GONE WITH THE WIND

A masterpiece demands a masterful reader, and the match between Gone With the Wind and Linda Stephens is perfect. In her we have the petulant, youthful Scarlett O’Hara; the blustery, whiskey-drinking Gerald O’Hara; hands-on-her-hips Mammy; saintly Melanie Wilkes; and the bungling Aunt Pittypat. The dreamy softness of Ashley is juxtaposed with the dashing arrogance of Rhett Butler. The supercilious tones of the ladies of Atlanta ring out with heavy disapproval. We can hear in Stephens’s voice the blind spot that is Scarlett O’Hara’s tragic flaw. Stephens delivers absolutely convincing accents of Southerners--white and black. Her timing is flawless, and her use of pause enhances the material in this unhurried, luxurious reading of a great American classic. Stephens is as much at home telling of the ravages of the Civil War as Margaret Mitchell was. M.D.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award. 2002 Audie Award Finalist. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 01]