STEPPING STONES

1995 Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney recites a representative sampling of his own verses with endearing charm. He opens each poem with an impromptu and informative introduction. Unlike many other authors, even those of his stature, he never indulges himself at our expense but keeps things moving and consistently interesting. The sound quality is a bit hissy and there are a few bad edits, but these faults hardly diminish the overall effect of being settled into a comfortable, old chair before the crackling hearth in the sitting room of an Irish country cottage, sipping Heaney's excellent whisky, and losing ourselves in the intimacy of the experience. Y.R. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPT 96]