THE DORK OF CORK

The book is excellent and the reader abundantly talented. But somehow this production loses much of its effectiveness due to poor chemistry between the written work and the vocal performance. Raymo's fictional autobiography of Frank Bois depicts a man's intense quest to appreciate the beauty of his own dwarfism. The work is intricate with tones and insights ranging from sublime poetry to bitter irony. However, Donnelly's wistful, gentle voice is unrelentingly melodic and undermines the character's complexity. The result is disappointing. What could have been a multidimensional listening experience comes through as verbose and convoluted. Listeners miss many of the book's subtleties. J.S.G. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 96]