It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Marlo Dianne - I could listen to this woman read a grocery list and still manage to be fascinated/mesmerized/in need of a cold shower.

That said, I'd agree that "Despair" is not her best work - check out "Prick" or "Id" for that - but I can see what MD was attempting here. Reading Lovecraft is haunting, it's chilling, and the tone and tempo of the tale is meant to be hypnotic. A previous review comments on her monotone, and I agree that her voice is quite flat throughout the piece - but do you really want your Lovecraft read with zippy emotional overtones and cheerleader-like inflections?

Marlo Dianne is an auditory artist, and this reading of Despair is best taken as an example of an artist developing her craft.

callahan_mystery@hotmail.com

The source text is a 'Raven' like metrical complaint by a morose HPL, is a brief "used to be blue skies, now they're gray" thing.

M. Diane's reading is a rapid monotone and repetitive "da_da,_da_da, da_da, da daa..." style, no pauses, breaks, or much changes in tone; with no humor, irony or accents to liven it up.