Bored to Death

By Jonathan Ames

I read only the short story, but from the book The Double Life is Twice as Good, which, if I locate again, will try to continue, but I started watching the show; I laughed. Hard. So I was definitely intrigued by the short story, finding it at an exceptionally local book/music/movie, etc. trade store. Whilst Jonathan Ames describes his alcoholism, it also reminded me of someone close to me.

After reading the page in the introduction of the show, I figured I'd enjoy the story as well. Ames is likable and straightforward. He had decided to give up on serious relationships, due to the anguish and guilt involved and gives me more authors to research, i.e. Hammett, Goodis, Chandler, and Thompson. He does put up an ad on Craigslist, like the show.

He used it as a means to write an essay, which isn't what the character Jonathan has in mind. We do get the same story as the first episode as we begin his unlicensed P.I.-ing. The story gets funnier with the description of himself which Schwartzman wouldn't have been able to use; He is a humorous writer. Then a line given to Galifianakis'  character is used to get into the building where the boyfriend lives to the missing girl, also used for a different episode.

One other change is how Ames misses seeing the boyfriend, this time being caused by a bathroom break. He also gets in an easier, less funnier made-for-TV way and discovers said boyfriend on the bed doing drugs instead of girl's sister. Also the outcome is much different and less funny. Then Ames describes his reaction in a pretty hilarious way, to what he uncovers, which he hadn't encountered before. After trying and failing to contact the college girl, Ames is properly freaked out.

So much so, he calls the number given to him by the bartender: G.; guy sounds like a wannabe gangster. G. was what I expected when Ames meets him at a café and goes outside to talk to him. They get in a car with a driver, G. has them driven to a secluded place where they have Lisa, the girl's sister, bound, but not on a bed, it instead being a couch. Ames is in a much stickier, less funny situation than the show gives, and I'm quite entertained, but it does end quite abruptly.

I almost can't believe the reality of the situation, it's so wild I now want to research whether he did time for his "actions". Lively story, for certain. Also, after finishing the series I can see where some of this story seemed to be mixed through some of the later episodes due to seeming to fit better with those story-lines.