The Birthday Boys.

THE BIRTHDAY BOYS. Beryl Bainbridge. 1991/2002. Read by Gordon Griffin. 6 cds. 6.5 hrs. Soundings Audiobooks. 1-86042-910-6. $64.95. Vinyl; plot notes. SA

In this novel, listeners hear the voices of Captain Robert Falcon Scott and four companions, all of whom died in 1912 not long after reaching the South Pole. Bainbridge draws from primary sources--diaries, letters, and expedition survivor accounts--to delve into the minds of the five who died. Listeners enter their lives as they struggle with the consequences of unbelievably poor preparation. Scott took along ponies whose feet sank in the snow and motors that were lost or did not work in the icy conditions. The men reflect on homes and families, note their own birthdays, and provide rich pictures of the stark Antarctic landscape, its terrible storms and novel wildlife. They imagine the return to England that never took place. One commiserates with food shortages, the men's deteriorating physical condition due to cold and injuries, and their agony at being bested by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen.

Griffin's hearty voice is good to listen to, but the audiobook format has a serious flaw: without occasional internal textual cues to identify each man, one almost never knows who is speaking. Edna Boardman, Bismarck, ND

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.