Okay, you've seen the film, possibly read the movie novelisation and now what do you do if you want more Kong. Well you could do a great deal worse than reading his prequel novel. This novel gives you some background detail on the characters, fills in the gaps on how they got to be where they were at the start of the film, and also on how the existence of the island where Kong made his home came to be known by Carl Denham.

It's an interesting book in many ways. To read of life during The Great Depression is an experience. I have to admit scant knowledge of the 1930s America. What little I know comes from the somewhat skewed impression that can be obtained from early Hollywood gangster movies (my father was a fan of these whilst I was a kid) and through reading Isaac Asimov's autobiography.

Ann Darrow is an aspiring actress in an era when less and less people are attending theatres, struggling to make ends meet and taking jobs she might otherwise have never considered. These include being the guide on a touristy diving bell in Atlantic City, telling the customers all about the miracles of this underwater realm, whilst only diving to a depth of a few feet, and being the riders of a diving horse.

We also follow Carl Denham and his attempts to make the great film, all thus far unsuccessful hence the position he desperate found himself in at the start of the film. Also during these sections we get to see the relationship between Denham and the crew of the Venture begin, and the loyalty Denham's film crew have to him - and their dedication to his vision of filmmaking to the extent of risking their own personal safety to get him "The Shot".

But in my opinion the best sections involve the ex-naval diver Sam Kelly - the one new addition in terms of major characters. His commission falls foul of the cutbacks in the US military that happened during this era - the time of American isloationism, and so he signs up as a diver on a pearl ship - the one that encounters Skull Island.

It is fair to say that in the great scheme of things, prequel novels to films are not going to be long remembered masterpieces of literature. But, not every book you read has to be a masterpiece, there are times when all you want to do is read a book for the sake of reading a book. Times when you want a comfortable read, times when you need a book with no pretences, and when the characters are familiar.

Well this is a book for one of those times - it's well written, well plotted and enjoyable.

Synopsis
The official prequel novel to the Universal Pictures movie event!

KING KONG

Entrepreneur and filmmaker Carl Denham struggles to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry -- but all of his charisma and showmanship may have to take a back seat to the greatest adventure yet to come...

Vaudeville regular and struggling actress Ann Darrow leaves the lights of Broadway behind for the sand and shores of Atlantic City -- and makes a very personal connection that will have ramifications on a life-altering experience yet to come...

Former Navy diver Sam Kelly, down on his luck in a Depression-ravaged San Francisco, throws caution to the wind and takes a shaky job on an even shakier pearl-diving ship, destined for one of the most extraordinary -- and dangerous -- locales on the face of the earth...

Three individuals leading separate lives -- all inextricably bound by the hands of fate, each drawing inexorably closer to a place that will test the very limits of their humanity, and change the world forever....