Originally posted by Dan Hocker
View Post
Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
Book Reviews
Collapse
X
-
Originally posted by Martin View PostI finally got around to reading David Wong's John Dies at the End. Probably the most disappointing book I have read that was published by Cemetery Dance. This is a book that will live or die based on how the humor works for the reader. It fell completely flat for me. The story is choppy and lacks anything other than the attempts at humor to keep your attention. As I pushed through I kept hoping it would get better but it did not. I have the second and third book of the trilogy but will probably dump them all without continuing the story. I just can't imagine returning to that universe.
Though, if I may . . .
My defense of JDATE: it might seem choppy because it was originally written as a series of webisodes. Just one-off little chapters that David Wong later assembled into a unified whole. So there may be rough edges.
My argument for you to continue the series (seeing as you have the editions supplied by NRB already): The series gets better. TBIFOS is the most coherent and completely formed of the three. There is no choppiness and the plot (not the humor) drives the story. WTHDIJR is somewhere between the first and second as far as the insanity goes. It's more unified than the first--but less focused than the second.
Anyway--I understand all too well the problem with pushing an author on people who just don't connect with that author **cough** BENTLEY LITTLE **cough**. So I'll just leave my opinions contained in this lonely little box that's part of this winding thread on this one section of one speck of a website in the vast expanse of the Internet.
Comment
-
Originally posted by RonClinton View PostI had the same issue...tried reading it a while back (in tpb form), and just could not get into it. I could see the type of book he was trying to create, but while I'm usually a fan of the horror/humor mash-up (ala Jeff Strand, etc.), this one fell flat for me as well.
Comment
-
Nothing to see here!Ok, I really can't come up with anymore of these stupid things...
- May 2011
- 8801
Originally posted by jeffingoff View PostThat sucks! I absolutely loved John Dies at the End as well as This Book is Full of Spiders and What the Hell Did I Just Read?
Though, if I may . . .
My defense of JDATE: it might seem choppy because it was originally written as a series of webisodes. Just one-off little chapters that David Wong later assembled into a unified whole. So there may be rough edges.
My argument for you to continue the series (seeing as you have the editions supplied by NRB already): The series gets better. TBIFOS is the most coherent and completely formed of the three. There is no choppiness and the plot (not the humor) drives the story. WTHDIJR is somewhere between the first and second as far as the insanity goes. It's more unified than the first--but less focused than the second.
Anyway--I understand all too well the problem with pushing an author on people who just don't connect with that author **cough** BENTLEY LITTLE **cough**. So I'll just leave my opinions contained in this lonely little box that's part of this winding thread on this one section of one speck of a website in the vast expanse of the Internet.
Comment
-
Originally posted by jeffingoff View PostI think I will go opposite of your recommendations and you should opposite of mine. MAYBE someday we can agree on some book or author. But I really don't know anymore . . .Twitter: https://twitter.com/ron_clinton
Comment
-
Nothing to see here!Ok, I really can't come up with anymore of these stupid things...
- May 2011
- 8801
Originally posted by jeffingoff View PostThat sucks! I absolutely loved John Dies at the End as well as This Book is Full of Spiders and What the Hell Did I Just Read?
Though, if I may . . .
My defense of JDATE: it might seem choppy because it was originally written as a series of webisodes. Just one-off little chapters that David Wong later assembled into a unified whole. So there may be rough edges.
My argument for you to continue the series (seeing as you have the editions supplied by NRB already): The series gets better. TBIFOS is the most coherent and completely formed of the three. There is no choppiness and the plot (not the humor) drives the story. WTHDIJR is somewhere between the first and second as far as the insanity goes. It's more unified than the first--but less focused than the second.
Anyway--I understand all too well the problem with pushing an author on people who just don't connect with that author **cough** BENTLEY LITTLE **cough**. So I'll just leave my opinions contained in this lonely little box that's part of this winding thread on this one section of one speck of a website in the vast expanse of the Internet.
Comment
-
Originally posted by Martin View PostI finally got around to reading David Wong's John Dies at the End. Probably the most disappointing book I have read that was published by Cemetery Dance. This is a book that will live or die based on how the humor works for the reader. It fell completely flat for me. The story is choppy and lacks anything other than the attempts at humor to keep your attention. As I pushed through I kept hoping it would get better but it did not. I have the second and third book of the trilogy but will probably dump them all without continuing the story. I just can't imagine returning to that universe.
Originally posted by Dan Hocker View PostI liked John Dies at the End, but I think it helps that I had seen the kinda "B" movie before reading the book, so I knew what I was getting into. I never got around to the other books in the series. Then again I liked Ready Player One and every podcast I've listened to that's mentioned it seems to hate that one, so maybe my taste is just bad.
Comment
-
Originally posted by Martin View PostYou guys probably agree on more than you realize. Jack Ketchum, Stephen King, Joe Hill?
I just find it funny that some of the strongest opinions we've expressed here have been complete opposites. Mainly regarding Bentley Little, Josh Malerman, and now David Wong. Those are three authors for which my feelings are in no way middling.
Though I think we both name The ROAD as the absolute best book ever written.
Comment
-
Originally posted by TacomaDiver View PostRPO seems to be the cool thing to hate on. It's kind of funny that quite a few people I follow on Twitter are doing the same thing - don't hate what people enjoy, just enjoy the fact they're having fun. Oh and RPO is shite and should be burned and how could anyone enjoy this crap. Uhhhhh, hello . . .CD Email: [email protected]
Non-Work related social media and what not:
Instagram
Buy my stuff! - https://www.etsy.com/shop/HockersWoodWorks
Comment
-
Originally posted by jeffingoff View PostYeah, I'm sure we do. We wouldn't be in this forum if we disagreed on everything.
I just find it funny that some of the strongest opinions we've expressed here have been complete opposites. Mainly regarding Bentley Little, Josh Malerman, and now David Wong. Those are three authors for which my feelings are in no way middling.
Though I think we both name The ROAD as the absolute best book ever written.
But yeah: Malerman, Little, and Wong...opposite ends of the spectrum there (though I actually really did like a great deal Malerman's novella, A HOUSE AT THE BOTTOM OF A LAKE...I just wish Goblin had been replete with more novellas like that one). Thank goodness we have McCarthy to keep the peace.Twitter: https://twitter.com/ron_clinton
Comment
-
Originally posted by Dan Hocker View PostI can honestly see why people don't like RPO. It's honestly a very simple story and it's so referential. Personally I don't mind the references, but if you don't like that sort of thing you're probably gonna hate it. For me though I mostly thought it was fun. It's no masterpiece, but I think it's a good time.
ARMADA, on the other hand: I just tried to read that one, Cline's follow-up to RPO, and came away firmly agreeing with the overwhelming majority of readers who found it simplistic dreck. All the aforementioned subtext that gave RPO a richness that belied its simple formula was missing, and it felt forced and uninspired. Really unfortunate.Twitter: https://twitter.com/ron_clinton
Comment
Comment