Leonard's (Get Shorty
) 40th novel is a nearly flawless audio production. Initially, Howard's lackadaisical meter and reading style comes off as flat and unenthused. But as the flavor of the story steeps, his low-key, deliberate delivery sets the perfect pitch for Leonard's stripped down dialogue. His slow cowpoke pace leaves plenty of space for the nuance with which he breathes life into Leonard's characters. Everyone is tough, everyone is cool, and nearly all speak in clipped Hemingway-like sentences. However, Howard carefully assigns each character a specific voice, timber and speed, saving the most calm and cool for Carlos "Carl" Webster, the young, quick-drawing U.S. marshal hero of the tale. The only thing amiss with this package is the music that opens and closes each CD. This is a western tale of shootouts, cattle rustlers and bank robbers. The swanky, sultry jazz music with lilting sax better fits Chandler than L'Amour. Once past these spurious strains, however, the listener is in for a satisfying earful. Simultaneous release with Morrow hardcover (Reviews, Mar. 28). (May)
Details
Reviewed on: 07/11/2005
Genre: Audio
Analog Audio Cassette - 978-1-4193-4054-3
Compact Disc - 979-8-200-74078-9
Compact Disc - 978-1-4915-0719-3
Downloadable Audio - 978-0-06-079680-8
Downloadable Audio - 978-1-4498-9179-4
Downloadable Audio - 978-0-06-084590-2
Hardcover - 320 pages - 978-0-06-072422-1
MP3 CD - 979-8-200-74079-6
MP3 CD - 978-1-4915-0813-8
Mass Market Paperbound - 400 pages - 978-0-06-072423-8
Open Ebook - 400 pages - 978-0-06-079629-7
Other - 400 pages - 978-0-06-182786-0
Other - 400 pages - 978-0-06-115880-3
Paperback - 400 pages - 978-0-06-226727-6
Paperback - 319 pages - 978-0-7528-8073-0
Paperback - 432 pages - 978-0-06-078716-5
Peanut Press/Palm Reader - 400 pages - 978-0-06-079626-6
