THE SWEET DOVE DIED

Novelist Barbara Pym's deft touch with the nuances of personality and social class in England in the 1970's is enhanced by Sheila Hancock's skillful reading. Her evocative characterizations bring a rich fullness to the quiet story of Lenore, a beautiful but aging woman competing for the affections of James, a man almost half her age. She manages to vanquish his young girlfriend but has more difficulty with a young American male lover. She also must cope with James's uncle, who is pursuing her. Hancock reflects Pym's sympathy for the confusion and loneliness of the characters but also catches the humor in the author's razor-sharp depictions of their follies. T.R. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: NOV 93]