THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES

In celebration of the centenary of Charles Darwin's birth, Tantor has published a narration of his seminal work, THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. The package includes an ebook, a searchable electronic edition of the original book. David Case, a fine British narrator who died in 2005, presents Darwin's work as if the author were reading it. Choosing to narrate in the high-pitched, nasal tones of Darwin's era and class is clever acting, but it can be hard listening. Case also veers toward a monotone, which doesn't help listeners follow Darwin's descriptions of mollusk types and the variation of finch beaks. I read much of the ebook and tuned into the narration occasionally, which worked well. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2009]