THE ZONE OF INTEREST

Sean Barrett narrates the stories of Paul Doll, commandant of Auschwitz; Major Golo Thomsen; and Szmul, head of the Sonderkommando. Told from three different German perspectives, this novel describes the last years of WWII and the fatal decisions made regarding Jews in the concentration camps. The horror of the camps is interlaced with Thomsen's sexual fantasies for all women, German and Jewish alike, but most especially Hannah Doll. Barrett uses a soft British accent for all the characters, with subtle inflections for French and German words. His lack of vocal differentiation makes it difficult to tell the characters apart. Another problem is that his deep voice becomes inaudible as he reads asides, tangential comments, and the words of the Jewish collaborator. The graphic nature of this Holocaust story and Barrett's fluctuating tones combine to make this a difficult listen for even the strongest souls. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2014]