and pleasures of fox hunting with an assurance and understanding that can only come from the author's unique knowledge of the central Virginia locale. This is a challenging novel to narrate because one needs to portray vocally not only members of the Hunt Committee, prep school girls, and academics, but also hounds, foxes, horses, an owl, and, my favorite, a neurotic cow. It's no wonder that the master of the foxhounds sounds a bit like the elder vixen and not too different from the demented cow. With effort, the listener can keep straight who's talking, enjoy the humor, and appreciate the excitement. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 06]