THE NIGHT LISTENER

Fans of the author's TALES OF THE CITY will find a few surprises in this novel. San Francisco remains the backdrop; the telling details and apt phrases still pertain, but the glibness is muted, and suspense and mystery take on a new prominence. The hero of this first-person narrative, a gay author not unlike Maupin, chances to strike up a long-distance relationship with a kind of prodigy--an AIDS-suffering, abused teen who has escaped and then written brilliantly about his ghastly childhood. Maupin calls this book his VERTIGO, but the Hitchcockian notes impress one less than the overriding themes of life, death, and love. Although the author clearly loves to read aloud, he does not do so with particular finesse. However, as he is impersonating a character who reads for an NPR series, his limitation proves a kind of asset. His voice and style would easily complement those of ALL THINGS CONSIDERED's popular commentators. Y.R. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 00]