The assistant

From Publishers WeeklyThis new specialty-interest audio publisher is launching its line with two strong titles in addition to this one: Betrothed by S.Y. Agnon, read by Peter Waldren, and Miss America, 1945: Bess Myerson and the Year that Changed Our Lives by Susan Dworkin, read by Bess Myerson and Adam Grupper. Known especially for the craft of his short stories, Malamud (The Fixer; The Natural) published this novel in 1957. Frank Alpine is an Italian-American drifter who lands a job working for a humble Jewish grocer in Brooklyn. When he falls in love with the storekeeper's daughter, he is forced to reexamine his moral and spiritual beliefs. Guidall, one of audio's finest narrators, extracts a strong sense of atmosphere from Malamud's richly descriptive language. He throws himself into the many charged dialogue scenesAcomplete with the ethnic accents requiredAexpressing pathos and humility without overdramatizing. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review"George Guidall, a veteran narrator for Books on Tape, turns in a sensitive, emotionally affecting performance for this intriguing tale of a poor Jewish grocer and the mysterious young man who comes to work for him. Frank Alpine is a complex young man who thinks he's an honest and decent person but again and again finds himself involved in dishonest schemes. Afterward, he feels guilty and promises to do better. Morris Bober is a poor, elderly Jew, who, like Frank, has had a hard life filled with bad luck. But unlike Frank's, Morris' conscience is clear. When their paths cross, a chain of events is set in motion that will change both of their lives forever. Guidall deftly brings the characters to life, voicing Morris with just a hint of the distinctive Yiddish/Eastern European Jewish singsong cadence without ever veering toward parody. Frank talks quickly, always trying to convince others and himself that he is a better person than he appears. This is a complex yet satisfying audio listen." -- Billboard Magazine, 9/25/99

"Not one false moment mars George Guidall's resonant interpretation of the Pulitzer Prize winner's 1957 novel. With surprising lyricism and characteristic irony, the author writes of Frank, a young, Gentile nogoodnik, who comes to work for a Jewish ma-and-pa grocery in return for room and board. The family owners don't know that Frank was one of the thieves who previously robbed the place and clubbed Morris, the paterfamilias. For his part, Frank is at war with himself, ever vacillating between his good and brutal instincts. Guidall is totally in synch with this group, vividly portraying the inner life of each. He delivers the narrative with equal aplomb, making every moment seem effortlessly riveting." -- AudioFile, Dec99/Jan00