The Poseidon Adventure

While Baker ably keeps Gallico's potboiler afloat by providing distinct voices for a dozen different character, the audiobook starts taking on water thanks to some turgid and overripe dialogue from the source material that would sink even the best narrator. It turns out that Stirling Silliphant's screenplay for the 1972 disaster movie actually improved the original book by paring down the number of people fighting their way up to the bottom of the luxury liner's hull after a huge tidal wave capsizes the S.S. Poseidon . Fans of the movie might be surprised by some of the other differences, including the rape of one of the characters and the death of someone who survives the film. Baker is oddly cheerful while reading the passages where the tidal wave hits the ship and has a difficult time making former jock Reverend Scott sympathetic. But he's very effective playing the two most memorable couples: the ever-battling Linda and Mike Rogo and the warm and funny Belle and Manny Rosen. Kudos to Harper's helpful track listings on each disk. Simultaneous release with the Penguin reissue. (May)