THE FALL OF TROY

Heinrich Schliemann, nineteenth-century archaeologist, dedicated his life to excavating the ancient city of Troy. In Peter Ackroyd's intriguing novel, Schliemann is transformed into the larger-than-life figure of Heinrich Obermann, a man possessed of the same single-minded passion. However, Obermann's scholarship is questionable as he deliberately misinterprets or ignores any evidence disputing his theories. Portrayed from the perspectives of those around him--his Greek wife, Sophie (Schliemann's wife was Sophia), his Russian assistant, and an American archaeologist--Obermann emerges as a man obsessed, whose hubris becomes his undoing. Michael Maloney's performance is credible and his characters well-defined, but, as written, Obermann tends toward enthusiastic shouting. Because the narration and the conversations of others are delivered in normal tones, listening becomes problematic, requiring frequent volume adjustment. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 08]