KILLING MR. WATSON

In 1910, when the Everglades was still a lawless frontier, E.J. Watson was gunned down by his neighbors. Why? To find out, Pulitzer Prize-winner Matthiessen reconstructs the life of this legendary outlaw through the words of those who knew him. Although his fictionalized history is long and difficult to read, it is more accessible on tape. The individual voices of the four narrators clarify the action and enliven the drama with distinctive accents of cracker pioneers. Less convincing, however, are the accents of the few black characters in the book. Here a black reader could have given a more authentic--and moving--interpretation of the written words. J.C. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG 92]