RICHARD KENNEDY: COLLECTED STORIES

Like the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen and Oscar Wilde, these eight original stories weave magical happenings with luminous strands of wisdom. Some readers of the book might find the pace too slow, but on tape the stories seem to come alive. The narrator's quiet voice, capturing the soft brogue of an Irishman or the ungrammatical conversation of simple peasants or the twang of a Western outlaw, never overpowers the story. As a bonus, Marcia Sewall's pastel drawing of "The Porcelain Man" enhances the cover of an enticing package. J.C. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 92]