Spoon River Anthology

This anthology of beautiful, often gritty poems is every bit as powerful, amusing, and American as Whitman's Leaves of Grass. The Asner et. al. performance is magnificent! I wish they would record Whitman's great legacy to American letters like this! The performers lend meaning to the material in the best way. This is the way to read poetry! This is the way to listen to it!

Sound great and if they seem depressing, the point is being missed. They are meant to teach the living how to live and not carry their regrets to the grave.

This is one of those books that I remember friends reading in high school, but for some reason my teacher skipped. It is something that I have meant to read for years, but have never made time for; well I am glad I finally made the time. Even though I knew the reputation of the book, I was still surprised by how well it worked. The depth and variety of the characters were surprising. Part of me really wanted to sit down and make a chart of all the interconnecting stories like I was some sort of school kid. If you have never made the time for this classic, I would suggest that you do so as soon as possible.

This version of "Anthology" is beautfully read, and if the artistic choices are not always the ones I would choose, they are invariably well-chosen.

The exception to this is the music, which is a distraction. Sometimes the overly-folksy and sentimental music seems to be nothing more than a bridge between segments. Other times the music serves as a 'stinger' to emphasize a particularly arch point, as if to say, "Get it? Do you get it?" The musical contributions to this audiobook are unfortunate.

Beyond this, the audiobook is excellent.

I was looking for a good dramatic reading of this anthology on audio and this is the best one I've found. There is a cast of 50 that includes Patrick Fraley and Edward Asner. I highly recommend this version.

I wonder if Mr. Masters would've liked the quasi-folky guitar music that punctuates and interrupts his poetry, or the spooky howling wind behind the introduction of this - I hate to say - childlike interpretation of his work. Somehow, I doubt it, but if you like such add-ons and unnecessary nonsense, then go ahead and spend your $17.47. I wish I could have mine back.

I highly recommend this if you are feeling to good and need to take yourself down a peg. A continuous stream of bitter snipets from the grave