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Idyll Banter: Weekly Excursions to a Very Small Town
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Idyll Banter: Weekly Excursions to a Very Small Town
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by Chris Bohjalian
Sales Rank : 308485
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Audio CD
Publisher: Random House Audio Voices; Abridged edition December 16, 2003
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0739309145
ISBN-13: 978-0739309148
Product Dimensions:
6 x 5.2 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
From Publishers Weekly
This audio adaptation of Bohjalian's (Midwives, etc.) collection of essays on life in small-town Lincoln, Vt., gets off to a slow start but soon finds its voice. The first essay, an overview of the town and how it has changed over the decades, is weighed down by dry, repetitive statistics (number of dairy farms today vs. 20 years ago, number of cows today vs. 20 years ago, etc.). Bohjalian's high, thin voice isn't suited to historical nonfiction. However, once he begins talking about his own experiences in Lincoln, his voice warms. His tone is appealingly self-deprecating as he tells of his shame at being "the slowest driver in Vermont" (because he's one speeding ticket away from losing his license) and his squeamishness at the prospect of removing a dead bat from his woodstove, where it's been festering for months. Bohjalian speaks with reverence and sorrow about a flash flood that destroyed 80% of the town library's books, and he talks in moving tones of a girl who bravely threw a joyous farewell party for her elderly horse the day before he had to be put down. This audiobook is likely to appeal to both small-town residents who can relate to Bohjalian's descriptions and wistful city dwellers who wish they lived in a place "where everybody knows your name."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Audio Cassette
edition.
From AudioFile
Part of the fun of getting away from it all, for a writer, is sending stories back to the people who haven't escaped the city rush. Chris Bohjalian, a writer formerly based in Brooklyn, now resides in tiny Lincoln, Vermont, where he writes a weekly column about small-town life. This collection of columns brings to life such experiences as the Pinewood Derby, trips to the general store, and a town meeting. His writings also cover more serious events in his life and the life of his town, such as his mother's death and the flooding of the library. Bohjalian reads with a gentle, self-deprecating tone-engaging, but occasionally sounding a bit too surprised by his new home. These glimpses of country life are a pleasant diversion for hectic days. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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