THE CLOUD FOREST A Chronicle of the South American Wilderness

Peter Matthiessen chronicles the wildlife and cultures he encountered during a lengthy trip through South America. His eloquent prose and unique descriptive talent make one think one is hearing a novel. First published in 1961, this book reveals some outdated attitudes, as when the author calls the indigenous people “savages” and describes children as having a “dirty-brown color." The baritone voice of narrator Stefan Rudnicki booms at a crisp pace. He capitalizes on the author's tendency to exploit alliterative phrases and pronounces the abundant scientific names with ease. However, to read a book about South America, a narrator should have a better ability with Spanish names and places. Also, audiobooks have no graphics, and that’s disappointing in view of the extent to which flora, fauna, and geography dominate the account. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2010]