SMALL VICES

Using actors to read books sometimes leads to inspiring performances. Sometimes not. Burt Reynolds’ reading of the new Spenser mystery is an example of the latter. He swallows words; uses a low, at times, barely audible voice to convey seductiveness; and his characters can be indistinguishable and/or unintelligible. Reynolds has a gravelly, smoky voice that ordinarily would lend itself well to the genre, but he doesn’t seem prepared for the text. Key words are underemphasized, and some sentences seem to go on forever. The awful music leading into and out of chapters is also distracting. For all the corruption, cover-ups and assassination attempts in the book, it’s a shame that Spenser’s most formidable foe is the narrator. R.I.G. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPT 97]