K. Velk's Blog - Posts Tagged "kaufman"

The King of Pain: A novel with stories by Seth Kaufman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


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 Salem 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.



View all my reviews