This tale of a British family on vacation in Italy is as notable for what doesn't happen as what does. Lorna, the wife, mystified by her husband's physical and emotional distance, is tempted by a rakish Italian. The husband, literally sick at heart, spends a chaste night with an independent young woman who, in turn, is fancied by the family's son. A disgruntled druggie disables her father's car in hopes of inheriting his money. Boyd masterfully exploits the tension in these and other situations. Her clear diction ensures that you won't miss a word. And rather than changing voices, she gives each character personality with pace, timbre, and emotional energy--the angst of a teenager or the peevishness of the villa's owner. Sutherland is better known in the UK than Stateside, but don't let unfamiliarity discourage you. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--Ce texte provient de la
Audio Cassette
édition.
Product Description
Every summer, the Blair family went to Italy - to a villa in a lush wilderness of cypress trees and bougainvillaea tumbling down to the sea. Phoebe, who owned the villa and lived close by, was possessive, enigmatic and manipulative, but the Blairs never really minded - until the fifth summer.