263. Drunken Fireworks

Rating:  ☆☆☆

Recommended by:

Author:   Stephen King

Genre:  Fiction, Humor, Novella

Only on audio, published June 30, 2015

Reading Format:  Audio Book

 

Summary

Drunken Fireworks is a short novella by Stephen King that was only released as an Audio Book; there is no print version.  It tells the story of Alden McCausland and his mother who, as the result of an unexpected life-insurance policy payout and a winning lottery ticket, come into some money.  They spend their days drinking in their small house by Lake Abenaki in Maine.  Across the lake, is the Massimo family’s Twelve Pines Camp which consists of a big white mansion, guest house and tennis court that Alden’s Ma says is paid for by the “ill-gotten gains” from Massimo Construction.  Fueled by envy, the McCauslands start a Fourth of July arms race with the Massimos which escalates until Alden ends up in jail.

 

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My Take

I’m a big fan of Stephen King.  He always writes a compelling tale with real life, relatable characters.  While much briefer than his other works, Drunken Fireworks lives up to that standard.  It also succeeds as a cautionary tale against trying to keep up with the Joneses.