Jonathan Ames, celebrated author and literary man-about-town, has just scored himself a deal with HBO! Ames’s TV show is based on the amazing noir detective story, “Bored to Death,” that he narrated on McSweeney’s Field Recordings. Remember that?
Here’s what I said about “Bored to Death” in my review of the McSweeney’s audiobook:
The collection’s high point comes when Jonathan Ames narrates “Bored to Death,” his modern day, New York-spanning detective noir. In a performance as commanding as his prose, Ames explains how Craigslist turns out to be the perfect venue for a self-loathing, Raymond Chandler-obsessed recovering addict to offer his amateur investigative services. The tropes familiar to all Hammett fans are well played, and Ames’ voice — guttural, beleaguered and resigned — brings an alarming authenticity worthy of 1,000 Bogarts.
Although the hero of the TV series will be called Jonathan Ames, the author will not be acting on the show. A shame. Can you think of an actor who could play Jonathan Ames as well as the man himself?
I am quite excited about this. His stories are always a great read, and that story translated so well to the audio format. I imagine that he will be writing the scripts?