LEGS

In William Kennedy’s novel, we hear the story of the rough life of Jack “Legs” Diamond, one of the nation’s most notorious, most shot-up gangsters in the 1920s. This fictional yet palpably real character’s story is recollected by his lawyer, Marcus Gorman, who serves as our sympathetic guide through this tale of the underworld. Narrator Joe Barrett’s raspy no-nonsense voice is tangibly matched to the cigarette-smoking, whiskey-drinking toughs of the novel, and his timing with the speakeasy patter is spot-on. The pitfall of hackneyed stereotypes, typical in this kind of story, is narrowly avoided, thanks to Kennedy’s superb natural style and Barrett’s ability to endow each gangster type with a unique voice, thereby giving further authenticity to the characters. F.T. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2012]