An abolitionist and feminist, Louisa May Alcott is best known for Little Women and the sequels which followed it. Coming from a poor family, she worked as a teacher, seamstress, governess and domestic helper as well as writing. Her first book, Flower Fables, was published in 1854. Reader Liza Ross is a British stage and TV actress who also had a small part in Tim Burton's film Batman.
Gr 5-8-This audio version of Louisa May Alcott's classic is both satisfying and disappointing. The narrator, Liza Ross, a voice artist with theater and television credits, does a remarkable job of bringing to life the voices of more than ten male and female characters, allowing the personalities of each character to emerge. Meg's longing, Jo's determination, Beth's gentleness, Amy's dreaminess, Marmee's loving morality and Laurie's charm and wit all shine through. The narration is nicely punctuated by classical piano music. Listeners will be disappointed that this abridgement ends with the first part of the novel (John Brooke's proposal). This is only mentioned briefly in the story description in the inside cover of the cassette, with no indication if the second half of the novel is or is not available. Listeners in elementary and middle school will enjoy this version, but older students will want to hear more of the March family's adventures.-Jo-Ann Carhart, East Islip Public Library, NY Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
How would one describe this latest recording of the classic story from Alcott (Little Men, Audio Reviews, LJ 11/15/96)? The answer must be, clear, competent, and unexciting. Laura Grafton is a precise reader, but her voice lacks expressiveness, and she makes little attempt to vocally differentiate (and/or animate) the characters. The result is an inoffensive and slightly dull rendering. There's nothing wrong; the tapes just won't grab the attention of the casual listener. The producer has made a praiseworthy attempt to reduce costs by having each cassette side carry double text. At $22.95, this tape set is an excellent value. Unfortunately, this double-track format requires a stereo cassette player with a fully functioning balance control. Most portable cassette players and some car stereo systems do not have this feature. Since, at least anecdotally, a large percentage of recreational audiocassette library borrowers are commuters or exercisers, one should consider whether this format would be used by patrons. Libraries purchasing this format might also consider purchasing (and lending) the associated headphone adaptor plugs. Recommended for libraries with limited audiobook budgets and/or appropriate user populations.ÄI. Pour-El, Iowa State Univ., Ames
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