The Portrait of a Lady

There are few hours in life more agreeable than hearing a fine story told well. Wanda McCaddon's distinguished British accent provides a smooth narration of one of Henry James's most-loved novels. This 1881 story tells of Isabel Archer, an American heiress, as she meets the upper classes in England during her first trip abroad. A love story ensues, full of Jamesian conflict, and Archer eventually chooses among several suitors and decides how she will lead her life. One of James's most piercing psychological novels, this book benefits from McCaddon's even, perfectly paced delivery. Her reading brings out the subtlety of this wonderful work. K.M. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Classic books make you realize why you listen to audiobooks in the first place; they're interesting, have great characters and are well crafted. Laural Merlington's narration of this classic starts off unevenly, but she finds a rhythm around tape two and takes off from there. She has a sweet voice, which she uses to create diverse characters, especially that of Isabel Archer, the book's protagonist. Merlington gives Isabel a voice that ranges from obsequious to forceful; this range allows us to become more involved in her plight. R.I.G. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine

For moderns, few authors gain more from oral interpretation than Henry James, with his long, convoluted sentence structure. Coinciding with the release of a film version, comes an excellent cassette reading of James's classic novel. Flo Gibson contributes an intelligent approach, a great appreciation of the author's tone and a patrician American accent congenial to James. Y.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

PORTRAIT OF A LADY is an anomaly; in some respects it's quite dated while other aspects of the story are timeless. Narrator Hunnicutt handles this diversity effectively. Her voice has an old-fashioned quality, which is appropriate to the book's setting. However, her delivery keeps modern listeners interested. Isabel Archer is an American heiress who travels and lives in Europe. She's very independent, a quality that makes her unhappy and unfortunate marriage to a money-grabbing "gentleman" surprising and tragic. How she handles this dilemma keeps the listener guessing until James's final word. Hunnicutt particularly excels at male voices and presents some of the best thought processes to be found in audiobooks. S.G.B. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

For moderns, few authors gain more from oral interpretation than Henry James, with his long, convoluted sentence structure. Coinciding with the release of a film version, comes an excellent cassette reading of James's classic novel. Since her debut in Chaplin's Limelight, Claire Bloom has distinguished herself as a great actress and great beauty. In the James abridgment (Penguin AudioBooks), her sound is as beautiful as her face, and her delivery clear, intelligent and insightful. However, the unabridged cassettes endure the sonic consequences of cheap duplication. Y.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine