IRON JOHN

Poet/storyteller Robert Bly's Iron John is a complex, yet highly personal exploration of issues and images of masculinity. While it is structures around the examination of a particular myth, Bly's vast range of references and witty anecdotal style weave a complex exploration of the masculine spirit. Richard Ferrone's flat, unmodulated reading of Bly's work captures none of his wry humor or ironic tone. The reader's lack of empathy with the author's spirit is most apparent in the book's anecdotal passages in which Bly's own humor shines. While Ferrone's delivery is dull and enervating, the richness of Bly's observations and the beauty of his metaphors offer considerable consolation. R.W.B. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: NOV 92]