DRUNKEN FIREWORKS

Combining Stephen King's masterful storytelling with humor, bizarre characters, and fireworks, narrator Tim Sample unfurls the story of an escalating rivalry with precision. In the rolling, deliberately paced drawl of a seasoned Mainer, Sample recounts a yearly fireworks competition: Alden McCausland and his mother against the wealthy summering Massimos, from Rhode Island. Jaunty, trumpeted renditions of “America the Beautiful” book-end this performance, its lurching, spirited notes mirroring the lunacy in King’s landscape of dialogue, family history, and mounting desperation. Sample’s sardonic delivery peppers a sordid narrative with moments of flippancy, and by grounding the dialogue and characterizations in specificity, he keeps a tight reign on King's kaleidoscopic sense of detail. An odd, enjoyable summer listen, and an excellent recommendation for non-horror fans who are interested in King’s work. K.S.B. 2016 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2015]