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The King Of Pain: A Novel With Stories (2012)

by Seth Kaufman(Favorite Author)

3.61 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

098562650X (ISBN13: 9780985626501)

languge

English

genre

Humor

publisher

Sukuma Books

review 1: With a title like this, you can't be too sure what you're getting into. (Even with the "very funny" call out quote and comic-book style old TV on the cover). The story of had me from the first page, however. I knew right away I was in the hands of someone who knew what he was doing and the story did not let go til the bitter - or really, rather sweet - end. Rick Slater, an aging, bright and thoroughly compromised producer, has been saved from the Hollywood has-been ash heap by becoming the guiding light of a horrid, torture-based reality TV show. As the show reaches a crescendo of awfulness (and popularity), Slater finds himself one day pinned beneath his collapsed, massive entertainment center. As he endures the varied agonies that come with being pressed like an old Sale... morem witch, he reflects on his shabby, checkered past. When he isn't reminiscing, regretting, reforming, he distracts himself with a book of stories that has fallen off the shelf. The book was given to him by a worthy young woman (and just-out-of-reach object of desire) who once served as his assistant. She has inscribed it with a cryptic message about a lesson he needs to learn. These stories are all written as stand-alone works are uniformly excellent, really often rising to brilliance. Slater's search for the meaning of this inscription helps tie the front of the book to the back. This was a book I looked forward to finding on my night stand for as long as it lasted.
review 2: "The King of Pain" was a book that I won in a good reads contest and otherwise probably wouldn't have picked up. I don't normally read a lot of adult fiction or books with stories in them but this was definitely a page turner! The concept is unique and really worked in way of storytelling!! The stories were short enough to keep your interest (my favorite being about the Giz) and it was always amusing to read Rick's brutally opinionated take on each other them (I especially enjoyed how Kaufman snuck some praise in there for himself). And I will admit I do watch A LOT of different reality competitions on TV so that added to my appreciation of the book. This book has interested me in reading more by Seth Kaufman and I would definitely recommend it for reality TV enthusiasts or someone just looking for something totally different to read! less

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