Pearl

JOHN STEINBECK (1902-1968) was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962. Born in California, he worked at a series of odd jobs and attended Stanford University before beginning his writing career. Among his classic works are Of Mice and Men, The Red Pony, The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, and Cannery Row.

In intimate, whispery tones Elizondo relates the tragic tale of how a priceless pearl brings greed, treachery and loss to a poor Mexican pearl diver, his wife and their infant son. Although Elizando's breathy, dramatic reading won't be to everyone's taste, younger readers, in particular, should respond to this interpretation. The narrator's tone lends weight and urgency to the telling and underscores the mythic quality of Steinbeck's classic novella. D.M.L. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine