THE WAR OF THE WORLDS

The story of one man wandering through England after it has been invaded by Martians is familiar as it was the inspiration for Orson Welles’s famous radio dramatization of alien invasion, which caused widespread panic when it was broadcast in 1938. Sean Barrett's reading makes the original work sound fresh. At first, his cultured British voice gives the novel the sound of a historical document as he relates the facts about the Martians. His delivery seems, at times, too restrained, but it provides contrast amid the dramatic situation, as when the narrator misses his wife or longs for a "civilized dinner." While Barrett maintains the tone of a stiff upper lip throughout, he provides a rougher voice for the protagonist’s encounter with a man who embraces a belief in survival of the fittest. Barrett's narration makes this a good introduction to H.G. Wells's classic. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2011]