The author of THE HOURS has written a work that is actually three New York stories. Each uses the same characters but puts them indifferent eras: the 1890s, the present, and finally 150 years in the future. Narrator Alan Cumming has a fine voice tinged with an Irish brogue that comes in handy in the first story, which takes place on the Lower East Side. The problem, though, is that he reads much too fast, swallows some words, and becomes too excited during the exciting parts. If he would slow down, the book would flow better. The publisher also needs to let us know when we've come to the end of the CD, and what CD we're listening to.
Pub Date: June 1, 2005
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781593977153
Publisher: Macmillan 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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