POINT OMEGA

Campbell Scott’s almost-hypnotic tone lends itself well to the opening of this novel. But as the book continues, Scott's delivery, while consistent, becomes numbing, making it difficult to engage with the story. DeLillo’s latest involves his usual fare: the fragmented perceptions of a protagonist who makes his way through a contemporary world over which he has no control. In this one, a former academic and a filmmaker join forces to examine the post-9/11 culture of fear created by the Bush-Cheney team in the run-up to the Iraq War. In being true to the material, Scott’s delivery necessarily reflects its lack of narrative drive. As a result, some listeners may find this production all-too-easy to turn off. K.M. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2010]