PROPERTY Stories Between Two Novellas

At first, author-narrator Lionel Shriver (WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN) may sound laconic, but the persevering listener will be rewarded by this striking collection. Bookended by two novellas and with a passel of short stories in between, this audiobook is packed. Shriver proves herself a narrator who knows when to inflect her words and mimic her characters' cadences to reveal their inner and outer lives. The theme of property--both stuff as well as occupation or ownership of places--connects these works like ornaments on a single string. Her spare but engaging reading makes these varied stories engaging and meaningful. The novellas, THE STANDING CHANDELIER and THE SUBLETTER, demonstrate the author's ability to show people warts and all yet captivate the listener. A.D.M. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2018]