Stephanie Beacham, Glenda Jackson, Sharon Stone, Meryl Streep Perform Fifty Poems of Emily Dickinson

From AudioFile [Editor's Note: The following is a combined review with FIFTY POEMS OF EMILY DICKINSON, VOL. 2.]--These 100 poems provide a welcome introduction to Dickinson's writing or an enjoyable performance for those who know her work. The poems are read by several well-known actresses, who each perform the poems thoughtfully and carefully. Meryl Streep's readings are the most enjoyable; the bell-like quality of her voice and her perfect diction are marvelous. The pleasant recording works for both meditation and relaxation, or the sheer pleasure of hearing Dickinson's poems read aloud by well-trained voices. The musical selections in the background are unnecessary but bland enough to be untroubling. R.F. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine Product Description Presents a collection of poems by the nineteenth-century American poet. From Library Journal If there were ever a poet whose work begged to be heard, it would be Dickinson. Depending upon the reader, rhymes and metrics can be emphasized or glossed over, giving words more freedom than they have on the page. The numerous voices reading here (including Meryl Streep, Sharon Stone, and Melissa Manchester) stress the varied emotions that exist or can be read into Dickinson's work: from anger to complacency to the supersweet voice one uses for nursery rhymes. One hundred poems, no matter how short they are, give listeners a substantial entrance into the work of any poet (though Dickinson is now credited with authoring more than 1700 poems). The editors have reached beyond the much-anthologized pieces and even those usually included in "selected" volumes, presenting a sampling that displays the wide range of Dickinson's concerns and insights. Background music seems an overstatement at times, but it serves to smooth over the gaps among the different voices. Recommended for most public libraries. Rochelle Ratner, formerly with "Soho Weekly News," New YorkCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.