RESTORATION

Rose Tremain takes us back to the extravagant reign of Charles II, focusing on Robert Merival's search for his true role in the new order. She is a meticulous writer, choosing language and thematic focus appropriate to a seventeenth-century courtesan. John Franklyn-Robbins's reading is equally deliberate. He is clear and precise in his narration but never unnatural, even in the most colorful passages. His inflections and intonation clearly convey the range of Merival's emotions. Less successful is his expression of different dialects, and the transitions from character to narrator are often blurred. Overall, though, the listener will find this reading both engaging and entertaining. B.M.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 93]