THE SHORT STORIES OF WILLIAM SOMERSET MAUGHAM The Outstation, Appearance & Reality, Mr. Know-All, French Joe, Masterson, The Three Fat Women of An

This recording took first prize for classic fiction at this year's Audie Awards, and I've never experienced such a happy marriage of prose, performance, and production. Maugham's words are chosen with exquisite skill. Charlton Griffin brings each character to life with a voice both subtle and compelling. Ordinarily, I abhor the use of sound effects in serious fiction, but like parsley on a dish, this background garnishes and never interferes or detracts. Brief musical passages are used as punctuation. On shipboard, we hear a live band, the rattle of crockery. These pieces were written before style had defeated craftsmanship in the battle for short fiction. Each is a clockwork masterpiece. B.H.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award. Winner of the 2001 Audie Award for Classics. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 01]