jesstheaudiobookworm
Written on Oct 7, 2018
Even before beginning The Colorado Kid, Haven’s Stephen King connection was obvious to me. With multiple mentions of Derry, Maine and other Easter eggs, Haven has Stephen King written all over it. Actually, I think I’ve read that King actually had a hand in writing or producing the show (or something to that effect).
Even though “The Colorado Kid” is frequently mentioned in the show, the narrative is very different. The only things The Colorado Kid and Haven have in common are 1) The setting (Maine), 2) Two characters (Vince and Dave), and 3) The mystery of “The Colorado Kid” (sort of). So, if you’re picking this up based on a love for the TV show Haven, you might want to steady your expectations. It’s really nothing like the show.
With that said, this isn’t a terrible little story. Judging it on its own and not against the show, I kind of enjoyed it. Granted, the short length had a lot to do with that. I pretty much thought “Eh, why not? It’s Stephen King.” and decided to continue. Although I don’t necessarily recommend this to the fans of Haven, I do recommend it to those true fans of mystery. I’m talking to the purists, because The Colorado Kid is the epitome of a mystery.
I can understand why the majority of reviewers seemed frustrated with The Colorado Kid. We’ve come to expect most mysteries to have a resolution, satisfying or not. In one way or another, things are usually tied up at the end. But that’s not realistic, is it? And that’s the whole point of The Colorado Kid. True mysteries are open ended. They leave us wondering. That’s the point Stephen King is trying to make here and he makes it frustratingly well.
Don’t start The Colorado Kid if you’re going to see it as a waste of time. Just enjoy some good Stephen King writing. That was enough for me.
Narration review: If Jeffrey DeMunn is from anywhere other than Maine, I’d be stunned. His New England accent sounded so authentic that I had to strain to understand what he was saying. That’s both good and bad, as a listener. On one hand, I appreciated DeMunn’s authenticity (or portrayal), but on the other, it really did take a lot of extra concentration just to focus on following the story. At one point, I actually wondered if he was still speaking English or had slipped into some other dialect. However, my mental image of Vince Teague never faltered. ♣︎