THE GREAT SANTINI

Military discipline reigns in the home of The Great Santini, nickname of Marine Corps fighter pilot Colonel Bull Meecham. Bull’s wife and four children suffer his cold, rigid behavior, which sometimes spills over to abuse, and each reacts differently to the resulting love/hate bonds. Hilder has a beguiling voice for this novel, which is set in coastal South Carolina. While his pitch is whiny and annoying, his ability to differentiate voices is remarkable. Among the dozens of characters, mostly Southerners, the listener never wonders who is speaking. He embellishes an engrossing story. D.W.K. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: MAR 96]