HALF A LIFE

John Lee's warm, rounded narrative voice and convincing Indian accents color V.S. Naipaul's newest book--a sly reflection on class, caste, and colonialism disguised as a novel. Willie Somerset Chandran, the child of a miserable mixed marriage (an upper-caste father and a lower-caste mother), moves from India to London, not knowing what to do with his life. He discovers writing and (lightly drawn) sexual adventure, and finally, the love of a woman who at first seems as bad a match for him as his mother was for his father. But appearances can be deceiving. Lee reads Willie's lengthy musings beautifully, keeping us interested in the young man who is as mystified by himself as he is by the world. The only quibble is that despite Lee's repertoire of voices, it can occasionally be difficult to differentiate between male Indian characters engaged in conversation. But that's a small complaint in an otherwise excellent performance. A.C.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 02/ JAN 03]