Jake May > Recent Status Updates

King #15 - The Running Man

Pretty sure the ending got spoiled early on in the introduction by King (practically unskippable in audiobook form) but he did also criticise the movie (198?) for casting Schwarzenegger as the lead role so I wonder what he thinks of the recent adaptation

Finally get to the Dark Tower series, and narrated by Guidall, can’t wait.

I find King really excels in exposing the horror inherit in humans. Characters with horrific traits that most likely remind you of someone you already know. Even if the overall premise of the book isn’t that scary, it’s always certain things a character does or even just thinks that sticks with you. Could be why movie adaptations just can’t nail his books when they try to be faithful.

Wasn’t expecting a kind of sequel to Dead Zone, coming straight off Roadwork where a vicious dog was a significant motif for a part of the story. Need to read the start of DZ again because I can’t remember who beat the dog at the start.

Introduction - I don’t usually read introductions/forewords etc but I’m really glad I sat through this one. It makes so much sense now why he holds so much disdain for almost all the adaptations of his own work and I feel it has less to do with how faithful an adaptation it is and more that he’s an actual horror buff that knows what makes a great horror movie. Lots of great reccs but also spoils Blair Witch

Really struggling to get into this one and I think it might be the narration. Dropping for now.

Getting bored of this one. Liked the backstory but can’t really see it getting much better.

Closest entry I could find to the audiobook

The man loves his psychics

According to Franco every non-American character speaks with a vague Eastern European accent, including Polish men, Taiwanese women and Vietnamese men

Convinced Franco only took the job to practice his Tommy Wiseau impression before filming The Disaster Artist

King #8

James Franco jumpscare

Don’t really like King’s writing style as Bachman but I really enjoy Kirby Heyborne’s narration style (previously read his narration of Hard Boiled Wonderland) so I think I can push through. Interesting premise, reminded me of Hunger Games instantly and then found out the movie was directed by the same guy.

Was recommended to read the original version first but the quality of this recording is just doing my head in. It makes sense now that I’ve found it comes from a cassette recording but it’s really taking me out of the story itself.

Started using this for background noise but literally had no idea what was going on at any point in time. Might try the next book.

The series really took a hard left turn that I wasn’t prepared for. Love the first book but probably gonna call it a day with this one

Might come back to this after I’ve forgotten enough about 11.22.63 to want to go back to this past.

Started To Kill A Mockingbird but wasn’t feeling it and the further I got into it the more it just made me really want to re-read this

It’s Rick Deckard!

This narrator was made for these stories. I think his voice might be more engaging than the stories themselves. He somehow feels like the victim and perpetrator of the stories at the same time.

Everything is true. Everything anyone has ever said, is true.

I love how they dropped Deckard’s main motivation for everything that he does. Reminds me of Kubrick making a similar change for the Shining movie.

~ 5 hours

Okay so it’s actually still been A Study in Scarlet this whole time with that crazy long aside into American history just to set up the end of the story.

~3 hours in; book 2: The Sign of the Four

Wasn’t expecting a story that begins with the start of the Mormon movement. As someone who has never actually met a Mormon irl (not American) and between recently watching through South Park from season 1, buying tickets to Book of Mormon, and now this story, I feel like I’m about to become one.

~1 hour in

Started listening before falling asleep, but found myself getting to the end of the sleep timer each time

“She must be hurt this way, that she does but suffer greater hurt”.

Chronicling important events for when I pick it back up each time.

- Paul takes the pain box test
- can infer truthiness
- (probably) the quizats haderach

“If I die, I’m not even sure what happens to me.”

The straightforward chapter structure is definitely welcome. The lengthy parts of the previous book could get a bit much. This makes Hyperion feel like a prequel and so far would probably recommend to start with this one and fill in the gaps after with the first book.

Never noticed how much of a westaboo Murakami really is. It is written to seamlessly into the story and the characters personalities that it’s easy to miss until you realise where the story is taking place and who the characters are. Also, I understand that Japanese isn’t the most intuitive language with pronunciations, but I feel the narrator could’ve looked up how to say a few things before recording.