THE GOLDEN BOWL

The great Henry James's last completed novel (1904) concerns a young American woman who marries an impoverished Italian prince, who is having an affair with his wife's best friend, who, in turn, is married to her lover's father-in-law. If you think the relationships are complex, wait until you read the prose--page-long sentences full of qualifiers, asides, and every type of dependent clause. These elements do not merely snake along, but intertwine in complex grammatical relationships that together communicate the subtlest and most perceptive distinctions. Christopher Cazenove, having either the bravery or hubris to take the book on for listeners, gives them a sonorous, indeed beautiful, reading. It is, however, also pretentious and mannered; Cazenove has not bothered to learn his text, but fakes his way throughout via his masterful technique and fine pipes. Y.R. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 01]