BEACH MUSIC

Conroy's story is told through the narrative of Jack McCall, who is initially running from, then returning to his South Carolina family, friends and painful memories. The tale begins in Italy and treats us to some wonderful descriptions of both Rome and Venice. It moves to South Carolina, where rich dialects abound. Regional accents and foreign nationalities give particular challenge to the narrators. Current action and recollections of years past interweave, to keep the listener mesmerized, though at times a bit skeptical. Conroy's novel demands an interpreter who can do justice to the rich characters and consummate storytelling. Jonathan Marosz turns in a solid narration, which is listenable and entertaining. However, the listener becomes too aware of the story's length. Marosz makes some choices about the characters' accents that create confusion. He gives Jack's narrative voice a Southern accent, as well as his speaking voice. This leads to difficult transitions between simple narrative and dialogue between accented and non-accented speakers. The story itself drives the audio experience rather than Marosz guiding it. R.F.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 95]