Star Wars; Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Book Review

Kliatt, Sept, 2002 by Carol Reich

R.A. Salvotore. 2002. Read by Jonathan Davis. Abridged. 4 cds. 4 hrs. 0-553-71472-4. $24.95. Unabridged. 6 tapes. 10.5 hrs. 0-553-71473-2. $39.95. Random House Audio. Cardboard, plastic; plot, author notes. JSA *

These sets continue the story of Anakin Skywalker's path to becoming Darth Vader, and the decline of the Jedi warriors. Anakin and Padme's romance blossoms; Obi Wan discovers an unanticipated clone army; plots and counterplots rise in the Senate; lots of rock 'em-sock 'em battles are thrown in for good measure; and, as they point out in all the reviews--Yoda fights!

The recordings take full advantage of John Williams' music and all the special sound effects of Star Wars. More importantly, they are excellently narrated by Davis. He covers all the bases, and in a story of Lucas's scope, there are a lot of bases to cover. The range of characters Davis is required to bring to life is unusual, yet he easily voices everyone from C3PO to princesses. and does credible impressions of most of the major actors--even his Yoda is quite good. Between Davis' superb narration and Saivatore's blow-by-blow descriptiveness, you really feel like you're "watching" the action.

For those in a hurry or simply wanting a refresher, the abridged cd set is a good choice. The action is much choppier than in the unabridged cassette version, switching back and forth rapidly among the players and scenes, but all the action is there and the content of the narrative feels complete. Those who want to savor every word and interaction should stick with the cassette set for the complete experience. The quality of both recordings is good, so format and completeness will be the deciding factors. Carol Reich, Youth Svcs., Hillsboro PL., Hillsboro, OR