John Dies at the End

By: David Wong

Narrated by: Stephen R. Thorne

Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

John Dies at the End is a genre-bending, humorous account of two college drop-outs inadvertently charged with saving their small town—and the world—from a host of supernatural and paranormal invasions.

Stop.

You should not have touched this flyer with your bare hands.

No, don’t put it down. It’s too late. They’re watching you.

My name is David Wong. My best friend is John. Those names are fake. You might want to change yours. You may not want to know about the things you’ll read on these pages, about the sauce, about Korrok, about the invasion, and the future. But it’s too late. You touched the book. You’re in the game. You’re under the eye.

The only defense is knowledge. You need to read this book, to the end. Even the part with the bratwurst. Why? You just have to trust me.

The important thing is this: the drug is called Soy Sauce, and it gives users a window into another dimension. John and I never had the chance to say no. You still do.

I’m sorry to have involved you in this, I really am. But as you read about these terrible events and the very dark epoch the world is about to enter as a result, it is crucial you keep one thing in mind: none of this was my fault.

©2007 David Wong and Permuted Press. All rights reserved. (P)2011 BBC Audiobooks America

Fantastic

I’ve repeatedly binged this entire series. Amazing! Love the author’s sense of humor. Definitely a ride from start to finish. I’ve recommended it to all of my family and friends.

Solid adventure

Basically "What if fantasy horror was fun and wild?". the plot is fine but the characters are what really made it worth listening to.

Hilarious

A great book! Funny, fast paced. Performance was entertaining. Love the story as long as you are willing to accept the ridiculousness of it.

The Darkness

this book is wacky and witty, and any positive or neutral reference to the band The Darkness gets a positive appraisal from me

So torn…

This story is like a stoner comedy with a reluctant no-nonsense protagonist that mixes hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy with a heavy dose of welcome to nightvale and a dash of the tv show supernatural. I love cosmic horror as a genre, especially when you infuse it with a mix of comedy and absurdism as this story has. It is generally pretty funny and had me hooked from the beginning.

However, as a woman, I REALLY hate the main protagonist! He’s very immature and as a result I hate how the author writes about women through his eyes. I also think the edgy humor highlights that immaturity. He’s basically that dude most of us encountered in our early 20s that gawked at women, wouldn’t leave us alone, and generally made everyone uncomfortable. I can’t quite tell if this is generally unaware or intentional to highlight the fish out of social water.

Regardless, I’m enjoying the chaos, but split on whether I want to continue viewing through the eyes of someone I would actively despise in real life.

Made me feel old

Every decade has its twist on the various genres. This is very new-gen. I suspect it is better than I can appreciate in my older-than-I-feel 50's, but it's a nice insight into the future of horror! Or should that be fantasy? Or maybe comic suspense? I guess that's the whole point.

Quirky, yes. Suspenseful? Sort of. It's so over-the-top I never really worried about any of the characters, first because I could not relate to them and second because I never once thought of them as real people. That doesn't mean they weren't sympathetic, in their own way (think nephew you don't much like but have to be nice to cause your sister's their mom).

There are no cliches in this book, at least not yet. There are plenty of didn't-see-it-coming. I'm not sure if I'll read more from this author, but I sure won't rule it out!

Funny but unfulfilling

This book does a few things very well. The narration is really excellent, the off-beat humor is entertaining, and the story has some interesting elements, but it lacks quite a bit as well. Much of the humor is scatological (which is ok in small doses unless you are under fifteen), the characterizations are weak, and the story is so unbounded it became silly. I found this book lacks the underlying spirit that makes Hitchhikers Guide and most Koontz books really compelling.

I imagine that if I were a tween boy this might be hilarious and even a little scary, but as it is, I found myself laughing occasionally, but mostly waiting for it to end.

Total WTF book..Loved It!

This book is totally nuts, totally! I enjoyed every minute of listening to it even though I am not totally sure wtf happened. I laughed out loud at times due to this books very clever dry humor (my kind of humor). The narrator was perfect. His voice was exactly what i would have imagined Davids voice to be like. His sarcasm was spot on and I think listening to this book may help people hear the authors sarcastic tone where they may have otherwise missed it in actually reading it. I have found myself still pondering stuff from this book a few weeks after listening to it which for me is the sign of a great book.

This book may not be for everyone but if you liked 14, and Mr. Penumbra this is worth your credit!

Kafkaesque!

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No

Would you be willing to try another book from David Wong? Why or why not?

No

What about Stephen R. Thorne’s performance did you like?

Clearly spoken with nicely interpreted characters.

Was John Dies at the End worth the listening time?

No

Any additional comments?

A Kafka-esque story of hallucinatory horror with some Lovecraft lineage as well. I might have liked this novel when I was a teenager, but at 54 I find the story somewhat immature and difficult to identify with. Should be entertaining to the younger, stoner crowd.

Laughing In Fright

What made the experience of listening to John Dies at the End the most enjoyable?

I can't decide if I was more terrified or entertained. Like riding a roller coaster, this book scares just as much as it delights.

What other book might you compare John Dies at the End to and why?

I would compare this book to creepy folklore lurking around the internet. Like Black Eyed Kids, The Grifter Video, The Russian Sleep Experiment, or Polybius. It's a modern horror tale meant to seem like a real artifact.

Have you listened to any of Stephen R. Thorne’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to anything else Thorne has done, but he is wonderful, and really brings the story to life.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

John Dies At The End: Witness The End Of The Beginning. (Because it's going to be a series.)

Any additional comments?

There's a sequel coming out pretty soon, and I'm definitely going to listen to it. If you're a fan of horror and comedy, this ones for you.