Those flashbacks help give a full scope of an addicts life, and makes it more than just a drug soap opera. Flashbacks show how certain characters, and the neighborhood, thrived before the heroin epidemic. However, this cycle is still new to them. They are still, however, such a small, insignificant piece of the pie. Together, the family is a microcosm of addiction in America. DeAndre is the tragic, final turn of the deadly revolution a family broken by addictions creates another cog in the perpetual machine. Fran shows how the corner’s minions can drag anyone down, and how hard it can be to break away from its grasp. Gary represents how the corner can devour a communities brightest individuals if left in its gaze long enough. These three main protagonists are examples of “The Corner”’s most essential tropes. Deandre, Gary and Fran’s 15-year old son, now bears the brunt of his parents’ addiction as a dealer of the same drug that has destroyed his family and childhood. Fran is Gary’s ex-wife, who seems to be responsible for Gary’s descent to the corners. Gary was smart, hardworking, and friendly, but was ultimately pulled into the pits of Baltimore’s drug scene by Fran. The six-part miniseries primarily revolves around Gary McCollough (TK Carter), Deandre McCollough (Sean Nelson), and Fran Boyd (Khandi Alexander). But for “The Corner,” the novel is used as a direct screenplay, broadcasting the lives detailed in Simon and Burns’ book directly to the television screen. The book is more of an inspiration for The Wire, using its stories to create a spin-off of Baltimore’s drug-ladened inner city. Stars every one.Based on the book “The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood” by David Simon and Edward Burns (both also created “The Wire”) and released two years before “The Wire,” “The Corner” is commonly referred to as the prequel to the HBO powerhouse series despite having no references to its characters or plots. Get this and enjoy x Thanks to David and Ed and the narrator. I nearly died in Cornwall England 17 years ago. I was an alcoholic for a long time so I have addiction in my genes. Probably better because I don't have to live that way. As a UK white male my chances of exploring Baltimore in the streets and corners written about here and staying alive are slim but this is as good as being there. It deserves more listeners and if I can encourage one person then I will be happy. It is wonderfully written and narrated with love and attention to detail. I was not expecting to find The Wire but was elated to find this. As a massive fan of The Wire I typed in Ed Burns or David Simon into the search bar on a whim.

In all my time as an Audible listener despite loving many of the books I've listened to this one deserves a special mention.

The corner david simon series