BLACKIE AND RED

Here's a good example of how reading can amplify text. Schirner's rich baritone manages to make Brand's novel seem better than it really is. Brand tells the story of two orphans, opposites in every respect, who experience deserving fates. Schirner gives voice to a variety of characters, from ten-year-old boys to middle-aged wives and elderly prospectors. Not surprisingly he's at his best when Brand is. Even though he can't disguise Brand's misogyny and racism, he keeps us guessing about what will happen until the very end. D.A.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG 94]