John Dies at the End

[jademunky]

So I just finished reading this book for the third time. Love it, love everything about it. The batshit insane story, the somewhat inept slacker-heroes, the blurring of the line between humour and horror, the deconstruction of small-town-life. (seriously, how many of you live in cities that sunk millions into a shopping mall, ran out of money and left a 60% done worthless hunk of concrete behind?)

Also there is the twist at the end that you could not pay me enough to spoil here.

If I could describe the book, it is kinda like that show "supernatural" crossed with South Park crossed with the Cthulhu Mythos. The plot focuses on a fictional drug called "soy sauce" that gives it's users a glimpse into the inner-workings of ultimate reality with the side-effect being that sometimes reality stares back.

Has anyone else read it? I also own it's sequel but while it is a more skillfully told story with a more coherent plot, it is not nearly as fun.

 

[Vault101]

I tried it many years ago when I was younger

I could appreciate the style and the weird story but...ehh it might have been a bit too much for me at the time

Plus if there's one thing I can't stand it's slacker bros...not sure ill pick it up again

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

That stoner flick is based on a book??? Now you're going to tell me Dude Where's My Car is a book.

 

[spacemutant IV]

I can't praise this book enough. Have been avoiding the movie for that very reason. I have also been recommending it left and right, but to no success. It seems that for every recommendation of mine, ten less people are actually reading it.

The book was genuinely scary, because it made me believe that humans were these ignorant little fools in the grand scheme of things, and that the universe around us which we do not usually perceive is really really fucked up. Quite like Lovecraft, in that regard, but with a way more modern approach to storytelling. It exploited the holes in human understanding, and our susceptibility to having these holes filled by - in this case, horrifying - metaphysics. Korrok and his story was fucking SCARY, man. Because he was right. We always want what only he can give...

 

[Bestival]

Watched the movie a bunch of times already, freaking love it. And if the usual rule of "the book is better than the movie" applies, which I assume it does, then I can imagine you loving the book to an insane degree.

Will probably pick the book up at some point, once I've managed to dwindle the library that is my nightstand a bit.
Seriously, I've like 8 books there I still have to finish.

 

[ninjaRiv]

It's easily one of my favourite books. It's a shame I read it before seeing the movie, though; the movie's good, it's just not good enough compared to the book. The book has a lot more insanity.

This Book is Full of Spiders is nowhere near as fun but still pretty great.

 

[jademunky]

That stoner flick is based on a book??? Now you're going to tell me Dude Where's My Car is a book.

Yeah, it is based on a book. The movie is not bad but cuts out a lot.

The book is actually more like 3 short stories tied together by an overarching villain.

 

[maxben]

Watched the movie a bunch of times already, freaking love it. And if the usual rule of "the book is better than the movie" applies, which I assume it does, then I can imagine you loving the book to an insane degree.

Will probably pick the book up at some point, once I've managed to dwindle the library that is my nightstand a bit.
Seriously, I've like 8 books there I still have to finish.

The book is not just "better" as much as almost unrecognisable in its themes and storyline. Do yourself a favour, read it and then believe that nothing in the world could ever compare to the hours you spent on it only to then read the second book in the series (This Book is Full of Spider) and be amazed all over again.

I would compare it to essentially a super-modern book. It's usage of language, the way the writer thinks, the surrealist imagery, it really does scream MODERN in all caps. That's what I loved about it, it was something new and unique. It cannot be compared to World War Z in any way, but I would say that that is another book which I felt was very unique.