RIVER-HORSE

William Least Heat-Moon spends his life devising unique pilgrimages and then writing about them in dense, splendid detail. On this trip he becomes the first person ever to travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean entirely by water, riding America's rivers in a 22-foot motorboat he names "Nikawa--River-Horse." Least Heat-Moon has an eye for the telling detail and a knack for finding significance in every person and obstacle he encounters. Readers may find that Barrett Whitener's studied enunciation draws their attention from the text to the delivery. Though he reads clearly and sets a comfortable pace, Whitener never sounds completely at ease with Least Heat-Moon's complex literary prose. S.P. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 00]