MEDUSA'S ANKLES Selected Stories

This collection of previously published stories from A.S. Byatt's long and celebrated career is admirably narrated by Esther Wane. Many of the stories have a foundation in myths or fairy tales--like the piece about a researcher who releases a djinn from a bottle and is granted three wishes. Others address themes of self-image, loss (of a mother, for example), and love. Wane's thoughtful phrasing reflects Byatt's evocative prose. She pauses just enough to allow listeners to absorb the moment and then propels them through the action. With minimal drama, Wane gives each character a distinct voice when performing dialogue and, as needed in several pieces, differentiates the main story from the nested tales. Narrator Matthew Lloyd Davies performs the informative introduction to the collection. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2022]