Read to Me

The CD player I use in my car has not been performing consistantly (which drives me absolutely insane-nothing like being primed to hear a song and get...nothing) so I have been checking out some audio books from the library. Now I'm as big a fan of music as anybody but I think a good audio book actually makes the commute go faster. I love to be read to IF, and it's an important audio book if, the reader is good. An audio book in the wrong voice is pure torture no matter how much you love the book. A recent example of this for me is the audio version of Right as Rain by George Pelecanos. The rest of the book is fine but when we get to the perfomance of the bad guys, who might kindly be described as hicks, it's bad. The actor in question cannot do country-his performance makes Cletus the Slack Jawed Yokel on "The Simpsons" look subtle.

An example of the good match between material and performer are the Nancy Drew books as performed by the actress Laura Linney. She reads them perfectly-straight up with no hint of camp. The cliffhangers are scary, Nancy is plucky and perfect and everything always turns out for the best. They are a treat to listen to, I'm sorry that she only did the first five books in the series, I gladly would have listened longer.

Another kids audio series I have been enjoying are the Little House books read by Cherry Jones, the Broadway actress. There is also a fiddle player so all the songs in the books (and there are a lot of them) are performed as well. Ms Jones brings a lot of warmth to her reading which is just right for these nostalgic books.

It's interesting to revisit kids books as an adult, there's so much more going on. Like how Nancy and Laura adore their fathers so. I'm afraid Nancy's never going to settle down-Ned and every other man in the universe are going to fall way short of Carson Drew. And Laura is essentially the son her father never had-she's always helping him outside while ladylike Mary stays inside. I think Charles Ingalls (the character) must be, next to Atticus Finch, one of the best dads in all of literature. While Ma is a total racist with regards to the Indians, not a necessarily unreasonable point of view given the Indians' occasional violent behavior that is until you see Pa judging each Indian by the content of his character. Laura is forever getting rebuked for having an opinion or speaking her mind. I think it rather fortunate (even if it sounds hardhearted) that Laura's husband, Almanzo, became an invalid after they married. That way Laura could be in charge the way she wanted to be all along.