Subject
Billboard Magazine: Review of Iron's LOLITA tape (fwd)
Date
Body
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ckania@randomhouse.com
This review runs in the May 10th issue of Billboard magazine. I thought the
remarks made about the audio being improved by being 'abridged'; taking away
the 'too many tedious, minor details' were a bit uncalled for. Edit Nabokov's
LOLITA? Opinions?
Best,
Carrie Kania
"LOLITA
By Vladimir Nabokov
Read by Jeremy Irons
Random House AudioBooks
12 hours (unabridged) $39.95
Fresh from his role as Humbert Humbert in the upcoming film version of
"Lolita", Irons slips back into the role in this first-person audiobook. His
tour de force performance is not to be missed. In a silky, sinister voice, he
brings out all the nuances of the character: pompous and arrogant, calmly
rational yet obsessed and insane. Humbert revels in his forbidden desire yet
is tormented by it. The controversial story, of course, deals with a
middle-aged man's sexual obsession with a 12-year-old girl. It's a fascinating
listen; however, it would have been improved with some judicious abridgment.
For example, when Humbert takes Lolita on two cross-country trips, each lasting
over a year, we get too many tedious, minor details that could easily have been
edited for this audio version. Likewise, the section of the book in which
Humbert loses Lolita and spends three years tracking her down could have been
trimmed substantially. These long sections begin to bog the audio down at
times, but Irons' winning performance is impressive from beginning to end."
In case anyone would like to write a letter to the editor:
Billboard Magazine
Editorial
1515 Broadway
NY NY 10036
212-764-7300
edit fax: 212-536-5358
From: ckania@randomhouse.com
This review runs in the May 10th issue of Billboard magazine. I thought the
remarks made about the audio being improved by being 'abridged'; taking away
the 'too many tedious, minor details' were a bit uncalled for. Edit Nabokov's
LOLITA? Opinions?
Best,
Carrie Kania
"LOLITA
By Vladimir Nabokov
Read by Jeremy Irons
Random House AudioBooks
12 hours (unabridged) $39.95
Fresh from his role as Humbert Humbert in the upcoming film version of
"Lolita", Irons slips back into the role in this first-person audiobook. His
tour de force performance is not to be missed. In a silky, sinister voice, he
brings out all the nuances of the character: pompous and arrogant, calmly
rational yet obsessed and insane. Humbert revels in his forbidden desire yet
is tormented by it. The controversial story, of course, deals with a
middle-aged man's sexual obsession with a 12-year-old girl. It's a fascinating
listen; however, it would have been improved with some judicious abridgment.
For example, when Humbert takes Lolita on two cross-country trips, each lasting
over a year, we get too many tedious, minor details that could easily have been
edited for this audio version. Likewise, the section of the book in which
Humbert loses Lolita and spends three years tracking her down could have been
trimmed substantially. These long sections begin to bog the audio down at
times, but Irons' winning performance is impressive from beginning to end."
In case anyone would like to write a letter to the editor:
Billboard Magazine
Editorial
1515 Broadway
NY NY 10036
212-764-7300
edit fax: 212-536-5358