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King Kong #2
King Kong
The novelization of the blockbuster new film follows the discovery on a remote island of the giant ape, the beast's ill-fated affection for a young woman, and his capture and exploitation by greedy would-be entrepreneur Carl Denham. Original. (A Universal Pictures film, written by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, & Philippa Boyens, directed by Peter Jackson, starring Adrien Brody, Naomi Watts, Jack Black, & Andy Serkis) (Science Fiction)
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2005
12 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Golden
531 books2,976 followersCHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of such novels as Road of Bones, Ararat, Snowblind, Of Saints and Shadows, and Red Hands. With Mike Mignola, he is the co-creator of the Outerverse comic book universe, including such series as Baltimore, Joe Golem: Occult Detective, and Lady Baltimore. As an editor, he has worked on the short story anthologies Seize the Night, Dark Cities, and The New Dead, among others, and he has also written and co-written comic books, video games, screenplays, and a network television pilot. Golden co-hosts the podcast Defenders Dialogue with horror author Brian Keene. In 2015 he founded the popular Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival. He was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. His work has been nominated for the British Fantasy Award, the Eisner Award, and multiple Shirley Jackson Awards. For the Bram Stoker Awards, Golden has been nominated ten times in eight different categories. His original novels have been published in more than fifteen languages in countries around the world. Please visit him at www.christophergolden.com
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 1, 2020
الوحش الذي أحب..والجمال الذي قتله
March 16, 2016
I liked this book because when King Kong beat down the planes and this remains me to Dairy Of A Wimpy kid because when the Big brother pranks him to going to the woods.
November 26, 2022
It’s an awkward one this one. The film King Kong (2005) is an excellent film; through its visuals, CGI, choice of actors, music score and the emotional bond between Ann and the 25ft gorilla.
However, for me, this book doesn’t do the film justice. I found the part where Ann entertains Kong well written and the first encounter with the natives. Unfortunately, the rest of the book doesn’t live up to that. Although it’s good that Golden chose to write the extended version of the film, the detailing of scenes were brief.
Personally, it felt more like a summary of the film rather than a well detailed account. For example, the fight between Kong and the 3 V-Rexes has a duration of about 6/7 mins in the film; but here, it is only written about in 4 or so pages. Golden left out the parts where Kong bites the Rexes tongue out; neck of another and also the whole of the vine sequence. In addition, the chase with the V rex and Ann to where she hides and discovers the Bull Rex should’ve been extended more.
Moreover, Golden places the V rex fight before Kong fights the humans on the log when in the film, it is the opposite way around. Finally, the emotion and connection of Kong and Ann’s bond should’ve been conveyed far more as well as his intelligence and empathy.
I would’ve given it 2.5 stars but I can’t do it will have to be 2. For me, this novelisation doesn’t do the film justice!!
However, for me, this book doesn’t do the film justice. I found the part where Ann entertains Kong well written and the first encounter with the natives. Unfortunately, the rest of the book doesn’t live up to that. Although it’s good that Golden chose to write the extended version of the film, the detailing of scenes were brief.
Personally, it felt more like a summary of the film rather than a well detailed account. For example, the fight between Kong and the 3 V-Rexes has a duration of about 6/7 mins in the film; but here, it is only written about in 4 or so pages. Golden left out the parts where Kong bites the Rexes tongue out; neck of another and also the whole of the vine sequence. In addition, the chase with the V rex and Ann to where she hides and discovers the Bull Rex should’ve been extended more.
Moreover, Golden places the V rex fight before Kong fights the humans on the log when in the film, it is the opposite way around. Finally, the emotion and connection of Kong and Ann’s bond should’ve been conveyed far more as well as his intelligence and empathy.
I would’ve given it 2.5 stars but I can’t do it will have to be 2. For me, this novelisation doesn’t do the film justice!!
October 3, 2022
This was an enjoyable read, overall. It stays pretty true to the movie, for the most part. Like any novelizations, there are differences between what is onscreen versus the printed page. I would say most of the book is about character development, giving 'the major characters' and even some minor characters some kind of history. It moved at a decent pace.
The one nice thing about the book is that it fills in some "gaps" in the movie. Like when the older woman in the village is going on about Kong - I could never tell what she was carrying on about, if she was angry or not with Ann Darrell. I know there were a couple of other moments in the book that I felt it filled in some gaps, but that was probably the "main moment/gap" for me. Another example that comes to mind is that it also did a better job at developing the relationship between Ann and Jack Driscoll, something the movie was not able to do that well.
One thing the book never explains is why it took so long for the investors and law enforcement in NYC to reach the Venture and order it to change course to Rangoon. The trip from NYC to Skull Island took something like 40 days; there should have been plenty of time for the ship to be reached by radio and ordered to change course. It is never explained in the movie, nor is it explained in the book. For that matter, the primary reason why the Venture changes course in the book is because Carl Denham's check bounces; it took nearly forty days for a check to bounce? That does not make any sense to me, either; I think that was an error on the part of the director and whoever wrote the screenplay and it did not translate very well into the movie or the novelization. I understand communications technology was not the best in the time the story takes place, but one would think that Englehorn would have been reaching out to his bank to make sure the check cashed out long before reaching Skull Island.
It is funny - nearly 50% of the book is spent onboard the Venture. The island is not reached until page 196. While this allows Jack and Ann to develop their relationship and give insight as to why some of the characters behave the way they do, it also makes the latter half of the book feel rushed and somewhat short-changes the reader in the process (in my opinion). Granted, the time on the island only covers two days and the final "act" in NYC occurs in less than a 24-hour period. Well, the time on the island was more like three days, I suppose, as you have to take into account the Venture reaching the island and then getting stuck on the rocks in the night. The movie crew did not venture to the island until the morning (after some of the mist had burned off and they could see enough to head to the island), and Ann is not taken until the following night. So let's bump it up to four days on the island as you have to take into consideration Jack not reaching Ann until well after nightfall before they escaped from Kong's lair followed by their mad dash to the wall over the rest of the night.
I don't know how to express it, but it felt like the rest of the story was crammed into the final half of the book. Maybe it had to do with so much of the first half building the backstory of characters like Lumpy, Choy, and Mr. Hayes as well as Preston, Herb, Bruce Baxter, and even Jimmy to a lesser extent. The author spent more time describing Jack's experiences "living" in the ship's hold and his growing feelings for Ann than the movie focuses on; it was kind-of amusing to see him go from despising Ann to "falling in love with her" and yet not being able to tell her how he felt about her. The sad thing is that I remember more about Mr. Hayes' backstory than I do any of the other "minor / secondary" characters (including Bruce Baxter, and he's still a pretty important part of the cast).
Some of the "big" differences between the book and the movie that stood out to me:
Overall, I think it is one of the better novelizations of a movie that I have read. Granted, it is funny because it is a novelized adaptation of a movie that is a retelling of a movie classic from the 1930s that did not need to be redone or retold. I like the original novelization better, I think, but that might also be because it is so much shorter than this and focuses more on action and moving the story along; character development is not as big a deal in the original movie or novelization as it is in this updated version of the story. I would rate this 2.9 - 3.1 stars left at 3 stars, and I could maybe see myself rereading it again at some point in the future.
The one nice thing about the book is that it fills in some "gaps" in the movie. Like when the older woman in the village is going on about Kong - I could never tell what she was carrying on about, if she was angry or not with Ann Darrell. I know there were a couple of other moments in the book that I felt it filled in some gaps, but that was probably the "main moment/gap" for me. Another example that comes to mind is that it also did a better job at developing the relationship between Ann and Jack Driscoll, something the movie was not able to do that well.
One thing the book never explains is why it took so long for the investors and law enforcement in NYC to reach the Venture and order it to change course to Rangoon. The trip from NYC to Skull Island took something like 40 days; there should have been plenty of time for the ship to be reached by radio and ordered to change course. It is never explained in the movie, nor is it explained in the book. For that matter, the primary reason why the Venture changes course in the book is because Carl Denham's check bounces; it took nearly forty days for a check to bounce? That does not make any sense to me, either; I think that was an error on the part of the director and whoever wrote the screenplay and it did not translate very well into the movie or the novelization. I understand communications technology was not the best in the time the story takes place, but one would think that Englehorn would have been reaching out to his bank to make sure the check cashed out long before reaching Skull Island.
It is funny - nearly 50% of the book is spent onboard the Venture. The island is not reached until page 196. While this allows Jack and Ann to develop their relationship and give insight as to why some of the characters behave the way they do, it also makes the latter half of the book feel rushed and somewhat short-changes the reader in the process (in my opinion). Granted, the time on the island only covers two days and the final "act" in NYC occurs in less than a 24-hour period. Well, the time on the island was more like three days, I suppose, as you have to take into account the Venture reaching the island and then getting stuck on the rocks in the night. The movie crew did not venture to the island until the morning (after some of the mist had burned off and they could see enough to head to the island), and Ann is not taken until the following night. So let's bump it up to four days on the island as you have to take into consideration Jack not reaching Ann until well after nightfall before they escaped from Kong's lair followed by their mad dash to the wall over the rest of the night.
I don't know how to express it, but it felt like the rest of the story was crammed into the final half of the book. Maybe it had to do with so much of the first half building the backstory of characters like Lumpy, Choy, and Mr. Hayes as well as Preston, Herb, Bruce Baxter, and even Jimmy to a lesser extent. The author spent more time describing Jack's experiences "living" in the ship's hold and his growing feelings for Ann than the movie focuses on; it was kind-of amusing to see him go from despising Ann to "falling in love with her" and yet not being able to tell her how he felt about her. The sad thing is that I remember more about Mr. Hayes' backstory than I do any of the other "minor / secondary" characters (including Bruce Baxter, and he's still a pretty important part of the cast).
Some of the "big" differences between the book and the movie that stood out to me:
Overall, I think it is one of the better novelizations of a movie that I have read. Granted, it is funny because it is a novelized adaptation of a movie that is a retelling of a movie classic from the 1930s that did not need to be redone or retold. I like the original novelization better, I think, but that might also be because it is so much shorter than this and focuses more on action and moving the story along; character development is not as big a deal in the original movie or novelization as it is in this updated version of the story. I would rate this 2.9 - 3.1 stars left at 3 stars, and I could maybe see myself rereading it again at some point in the future.
August 7, 2014
I seriously was at the bookstore waiting for it to open so that I could buy this book the second it came out. And I mean the second. I was actually helping the guy pull the books out of the box, and handing stacks of them to a couple of employees so they were all inventoried properly and accounted for, and only because I was a regular trusted customer did they let me do this. When I got home, I read the whole book in one day, and that's saying a lot for me because I don't rush through books, as I enjoy savoring them and getting a good feel of the proper mood, especially in the dialogue parts. I was immediately put off by the change and focus of the characters. These weren't the characters I grew up with and fell in love with as a kid. I mean, neither was the 1976 movie version, but, that was different. This was supposed to take us back to the 1933 time and place that Kong first became the 8th Wonder Of The World in. And that part was the same. The rest was way different. Ann was a vaudeville actor, Jack Driscoll went from being a strong and sturdy First Mate as Ann's love interest to a wrong and nerdy Playwright, who, in the movie played by Adrien Brody, had a nose that was stealing so much screen-time it had me hearkening back to those bird creatures from The Dark Crystal. Captain Englehorn's character was ok. The Chef's too. But somehow we traded in scenes of our favorite characters for wasted story on Bruce Baxter, Hayes and Jimmy's nearly homo-erotic moments, and some dip named Preston, who in the movie version was played by Tom Hanks' brother, Colin. Was the movie supposed to be a comedy?: Giant Ape + 2 comedian actors + Disney On Ice sequence + vaudeville....it's almost a 9th Wonder Of The World just thinking about it. The good part? The book was actually pretty good, surprisingly entertaining, having a whole world of cool stuff once you finally get to the island. I really hope that somehow more King Kong fiction is in the works now that Skull Island is coming out!
April 15, 2015
This is the novelization of the film that was based on the original... there were several other films and at least one other novelization in between that added to the mythos. My opinion was (and is) that they made it right the first time, and there wasn't any reason to do it again (and again and again) when there are plenty of other stories out there that they could have spent their money filming. Nonetheless, Golden is one of my favorites and he had done several other good novelizations (primarily in the comics field), so I gave it a shot and wasn't disappointed. He transcribed the newest version very ably, and managed to add some interesting back story to the characters as well, particularly to Ann Darrow. (Everybody sing along: "Whatever happened to Fay Wray?...")
February 24, 2009
This book was one of the best books i ever read. It is a great action packed book. It may take a while to read though.
September 9, 2023
(Audiobook) Hard to believe, but the original King Kong movie is hitting its 90th anniversary. One of the most revolutionary movies to hit the big screen, this work is a novelization of the classic horror flick. As with any movie, a novelization will capture things not seen on screen for whatever reason. The infamous log rolling scene shows the men falling into a ravine to their deaths, but in the book, they actually meet a worse fate dealing with horrid spiders and other creatures. That gap is somewhat resolved in the 2005 remake of King Kong, but it is likely that the studios either didn’t have the budget to add more stop-motion scenes, or the director didn’t feel it was worth it.
How one views a movie/story will change with time, and so it was the case here. While the special effects are still incredible when considering the time and how little would change in the following 50 years, other aspects are a little more questionable in this time/age. There are elements of the story that face scrutiny, from the “white man” superiority complex over the “natives” to the underlying narratives of the “black monster” lusting after the lilly white blonde. Of note, the other Kong remakes see the Anne Darrow character gain sympathy and compassion for the beast, but not here. Right or wrong, such narratives are hard to escape in the current interpretation.
The audiobook is enhanced by the end commentary, where other classic sci-fi/horror authors give their takes on the movie and its impact. It is not all positive, but it shows the influence the movie had and can still have on modern American society. King Kong is still that most American of horror creations, and likely, the original will still be held in regards for film study. Of course, I am not so sure we’ve seen the last of reboots and remakes of it either. Worth a read, but the commentary adds something to the rating. Without it, the novelization is at best a 3, but all combined…make it a 4.
How one views a movie/story will change with time, and so it was the case here. While the special effects are still incredible when considering the time and how little would change in the following 50 years, other aspects are a little more questionable in this time/age. There are elements of the story that face scrutiny, from the “white man” superiority complex over the “natives” to the underlying narratives of the “black monster” lusting after the lilly white blonde. Of note, the other Kong remakes see the Anne Darrow character gain sympathy and compassion for the beast, but not here. Right or wrong, such narratives are hard to escape in the current interpretation.
The audiobook is enhanced by the end commentary, where other classic sci-fi/horror authors give their takes on the movie and its impact. It is not all positive, but it shows the influence the movie had and can still have on modern American society. King Kong is still that most American of horror creations, and likely, the original will still be held in regards for film study. Of course, I am not so sure we’ve seen the last of reboots and remakes of it either. Worth a read, but the commentary adds something to the rating. Without it, the novelization is at best a 3, but all combined…make it a 4.
December 13, 2023
Alguma vez vi ou tive interesse em ver algum filme do king kong? Não. Porém ofereceram-me este livro como prenda e então decidi ler.
Não é nada de especial, é o que eu esperava que seria de uma novelalização de um blockbuster de 2005, kinda bland, kinda entretenimento básico apenas.
Contudo… a relação da Ann e do Kong kinda que me fez bater bué mal…
Tipo, quase chorei no final do livro quando ele leva-a para o topo do Empire State Building porque achou que era um santuário e queria a proteger. E a morte do King caralho 😭😭 tou a bater bué mal.
SIM, ESTOU A DIZER QUE SHIPPO UMA MULHER E UM MACACO, MAS CARALHO, ELA TEM MAIS QUÍMICA COM ELE DO QUE COM O SUPOSTO INTERESSE ROMÂNTICO!
E O RELACIONAMENTO DELES É BUÉ FOFO E NOTA-SE QUE FORAM CRIANDO UMA CONFIANÇA QUE NENHUM DELES TEM COM NGM… CARALHO. SÓ QUERIA QUE ELES VIVESSEM JUNTOS NA SELVA A AMAREM-SE E SALTAR PELAS ÁRVORES. 😭😭
Sei lá, foi bué bonita a relação for no reason. Tiveram uma conexão bué diferente que vai além do comum. Amo formas de amar assim abstratas. E se isso significa que apoio a zoofilia ou que me chamem de furry tou ma cagar. Shippo imenso e não vou conseguir para de pensar neles. Obrigada Hugo e Luís por me darem mais uma doença mental. 🙏🏻
Não é nada de especial, é o que eu esperava que seria de uma novelalização de um blockbuster de 2005, kinda bland, kinda entretenimento básico apenas.
Contudo… a relação da Ann e do Kong kinda que me fez bater bué mal…
Tipo, quase chorei no final do livro quando ele leva-a para o topo do Empire State Building porque achou que era um santuário e queria a proteger. E a morte do King caralho 😭😭 tou a bater bué mal.
SIM, ESTOU A DIZER QUE SHIPPO UMA MULHER E UM MACACO, MAS CARALHO, ELA TEM MAIS QUÍMICA COM ELE DO QUE COM O SUPOSTO INTERESSE ROMÂNTICO!
E O RELACIONAMENTO DELES É BUÉ FOFO E NOTA-SE QUE FORAM CRIANDO UMA CONFIANÇA QUE NENHUM DELES TEM COM NGM… CARALHO. SÓ QUERIA QUE ELES VIVESSEM JUNTOS NA SELVA A AMAREM-SE E SALTAR PELAS ÁRVORES. 😭😭
Sei lá, foi bué bonita a relação for no reason. Tiveram uma conexão bué diferente que vai além do comum. Amo formas de amar assim abstratas. E se isso significa que apoio a zoofilia ou que me chamem de furry tou ma cagar. Shippo imenso e não vou conseguir para de pensar neles. Obrigada Hugo e Luís por me darem mais uma doença mental. 🙏🏻
August 25, 2023
The book 'King Kong' is a thrilling adventure that transports readers into a world of wonder and danger. The vivid descriptions and vividly drawn characters bring the story to life, capturing the imagination from start to finish. The exploration of Skull Island and the encounter with the mighty King Kong is filled with suspense and awe, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The book masterfully balances action and emotion, making it a must-read for fans of gripping tales and larger-than-life creatures. I LOVE IT!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2020
If just watching the movie, you may missed this mesmerize sentence for a sad ending
“It wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast"
One of my best sales bought (i think 3$), and that sentence stayed in my mind ever since.
“It wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast"
One of my best sales bought (i think 3$), and that sentence stayed in my mind ever since.
September 10, 2024
これは２００５年の映画に基づいてるの漫画のレビューです。日本では２００５年の漫画も出版しました。その漫画はアメリカではなく、日本のオリジナルです。勿論話はほとんど同じけど、映画が長いし、漫画がちょっと短いので、色々かっとされちゃった。例えば、漫画の最初の場面は船の中。骸骨島では色々なカットされたシーンがある。例えばあのグロテスクの昆虫たちと戦ってる場面がオリジナル映画と同じように漫画からカットされちゃった。恐竜と戦う場面も短くしたり、NYのスケート場面もないし。でもまあ、アートがいいだし、ちょっとオリジナル場面もところどころ入れたりするですね。満足していませんけど、楽しかった。
September 4, 2017
book was word for word identical to the movie. (for the most part) The writing itself was ok, but could be a bit dull and repitive. Ok read if you're bored and need an entertaining story.
May 28, 2018
The story was very interesting with a great plot.
Read
February 13, 2020I really enjoyed this book, which surprised me, as it's not usually the type of books I go for. And this is much better than the actual film
December 16, 2021
very good book
February 14, 2023
In this version of this tale the girl tries to save the ape who saved her from many animals.
August 18, 2023
King Kong is not so Long!
King Kong is the Novelisation of the film Peter Jackson’s King Kong. It definitely reads like it as well, following the story pretty much exactly (some parts differ) with rememberable lines from the film popping up.
I’m not a big fan of King Kong Films but I do enjoy the stories. The novel expands on the characters in the film which helps to connect to them. It is well written and the island atmosphere was very good, however I found that some of the book was a little slow and just like the film you will spend half of the medium getting to the island with a notable quick ending, and so it is slightly disappointing.
I would recommend this to fans of King Kong and if you don’t feel like watching the film, it’s also shorter in a sense! (If you’re a quick reader) It’s a hard one to rate as it’s a novelisation so you do keep thinking of the film, maybe it would be better to read and then watch however I would probably reread this again! ***.5 (3.5)
King Kong is the Novelisation of the film Peter Jackson’s King Kong. It definitely reads like it as well, following the story pretty much exactly (some parts differ) with rememberable lines from the film popping up.
I’m not a big fan of King Kong Films but I do enjoy the stories. The novel expands on the characters in the film which helps to connect to them. It is well written and the island atmosphere was very good, however I found that some of the book was a little slow and just like the film you will spend half of the medium getting to the island with a notable quick ending, and so it is slightly disappointing.
I would recommend this to fans of King Kong and if you don’t feel like watching the film, it’s also shorter in a sense! (If you’re a quick reader) It’s a hard one to rate as it’s a novelisation so you do keep thinking of the film, maybe it would be better to read and then watch however I would probably reread this again! ***.5 (3.5)
December 23, 2008
And now I come to the actual novelization of the Kong movie, as written by Christopher Golden. As with Island of the Skull, this wasn't bad for what it is, i.e., a media tie-in novel. By and large it was pretty much the same version of the story we see in the film, with some exceptions; as often happens with tie-in books, one gets a clear impression that the novel was based on an earlier version of the script. Here are the notable changes I can think of:
There's quite a bit with a Chinese member of the crew, who I'm not remembering from the film, but who seems to be a close friend of Andy Serkis' character Lumpy. He spends quite a bit of time enthusing about his fascination with Charles Atlas' "become a man in seven days" program--which, I realize as I write this, must of course be the same thing that Frank N. Furter sings about in Rocky Horror. Hee. Anyway, the poor schmoo is of course doomed to die, but he provides a bit of side character development we don't get in the film.
On Skull Island, there's no sign of Bruce Baxter actually leading a rescue party back to Jack and the others from the ship. Englehorn brings the party of his own accord. And the entire insect sequence where Jack and the others have to be rescued to begin with plays out differently in general.
There is no Monkey Slidey scene in New York. Sniff!
The details of Jack's swiping the cab in New York and hassling Kong with it are a bit different; the bit that stood out the most for me is that in the movie, you see Kong actually grab the cab and flip it around, and Jack is jostled and knocked out by the impact. In the book, he actually comes around a blind corner and crashes the cab. The book's version is less interesting, and I can see why having Kong whap the cab made it into the filming draft. Heh.
By and large it was competent writing, though nothing spectacular. It was a decent rendering of a movie script, I'd say. The description was very sparse all throughout; hardly any of the characters got even basic description done on them, for example. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing per se, as perfectly good writing can be done with description that sparse, but in my particular case I tend to like at least a bit of basic description done on people to help me imagine them.
I may at some point soon buy the recently released editions of the original version of this story, just to compare them. But in this particular instance, I'd definitely recommend the movie over the novelization, because the visuals and the acting are what really sold this story for me, and the novelization just didn't capture that same flavor. Oh well!
There's quite a bit with a Chinese member of the crew, who I'm not remembering from the film, but who seems to be a close friend of Andy Serkis' character Lumpy. He spends quite a bit of time enthusing about his fascination with Charles Atlas' "become a man in seven days" program--which, I realize as I write this, must of course be the same thing that Frank N. Furter sings about in Rocky Horror. Hee. Anyway, the poor schmoo is of course doomed to die, but he provides a bit of side character development we don't get in the film.
On Skull Island, there's no sign of Bruce Baxter actually leading a rescue party back to Jack and the others from the ship. Englehorn brings the party of his own accord. And the entire insect sequence where Jack and the others have to be rescued to begin with plays out differently in general.
There is no Monkey Slidey scene in New York. Sniff!
The details of Jack's swiping the cab in New York and hassling Kong with it are a bit different; the bit that stood out the most for me is that in the movie, you see Kong actually grab the cab and flip it around, and Jack is jostled and knocked out by the impact. In the book, he actually comes around a blind corner and crashes the cab. The book's version is less interesting, and I can see why having Kong whap the cab made it into the filming draft. Heh.
By and large it was competent writing, though nothing spectacular. It was a decent rendering of a movie script, I'd say. The description was very sparse all throughout; hardly any of the characters got even basic description done on them, for example. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing per se, as perfectly good writing can be done with description that sparse, but in my particular case I tend to like at least a bit of basic description done on people to help me imagine them.
I may at some point soon buy the recently released editions of the original version of this story, just to compare them. But in this particular instance, I'd definitely recommend the movie over the novelization, because the visuals and the acting are what really sold this story for me, and the novelization just didn't capture that same flavor. Oh well!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2010
King Kong is about a group of people and filmmakers traveling to an infamous place called skull island. Some people believe a rumor going around that a 25 ft ape roams the island. that came true when an actress named Ann Darrow was captured by skull islanders and hung by both arms by rope. King Kong walks slowly away from the shadows of the jungles and snatches Ann away from the ropes. Ann is then taken away from the sacrifice ceremony to Kong's lair where she would probably be killed. This book first takes place in New York City and then on a boat called The Venture which is sailed to skull island. One main character in this book is Jack Driscoll who is a person who works for a movie critics company. When Ann is captured, Jack does everything in his power to save her from Kong. He fight monstrous insects, dinosaurs and even Kong himself. One external conflict in this book is when Jack's entire team is killed by Kong in a Log Roll to the death. Jack and Carl ( Filmer) were still alive. Lumpy , Jimmy and Hayes all died. due to high altitude of falling of the log. An internal conflict is Jack climbs on one side of a cliff and his team climb on another. there was no way to get on another side. Jack had to go to Kong's lair alone. He was scared because he didn't know what was waiting for him on his trip to his lair. I would rate this book 3 stars because its good its just not really that kind of suspense i was looking for in this book. I would recommend this to basically anyone who enjoys seeing movies being put to a book form.
Read
March 14, 2011very funny book
April 5, 2011
listened as an audiobook, which I am going to differentiate. You use different parts of your thinker for reading versus listening
May 13, 2020
As a child, I must have read this book a thousand times. As an adult, it was heart breaking (for all of the right reasons). Quick read, wonderful emotional connections.
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