THE DREAMER

THE DREAMER would be an outstanding story in itself, but the fact that it is a fictionalized profile of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda lifts it to even greater heights. Neruda was born Neftali Reyes, a sickly dreamer who continually crossed his domineering father. He changed his name because his father was ashamed he was a poet. Narrator Tony Chiroldes is grand. He clearly differentiates Neftali and his older brother, nasty father, dear little sister, and loving stepmother. The book is poetically written, and Chiroldes’s spirited, sympathetic reading makes listening to it even more pleasurable than merely reading it. In closing, Ryan shares how she came to write this unique biography about a poet whose work she’s loved for a lifetime. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2010]