A Patchwork Planet

Knowing the boundary between eccentricity and caricature is one of Tyler's surest gifts as a novelist. While surely quirky and idiosyncratic, her characters do not lapse into cliché, which is why Tyler's works are always original and surprising. It is a skill Kerry Shale has yet to learn as a reader. In this narration about an underachieving young man trying to outdistance the bad behavior of his past, Shale too often adopts characterizations that are broad to the point of ludicrous. He can do better--and does in his sympathetic portrayal of Barnaby, the main character who is belatedly struggling to grow up. But with virtually every other figure, Shale turns Tyler's well-drawn portraits into clowns. M.O. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

Barnaby Gaitland bumbles through life, taking each day as it comes, living paycheck to paycheck, avoiding stress as much as possible. His family, a blend of old wealth and working for a living, finds his value system wanting, but Barnaby doesn't much care. As the story unfolds, we see the motivation behind Lloyd James's even-paced, somewhat monotonous performance. Barnaby's "Margaritaville" approach to life is reflected in James's no-stress reading. One sometimes wishes he would imbue a little more life into the sharper characters; but, on the other hand, as a first-person account, the story must be filtered through Barnaby's even-tempered attitude. This is a performance that sneaks up on you. Just when you realize you're enjoying it immensely, it's over. R.P.L. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Anne Tyler's latest novel takes a detailed, funny and tender look at how human beings live in an oftentimes difficult modern world. David Morse is a wonderful narrator, taking us in and out and through the experiences of Barnaby Gaitlin, a young man who feels the world is against him. There's a fine line between tragedy and comedy; Morse seems to know instinctively which way to tweak Tyler's text for the maximum effect. The result is a touching and sometimes painfully funny audiobook that, at times, sounds more like a memoir than a novel. R.A.P. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Tyler is such a splendid writer it's hard to imagine anything that could make her better. But Jeff Woodman creates a masterpiece here; Barnaby Gaitlin should go down as a literary and audio classic! As Barnaby goes about his daily work for Rent-a-Back (a company devoted to doing heavy chores for the elderly and infirm), it is apparent he has a good heart and kind nature. Woodman is fantastic with this first-person presentation of the crabby and sweet elderly clients, dysfunctional family members, and the two very different women in Barnaby's life. He brings sudden laughs and unexpected tears, taking listeners into his confidence as Barnaby truly begins to grow up. Tyler fans will claim this is her best yet. Woodman shows that Tyler is a great read and that her work cries out to be read aloud. S.G.B. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine