BLIND WILLOW, SLEEPING WOMAN

These 24 short stories were written over a number of years by the author of the novel KAFKA ON THE SHORE. Most have elements that border on the surreal, and few can be parsed without recourse to otherworldly explanations. Patrick Lawlor reads the stories narrated by men, which is most of them; Ellen Archer reads those that are told by women. While they each do a fine job, Archer's voice seems more compatible with the material. Almost all the stories are set in Tokyo, and while the narration is necessarily in English, Archer's reading seems more Japanese in pitch and rhythm. Whichever narrator is reading, though, most listeners will enjoy these strange tales, even if they don't completely understand them. R.E.K. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 07]