This delightful fantasy contains all the components of a traditional fairy tale, but Malzieu's rich, often sexual, imagery carries it to a much more adult level. The celebrated Jim Dale is an inspired choice to present this quirky take on a timeless love story. His lovely English accent, gift for creating voices, and mastery of pace and intensity make this performance a real treat. Dale is perhaps best known for his delivery of children's books and classics such as the HARRY POTTER series and ALICE'S ADVENTURES in WONDERLAND. (For ALICE, he says, he enjoyed creating “over-the-top character voices.”) Here Dale’s skills will enthrall adult listeners as they enjoy the magic of Malzieu's enticing tale.
Pub Date: March 2, 2010
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Blackstone 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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