BEACH MUSIC

Conroy's much-awaited novel details Jack McCall's search to understand the people and events that shaped his life in South Carolina and Rome. His family and friends make a great cast of characters, and Peter MacNicol does a wonderful job interpreting the personalities and drawing clear portraits for the listener. However, the production shows signs of haste. The abridgment of the lengthy novel posed immense challenges, and many transitions just don't work, making scenes end abruptly.The selection of music, used extensively to bridge gaps, is annoyingly clichéd--swelling organ music for the Vatican and ominous chords foreshadowing the Holocaust. MacNicol does a good job with the script but the narrative is so focused on getting through the story it lacks finesse. Look to the unabridged versions for a better expression of Conroy's work. R.F.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT 95]