If you"ve seen The Phantom Menace in a theater--and, judging from the 1999 box-office figures, who hasn"t?--you"ve probably been a bit frustrated by the speed with which the fantastic images and creatures fly past. There"s no such problem with this audiobook. All the excitement of the Star Wars prequel is there, but this time there"s breathing room, a chance to meet the characters, let them walk around in your imagination, hear their thoughts. Actor Alexander Adams"s reading of fantasy master Terry Brooks"s novelization is brisk but never rushed, punctuated at chapter breaks by snippets of John Williams"s movie score. Unfortunately, those who hate amphibian pest Jar Jar Binks"s voice probably won"t find Adams"s approximation any less obnoxious than the movie"s. (Running time: 9.5 hours, 6 cassettes) --Lou Schuler