1938-39 (collected 1939) / Ecomics / 62 pages / Belgium
***
The repetition of death-defying strokes of luck and revolving jail cells is getting to me now – about half of these being basically exactly the same story in different, sometimes fictional locales – but at least the running gags are starting to pay off, namely the pratfalls of the Thom(p)son Twins. Maybe it should be about them.
1974 / Audiobook / 199 pages / USA
*****
I saw the (evidently faithful) film at the right age for it to make an impression, though too young to appreciate what a classic coming-of-age fable it is. King's normally too long-winded for me, but his insecure first novel pulls out the Dracula-style epistolary trick to stretch it just right.
Monty Python, Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Book)
1977 / Ebook / pages / UK
****
"Found them? The cocoanut is a tropical fruit. It's not indigenous to these temperate areas."This mandatory tie-in book turned out to be surprisingly candid, even throwing in receipts at the end to show off what they achieved on a shoestring. An incomplete and quite insane early draft script is presented for our consideration (all mentions of horses scribbled out as they realised their limitations) along with a later shooting script (still with handwritten improvements and entire scenes excised). It would've blown my mind if I hadn't known about most of this already, but there were plenty of unseen gags and alternate dialogue to enjoy. They actually find the Grail for one, appropriately anticlimactically.
2004 / Audiobook / 121 pages / USA
***
I related to the tales of the junior critic ranking and rating to bring order to the world, and this has a sense of closure about it as a lifelong Prince fan celebrates his favourite release without being fawning, certainly less than it would be today.
2008 / Ebook / 153 pages / USA
****
This could be the best book in the series, interviewing every band member and other influential figures to argue why this is peak metal without feeling the need to shit over other bands you like. With its star profiles and digestible sections, it's like a belated Reign in Blood Annual 1987 without the pics.
