GREAT VICTORIANS

Narrator Georgina Sutton delivers Queen Victoria's take on each of the seven people whose biographies comprise this program. However, the bulk of the audiobook is narrated by Benjamin Soames, who delivers the biographies themselves. His voice is likable, expressive, and energetic, but his narration, especially at the outset, is too slow, with too much emphasis on individual words and phrases. He overexplains, presumably to keep the interest of the intended audience of children. The biographies are brief, and without much context. As Soames picks up the pace, the program becomes moderately engaging. Outside of children struck with curiosity about Victorian worthies, it's hard to envision a broader audience. W.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2019]