ANIMAL FARM

This is a delightful audio presentation! Acclaimed British actor Timothy West brings to life this well-known tale of revolution on a British farm by the animals, a satire of the former communist regime in the former Soviet Union. Orwell's text is at times tiresome, but the audio presentation never drags. West's presentation of the various characters is great--pigs, horses, mules, chickens--even bleating lambs. West also sings, in his best revolutionary voice, "Beasts of England." The only drawback to the audio presention is that there can be no footnotes; Orwell's Britishisms and the various references to communism go by unexplained. Despite this drawback, the meaning of the tale is clear. M.L.C. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: MAR/APR 98]