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Title: The Whirligig of Life
Author: O. Henry
Narrator: Garrick Hagon, Liza Ross
Format: Unabridged
Length: 17 mins
Language: English
Release date: 11-20-13
Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks
Genres: Classics, American Literature
Publisher's Summary:
This is a story from the More Classic American Short Stories collection.
Here are eight stories from master American writers of the 19th century. They vary from sinister tales by Ambrose Bierce - why is that window boarded up? - and a reflective moment in the life of a woman without children, but forced to look after children, to classic short stories by O. Henry and Stephen Crane. There is even an elegiac description of an eclipse by James Fenimore Cooper, author of The Last of the Mohicans. Read with sensitivity and skill by Garrick Hagon and Liza Ross.
Editorial Reviews:
"The Whirligig of Life", included in and excerpted from the collection More Classic American Short Stories, bears all the hallmarks of a classic O. Henry story, displaying his characteristic preoccupation with simple stories made memorable and meaningful by a sharp ironic twist resulting in a transformative conclusion.
Garrick Hagon and Liza Ross team up to present this engaging tale, with Liza Ross demonstrating particular strength in her performance. Ross voice is highly adaptable, and her acuity with accents, dialect, and vocal characterization contribute to the creation of a rich tapestry of sound, here, in which it is easy to find oneself enjoyably lost.
Members Reviews:
A cheap read, but little else.
First off, here are the short stories included on the 2 discs:
A Horseman in the Sky - Ambrose Bierce
Regret - Kate Chopin
Eclipse - James Fenimore Cooper
The Bride Comes To Yellow Sky - Stephen Crane
The Cop and the Anthem - O. Henry
The Princess and the Puma - O. Henry
The Whirligig of Life - O. Henry
Read by Garrick Hagon and Liza Ross
Based on the name recognition of the authors, I was expecting much more. None of the stories were known to me (and probably not to anyone outside an english lit department). Two of the stories were decent, but the rest were unimpressive. Wasn't impressed with the readers either, as they tended towards over-acting (though perhaps the material lent itself to that).
The two-disc set served its purpose of keeping me awake on a long drive to a fishing cabin, but little else. I did like the fact that I could stop between short stories, unlike a longer novel. On my last long trip, I was listening to Shadow Divers (great book!) and arrived at my destination in the middle of a dive emergency. Had to wait three days to learn the fate of the divers.
Can't say I would really recommend this compilation, but if you're a voracious reader/listener who goes through books like candy, the price is hard to beat. Also might be more enjoyable to someone else for the nostalgic qualities.