THE GOOD LUCK OF RIGHT NOW

Thanks to Oliver Wyman’s extraordinary performance, this novel should be savored in audio. Matthew Quick’s feel-good storytelling (THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK) is made even better by Wyman’s eager, youthful exuberance as the story of Bartholomew Neil unfolds. Bartholomew is 38 years old, lives with his mother, and is a true innocent. When his mother dies, Bartholomew is bereft. His mother was obsessed with Richard Gere, and, in a series of letters to the actor, “to remedy the gaps in our collective knowledge of each other,” Bartholomew reveals his bizarre life. Wyman is simply amazing. He delivers gravelly voices and voices as delicate as spiders’ webs. He rants and roars, and he’s touching and tender in this sweet, quirky coming-of-age story. One can only pity the poor print reader. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2014]