HOUSE OF MEETINGS

HOUSE OF MEETINGS centers on a love triangle between two brothers in a Russian slave camp and Zoya, a sultry 19-year-old Jewess. Amis's novel is at times gripping and at times lifeless. Likewise, Jeff Woodman's narration is both superb and frustrating. He effectively paces the story, which is set in Stalinist Russia, and uses a Russian accent to add realism. In particular, Woodman's understated style contrasts vividly with the stark reality of life in a gulag. But surprisingly, Woodman's accent makes him sometimes sound more like comedian Yakov Smirnov than the book's anonymous narrator, a Red Army veteran and remorseless war criminal, leaving the listener to wonder when to expect a punch line. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 07]