MARTIN DRESSLER The Tale of an American Dreamer

This Pulitzer Prize-winning story of a self-made restaurant/hotel magnate presents a real challenge to narrator George Guidall. Usually Guidall can grab a story or character with his voice, inhabit it and produce a memorable reading. Author Millhauser's strength, though, is description, sometimes lengthy description. Thus, Guidall's strong and vibrant voice is reduced to narrating lists of architectural attributes, the contents of hotel interiors, and characters' feelings. Also, there is little dialogue, so he doesn't get a chance to develop characters. Make no mistake; Guidall is a wonderful narrator, and he makes the story more interesting than it has a right to be. It's just that his talents seem underused here. R.I.G. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 98]