IN TIMES OF FADING LIGHT

This family saga spans time, continents, and the fall of East German communism but ultimately does not make for a gripping audio experience. The story alternates between minute detail and vague leaps in time and place; furthermore, Simon Vance's skill with dialogue languishes in waves of text that seem to lack a focal point. The transitions between characters' experiences are so subtle that not even a gifted narrator like Vance can keep the listener engaged. Vance uses a voice that sounds like that of a news anchor--simultaneously deep and arched, wonderful to hear. His tone is animated, and his phrasing is crisp. But, ultimately, he is unable to provide the kind of force this novel would need to be an engaging audiobook. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2013]