Audio Drama 101: Verbatim Dramatizations of 101 Familiar & Unfamiliar Short Stories - O'Henry: A Celebration

From School Library Journal Gr 5 Up-Charming and simple, these verbatim readings of 17 tales by O. Henry are guaranteed to entertain listeners. Among the stories are "The Furnished Room," "The Caballero's Way," "October and June," ""The Snow Man," "An Unfinished Story," "Strictly Business." Styled more like reader's theater, these are definitely not dramatizations. The stories are read by a narrator with character voices added by other actors only when appropriate. There are no sound effects. The recording is clear, and the expressive voices of the actors bring the tales to life. While most readers know O. Henry through "The Gift of the Magi," they may be unaware of the racial slurs that his characters occasionally use. The language feels correct for the period and locale of these characters, but may offend some listeners. O. Henry's stories still hold up and bring pleasure to readers/listeners. These wonderful readings are a perfect way to introduce readers (and especially non-readers) to the author. The beginning of the first tape includes a brief introduction to the life of William Sidney Porter (O. Henry). Most listeners will find it at least as intriguing as one of his tales.-Herman Sutter, St. Pius X High School, Houston, TXCopyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal The 17 stories included here are the first in a projected series of (to quote the volume's subtitle) "verbatim dramatizations of 101 familiar and unfamiliar stories." Don't expect drama?these are simply different voices reading a character's lines, completely in harmony with the stories themselves, capped by well-chosen musical interludes. Mocking all levels of society, most of these tales are concerned with the disguises people use (just as the writer himself did). O. Henry, the quick-change artist, has an uncanny way of setting off for one place, then ending up somewhere else. His amazing eye for the minutest detail, especially faces and body movements, can draw almost any listener in. Tape 1 opens with a brief bio; Tape 5 includes "The Dream," O. Henry's final, unfinished story. His tricky endings are as predictable now as they were 30 or 40 years ago, yet this reviewer came away smiling; these stories are just plain fun. An important purchase for most libraries.?Rochelle Ratner, formerly with "Soho Weekly News," New YorkCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.