In this outstanding historical novel, Beryl Bainbridge, a five-time nominee for Britain's Booker Prize, continues thoughtfully and logically to reconstruct history. This time we are privy to the last twenty years in the life of Samuel Johnson, not according to Boswell, but ACCORDING TO QUEENEY, the daughter of Johnson's final confidante, Mrs. Thrale. Queeney's droll observations level the adult world's pretensions. Miriam Margolyes converts Johnson's metaphorical "black dog crouching on the landing" into a palpable thing, rather than the chimera it is. Johnson's preoccupation with his own melancholy and his tendency toward masochism are subtly developed by Bainbridge, and brought to life with equal finesse by Margolyes. The union of author, subject, and performance makes this a memorable literary event. Fascinating storytelling.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2002
Duration: 8 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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