GULLIVER'S TRAVELS

Edward Leeson's abridgment preserves the high points of Swift's classic while seamlessly removing repetitive or tangential material. Martin Shaw's narration is smooth and intelligent; he delivers Swift's ridiculous words smoothly. Shaw speaks in Swift's invented languages as a trained actor, moving in and out of outlandish characters evocatively. However, his narration is too even and lacks any sense of threat or emotional upset. When Gulliver is tied to the ground by the Lilliputians, or longs for the company of the horse-like Houyhnhnms, Shaw sounds as relaxed as he did when talking about Gulliver's dinner. This removes the edge from a social satire that should be truly cutting. G.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/ JAN 02]