Bridge of Sighs
Richard Russo, . . Random House Audio, $44.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-7393-1889-8
The challenge facing those who perform Russo's novels is the self-effacing, low-key nature of his protagonists. The line between a faithful rendition of the character and a snoozer may be as narrow as the street that divides the rich from the poor in Russo's upstate New York town of Thomaston. Unfortunately, Morey's performance finds itself the poor side of the tracks. Lou C. (“Lucy”) Lynch's narration of events is read in an even, objective tone as if Morey were reading the evening news on an amateur radio show. He does emphasize words and ideas, but the overall effect is monotonous and doesn't do justice to Russo's rich material. Morey's narrative voice for Bobby, Lucy's childhood friend and nemesis, is deeper but more of the same. Morey gives a bit more energy to the third narrator, Sarah, Lou's wife. The result is more soporific than a Thanksgiving turkey, and getting through Russo's sharp account of the factory towns he knows so well becomes more a chore than a pleasure.
Reviewed on: 12/24/2007
Genre: Audio
Compact Disc - 978-1-4159-4307-6
Downloadable Audio - 1 pages - 978-1-4159-4308-3
Hardcover - 527 pages - 978-0-7011-7597-9
Hardcover - 978-0-7393-2751-7
Hardcover - 527 pages - 978-0-375-41495-4
Open Ebook - 444 pages - 978-0-307-26790-0
Paperback - 656 pages - 978-1-4000-3090-3
Paperback - 693 pages - 978-0-09-945897-5
Pre-Recorded Audio Player - 978-0-7393-7123-7
