MAUVE DESERT

Recognized as a classic of feminist and experimental literature, this Canadian novel, first published in 1987, reads like an extended narrative poem rather than a novel. The central story is ostensibly a coming-of-age journey, but the plot has no cohesive structure or consistent pattern of development. Allegra Fulton offers a dramatic, velvet-voiced narration in which she enunciates with fervor and lingers on vowels for emphasis. Fulton's delivery may aim for a mesmerizing effect to match the author's nontraditional style. Instead, it has an affected, droning result. Indeed, the overall experience is awkward and nonsensical, repetitive with no real impact. Perhaps some of the novel's message is literally lost in translation, but for most listeners the five hours of this performance are better spent elsewhere. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2020]