WILDERNESS TIPS

Wilderness in its largest sense--whether the solitude of the woods or the chaos of the city--is the theme that links this collection of Atwood stories. Denica Fairman might seem like an appropriate choice for a narrator--she's Canadian-born like the author and an actress with a Shakespearean track record to boot--and that's why it's such a surprise that she's so mismatched with the text. Atwood writes smart, convincing dialogue, but Fairman is utterly unable to deliver it. Her females speak like old biddies, even when they're teenagers, and her deep-voiced men sound like parodies. D.B. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 01]