Veteran narrator Paul Matthews has a high old time transforming himself into Charlie Boylan, a delightfully nefarious dwarf who manages to avoid death at the Battle of Waterloo by choosing athletic sex in a hedge with a local girl over fighting. The rest of this entertaining, complicated romp addresses Charlie's effort to persuade a reluctant government that he deserves a "modest pension" for his role as a secret agent. He says he was hired by the government to assassinate would-be revolutionaries; the government demurs. But by way of persuasion, Charlie tells all in this crazy memoir about everything he did and everyone he slept with--it may not be the truth, but it's head-spinningly amusing. Matthews is in total command. He becomes everyone from insouciant Charlie to hysterical Mary Shelley to high-toned Wellington. He interlaces the dialogue with mellifluous narration and perfect pacing that helps us keep track of the plot. As Charlie would say, "Simply grand."
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2004
Duration: 16 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books/ Clipper Audio
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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