MADAME BOVARY

This nineteenth-century novel tells the story of a young woman who takes desperate measures to escape her stultifying marriage and provincial life, with tragic results. Simon Vance's leisurely reading mirrors the pace of small-town life, and his clear, gentle voice, with its lovely timbre, seems especially suited to delivering the text's many descriptive passages. As for the dialogue, his voicing of youthful Emma Bovary sounds a bit strained in places, but it’s always expressive, and he does a solid job with the various male characters. Particularly amusing is his portrayal of Monsieur Homais, the voluble village chemist who fancies himself a learned man, and this brings some welcome comic relief to an otherwise tragic story. A.E.B. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2009]