An earful of self-improvement
Shakespeare: The World as Stage
By Bill Bryson
HarperAudio, unabridged nonfiction, five CDs, six hours, $29.95, read by the author; also available as a download from www.audible.com, $20.97
García Márquez in 90 Minutes
By Paul Strathern
Blackstone Audiobooks, unabridged nonfiction, two CDs or cassettes, $16.95, read by Robert Whitfield; also available as a download from www.emusic .com, $9.99, and from www. audible.com, $13.97
The Lady of the Camellias
By Alexandre Dumas the Younger
Audio Connoisseur, unabridged fiction, seven hours, read by Charlton Griffin; available only as a download from www.audible.com, $19.60
It's that time of year again, time to make resolutions. They don't usually stick, because most people can't just get up off the couch and run a marathon. So pick something easy, like listening to a good book. That is, a book that's good for you.
Once you've banished thoughts of 38-hour-long discussions of 18th-century Russian novelists, reach for the "Eminent Lives" series. So far only a couple are out in audio format, but we can only hope HarperAudio will continue to publish them.
"Shakespeare: The World as Stage" called out to me for the simple reason that it was written and read by Bill Bryson, who has yet to disappoint. This audiobook was no exception.
So little is actually known about the bard's life, says Bryson, that we are "faced with a wealth of text but a poverty of context, scholars have focused obsessively on what they can know." His slyly pointed wit shows the silliness of supposition. Though really just an overview, this examination is likely to stick with you because of Bryson's humor, deep love of language, and a clear fondness for his subject. Add to that his fine narration and pleasant, comfy voice, and you have a winner.
Drier but still engaging and informative are Paul Strathern's 90-minute guides. He's published about 18 of them, but I chose "García Márquez in 90 Minutes" - one of the 11 available at www.emusic.com - to investigate the site. (Modeling itself as the upstart alternative to iTunes for music and Audible for audiobooks, eMusic has a limited selection compared with Audible, but it's easy to use and less expensive. However, if your MP3 player is an iPod, be advised that downloaded audiobooks are dumped into a music folder and not allowed by Apple to play in the same folder as the audiobooks.)
"García Márquez" is scholarly but not boring. Strathern is a well-versed author with several novels under his belt, as well as numerous books about science, philosophy, history, literature, medicine, and economics. He covers the cultural and historical setting in which García Márquez was born and gives us a clear understanding of his work, though a few times it is too cursory to completely satisfy. Also, narrator Robert Whitfield is a bit on the dull side.
Much classical literature is now available on CD, and even more as downloads. One small company, Audio Connoisseur, completely did away with CDs and is now a virtual audiobook company with over 90 titles available on www.audible.com. One of its offerings is "The Lady of the Camellias," Alexandre Dumas's tragic, beautifully crafted tale of the courtesan with a heart of gold, which dates to 1848. It was the basis for Verdi's "La Traviata" in 1853 and of countless stories, movies, and plays ("Camille") ever since. Ah, but the original is really the one to hear. This is a very polished production, with music introducing and underscoring small sections of text. Charlton Griffin, a tried and true narrator, has a smooth baritone and such a clear understanding of the work that his interpretation is flawless.
Rochelle O'Gorman is publisher and editor in chief of audiobookcafe.com. 