AUDIO

The Butler: A Witness to History

by Wil Haygood
2 CDs. retail ed. unabridged. 2½ hrs. S. & S. Audio. 2013. ISBN 9781442368958. $14.99. HIST
COPY ISBN
The Butler is a very popular and well-reviewed movie, and this audiobook is clearly intended as a companion to the film. However, it is a less than satisfactory compilation, despite an impressive list of celebrity readers, including Oprah Winfrey and Forest Whitaker. Haygood's original essay, which was the inspiration for the movie, is not included; instead, there is a first-person account of his meetings with White House butler Eugene Allen and his wife. Winfrey's segment is an interesting but somewhat out-of-context history of blacks in film.
VERDICT This will be popular with fans of the film, but they will be disappointed by the brief and disjointed narrative. Not recommended.
Reviewed by Staff , Oct 11, 2013
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