SEATING ARRANGEMENTS

Shipstead's vibrant prose sparks the raw energy driving this satire set on a New England island on the eve of a reunion and wedding. The revelers converge to witness the marriage of Daphne, the daughter of Winn, the protagonist. All manner of tangential relationships, lusty attractions, malignant resentments, salacious misdeeds, and sad ruminations shadow the happy occasion. Arthur Morey champions Winn's introspective nature and bewildered missteps, but he gives women's voices, even quite youthful ingenues, an incongruous trembling that sounds aged. Still, Morey's perceptive performance accords with each character's specific angst, building memorable encounters, hilarious misunderstandings, and a witty romp through class barriers that separate the social elite and those striving to join them. A.W. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2012]