KIDNAPPED

The American ear must pay close attention to this marvelous performance of the classic children's adventure. Robbie Coltrane is excellent with guttural Scottish enunciation, and he goes in and out of character like a virtuoso. Because his accents are thick and take concentration to understand, this is not a good book to listen to while driving. Coltrane brings out the prickly intensity of Alan Breck Stewart, the naive uprightness of David Balfour and the miserly grasping of David's uncle. The abridgment is well done, and the story, as always, races along. D.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 95]