THE CAINE MUTINY by Herman Wouk

Narrated by Kevin Pariseau

     War is Hell, Navy Captains are Worse

I tackled this book as preparation for Wouk’s lengthy THE WINDS OF WAR and the even longer WAR AND REMEMBRANCE, of which I am hoping great things, having been enthralled by the television mini-series of the same name. I was amazed at the well-rounded and fully fleshed out characters. None of them are larger than life hero types, but are realistic: self-doubting at times, overconfident at others. These characters make for engaging reading. The book follows the life journey of just a few central characters and is so authentic that I began to care about them. So, when things begin to turn sour the listener is so invested that empathy is assured. Every event the characters go through becomes a crisis. Every injustice, a tragedy. This is a truly grand story filled by real people.

The book is narrated by Kevin Pariseau who is truly a marvel. He handles salty sea dogs and lounge singers with equal mastery. His performance is dramatic without being intrusive, always appropriate, enhancing this already excellent book.