MR. VERTIGO

In the mode of E.L. Doctorow, if not the style, Paul Auster presents a tale of the 1920s, covering the beginnings of the Great Plains Dust Bowl, the carnival circuit, and race relations and spicing it with historical references such as Lindbergh's flight. The main story involves Walt, a St. Louis orphan who is taught to levitate by Master Yehudi. Their household includes Mother Sioux, a veteran of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, and Aesop, a young black genius. Kevin Pariseau gives each of these characters a distinctive voice that makes the dialogue flow smoothly. Some of Walt's comments as an 11-year-old are far too complex and insightful for a youngster, but that's a problem with the writing, not the reading. Overall, Pariseau keeps this improbable tale moving along briskly. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2009]