The Ice Cream Man and Other Stories

By: Sam Pink

Narrated by: Alan Carlson

It was, maybe, the first job I'd ever had where people were happy to see me. An odd feeling indeed, to wield this kind of power. To be this kind of force. As near to magical as any mortal should stride. A technician of unspeakable joy. Braving the neon mountains to return with blue raspberry concentrate. Tearing out sundae cone fangs from the mouths of snow beasts. And so on.

Cone dealer, sunshine stealer, alleyway counselor, lunch lady to the homeless, friend to the dead, maker of sandwiches. Metal wrangler. Stag among stags. And so it goes - another journey through time spent punched in. A life's work of working for a living. Blood, death, and violence. Dirty dishes, dead roaches, and sparkler-lit nights. Nights ahead and no real fate.

So, open your mouths because the forecast calls for sprinkles. Thirteen delights, scooped and served. Let it melt down your hand. Let the sun burn your face. It's The Ice Cream Man and Other Stories.

Praise for the book:

"Pink is a keen observer of the culture of minimum-wage jobs and low-rent studio apartments that is the reality of life for all those who don't find a cog space in today’s hyper-capitalist economy.” (The Guardian)

©2020 Softskull (P)2020 The Talking Book

Enjoyable and entertaining storytelling

Sam Pink give us insight into the lives of the invisible people all around us. The dishwasher. The sandwich maker. The loud guy in the apartment downstairs. The waiter at the reception hall. And yes, the Ice Cream Man. The vignettes of mundane real life are vivid and real in the 'dirty realism' style. Reminiscent of Bukowski's Post Office set in modern times.

e n t e r t a i n i n g

these stories bring light to the in-between conversations where the background characters get a voice too.. The stories were quite entertaining! Drive around with the ice cream man while you fold your laundry, listen to how the sandwich maker is doing while you take a walk, hang around Victoria and the boys while do some other thing ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Anyways.. Yop!

Despite the Constant Swearing...

I must have been in the right mood to listen to this.
Interesting viewpoints and short storytellings. Nothing earth shattering, just very ... grounded and tangible.
Quite a bit of swearing. Not usually my thing, but it wasn’t offensive the first time I listened to it. The second time; it felt unnecessary.
Narrator was good and I have several more from him on my list!

strange

Strange little snippets of gritty yet gorgeous life. I really liked it. Well written and narrated.
Dark yet full of wonder. excellent bit of work. Will be getting more fom author.

Oh Baby, this is good stuff

Have you listened to this? Have you read this? Alan Carlson brings it to life. Sam Pink writes stories that'll knock your ass out. Funny, sad, fun, meaningful and other important words. Don't sleep on this.

FUN AS HELL

Sam Pink rocks. This is good as hell. Listen to it or have regrets! No joke.

Sam Pink is good

I loved it. The narrator's selection of voices for the characters is funny. it has actually helped me read Sam Pink's other stuff. And if you haven't read Sam Pink, give this a try! He has mastered the art of capturing common life and hilarious mundanity in the early 21st century U.S.

It Is What It Is Du or Do Your Ears Hang Low

A friend of mine turned me on to Sam Pink, and boy am I sure glad he did.

Sam is awesome and funny as heck, all his stories are great, my favorites being Yop, The Ice Cream Man and the Sandwich Maker....I will definitely be checking out some of Sam's other work.

This audio book is highly recommended, if you like to laugh, you can not go wrong...Alan Carlson does a fine job of narrating. I received this audiobook for free and am giving this review voluntarily.

Solid All Around

Real good short stories and excellent narration. Wish there was more quality like this on Audible. Highly recommended.