THE SOLDIER'S RETURN

The title subject is so ancient and universal that its archetypal expression, Homer's ODYSSEY, still grips readers worldwide after three thousand years. The soldier's homecoming often ignites trauma greater than that of battle. In his assay of the theme, Melvyn Bragg shows us a basically decent working-class grunt adjusting to hearth and home in an English town after WWII. Actor Mark McGann approaches the unassuming tale with quiet reflectiveness and an intimacy with the book's Cumbrian backdrop. He creates an atmosphere of wintry gloom, as his hero tries to warm the chill in his psyche. Y.R. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 00]