The Island of the Skull (King Kong) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Matthew Costello (Author) "BRADDOCK FELT EVERY RIPPLE in the sea rocking the small boat, bobbing even as the engines tried to make some headway in the choppy water..." (more)
Key Phrases: pearl ship, diving horses, dive suit, New York, San Francisco, Steel Pier (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
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....

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter One

Fortieth Street and Eighth Avenue,

New York City

Ann Darrow sat on the hard wood chair -- one of three -- that faced the secretary's desk. The woman opposite her turned the pages of the Daily News while she chewed and popped her gum.

It was odd -- as if Ann weren't even here. The wooden blinds sent slices of brilliant sun into the room and, at this angle, she could see thousands of tiny dust motes floating in the air.

Floating, she thought, like me...loose, no direction.

Maybe even a bit lost.

Her dream of being an actress, of having a career...it all seemed so fantastic now, almost impossible.

She looked at the office door. Every now and then she heard a laugh indicating that the meeting was still going on.

She had been waiting for thirty minutes...thirty minutes past her appointment. As if she didn't feel worthless enough.

Ann turned and looked at the door to the office, the beveled glass showing the backward letters that read victor major theatricals. Then, below it, agents to the stage and screen.

Screen.

That's where all the buzz was, Ann knew. Moving pictures kept getting bigger and bigger, and New York might not be the place to be anymore.

And what were her chances of getting to Hollywood, to act, to where this new world of movies was exploding despite the tough times?

None. Not without money.

And so far any money she earned was just barely enough to keep her going, pay the rent, pay for food.

She looked down at her shoes. Though she had polished them earlier, Ann saw that they still had scuff marks around the edges. New York was a tough town on shoes. And she had only two pair, and her others were showing even more signs of wear.

Her fingers held her hat tight. After her first check from the Follies, she had bought the hat. To treat herself. The style was perfect, and she loved how cute it looked. Though the curtain operator at those shows said, "Hey, Annie...looks like a helmet. You wanna nab a fella or go to war?"

Manny, her protector and the man who made her look so funny in their Follies act, said it was adorable.

Though it was a comic act, still it was...an act. An important step, she had thought.

If only the show had run longer...

Manny said something would turn up. Irons in the fire, he remarked.

There were always new shows, new productions, and always a new bunch of kids, singers, dancers, actors, waiting in the wings.

Waiting in the wings...

The secretary looked up in mid-chew. She didn't smile at Ann. Guess I'm not a very high-ticket client, she thought. Not even worth the occasional smile, or "Mr. Major will be right with you."

But then there was another burst of laughter, closer now, and the inner office door opened.

Victor Major, all four feet of him, came out, a chunky arm on the shoulder of someone easily a foot or two taller. That man, still grinning from whatever joke, looked down at Ann. A bold appraisal. Another good-looking lug who thinks he's God's gift to women.

Then Ann thought she recognized him. He starred in that new Cole Porter musical, Gay Divorce. Yeah, she had seen him.

The actor held the look for a moment as if asking, Hey, doll, wanna walk out with me and twenty-three skidoo the meeting with your tubby agent?

Ann turned away as the agent steered his client to the door.

"Right, right, well, you just keep those matinee ladies coming back for more, and 1932 will be a very good year."

The man turned to Major at the door. "I will do my very best. And you make sure you follow up with those film people."

Film. A fancy name for the photoplays. Fancier even than movies. Film. It's where Ann knew she should be, making people laugh.

"You got it, Roger. I'm watching out for you."

The two men shook hands, and then the dashing actor with the self-important smile left the room.

Major took a moment to stop -- and adjust his demeanor.

All the smiles and heartiness vanished as if the agent had just stepped out of the shower into a suddenly bone-dry room.

"Okay, Ann. I guess we can talk, hm?"

Dripping with enthusiasm.

"Yes," she said.

And she stood up and followed the troll-like man into his office.

"You don't get it, kiddo. There isn't a lot out there."

Ann nodded. The agent seemed perpetually distracted by the Sargasso Sea of papers on his desk. Whatever the secretary did for the agent, it had nothing to do with organizing the mess in front of him.

"But," Ann began, "new shows are opening. All I need is to get into an audition. I'm good, and -- "

Major looked over, a flicker of interest in his red-veined eyes. But not an interest in her talent, she immediately felt. The man smiled.

"Of course you're good, baby. I bet you are very good."

God, she thought. She thought she had dealt with this when the agent first started handling her, when she was only eighteen. And now here it was again.

Maybe I sound too desperate.

This city, this country, was filled with desperate people. She hoped that maybe if Hoover lost the election, maybe change would come.

"But you know what," the agent went on, now opening a drawer, fiddling, digging as he spoke to her, "there are a ton of good kids out there, all of 'em wanting to act, on stage, on the big screen. It's called competition, and -- ah -- "

He pulled out a silver tube and slid out a half-smoked cigar.

If the agent had to save his half-spent stogie, then Ann guessed he wasn't exactly doing too well.

Major popped the cigar into his mouth and then lit a match. The room began to fill with the foul smoke.

"Competition," he continued through clenched teeth. "Though you know -- there is something that might be great for you."

Ann smiled. She imagined that she was going to walk out of the room with nothing.

Major handed her a piece of paper. An audition at the Variety Playhouse -- Ann guessed what that meant. Not a real show. Something passing for burlesque, with a good chance that some stripping was involved.

"I don't think -- "

"Hey, don't be so fast. The Variety is doing a new show, wants some fresh...blood. It would just be something to tide you over. Until you got a real shot, know what I mean?"

She pushed the paper back. She knew other performers, young actresses and chorines who drifted into that, and further. Maybe hooking up with a sugar daddy and not calling it what it really was. A few, she heard, drifted into worse. Getting set up in apartments on the Upper East Side. All set up to run a little business, and then thoughts of acting slowly slipped away with the turnstile arrival of businessmen who still somehow managed to have money.

"No," she said. "I can't."

The agent shrugged. "That's a shame, sweetie. Wouldn't be bad. And I know a lot of other girls who'd jump at it." He looked right at her as he repeated the words..."Jump at it."

"No," she said again.

"Well, guess we're done here. Don't got nothing else. If I do, I'll give you a call -- " He snapped his fingers, reinforcing his sarcasm. "Oh, forgot. You don't have a phone, do you?"

"The landlady can take a message."

"Right, sure. The landlady." He shook his head.

Ann leaned close. "You must have something else. Something real, doesn't matter what -- or even where."

He took a puff and made a big smoke ring.

"Doesn't matter where? You're sure about that?"

"Absolutely."

"You know how to ride, don't you? Horses, I mean?"

Ann had spent her summers upstate...her mom just dumping her off. And her grandfather made sure that she knew how to ride the small farm's two horses.

"Yes. I can."

For a moment Ann imagined some show with a Western theme, and they needed singers and dancers who could ride. She started to get excited. This could be something --

"And you...like to ride?"

Ann nodded, still excited, but now she noticed a funny smile on Major's face.

"Well -- and you can relocate for a while. I mean, until something more substantial comes along?"

"Yes, I can, but -- "

"Ever hear of the Steel Pier?"

The Steel Pier -- a half-mile of shows, photoplays, exhibits -- was a full day's entertainment for one low price. "Yes, I have. In Atlantic City."

"Yup. Good old AC. Greatest boardwalk in the world. The best salt water taffy too. And the seafood? Doesn't get fresher."

"But...what's the job?"

For a moment Ann forgot that they had started this by discussing her riding. She imagined that it might be something for an exhibit, a hostess, maybe talking about a new Ford, or --

"They need to add another girl to one of their big attractions. Maybe their biggest attraction."

The room now filled with a filmy smoke that started to make Ann feel sick.

I'm going to throw up if I don't get out of here.

"What will I do?"

"Something great, Ann. Something big. Probably biggest thing you'll ever do!"

She waited. The bastard loved that he was teasing her.

"You'll get on a horse, climb high above the crowds -- and then dive right into the Atlantic Ocean! Now how about that?"

Ann looked out the window.

The world-famous diving horses of the Steel Pier.

And at least, she thought, it isn't stripping....

Copyright © 2005 Universal Studios Licensing LLLP

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Star (October 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416516697
• ISBN-13: 978-1416516699
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 3.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #848,851 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Roaring Good Prequel!, December 1, 2005

By	James I. Webb "Hawklord" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I found this book to be a very entertaining read! Most movie tie-in books are lame in my opinion. This book has all of the familiar characters from the movie and describes their actions leading up to where the movie begins. A good plot, plenty of action, a visit to Skull Island, and just a hint of Kong himself make this an enjoyable prequel to the movie! Kong Lives!

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Kind of Pointless, really..., November 10, 2005

By	Steven D. Ahlquist "atomicsteve" (Providence, RI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

King Kong: The Island of the Skull by Matthew Costello

I hate to be one of those people who talks about how he was really into the current big thing long before the big thing was big. Like the people who talk about how they really liked the Ramones back when they lived next door to them in New Jersey and used to hear the practice in their garage, or people who really loved the Richard Bachman novels long before they knew they were actually written by Stephen King. I don't want to be that guy, but long before Peter Jackson made it big with The Lord of the Rings I was really into his movies and I thought he was a stellar talent. The rest of the world merely caught up.

I'm also a really big fan of the original King Kong. Where most film students point to the over praised Citizen Kane as the seminal American art movie, I always point to King Kong. The movie had everything: state of the art special effects, a hot chick in peril, dinosaurs, monsters, panic in the streets and startling sequences that are absolutely and forever unforgettable. It might not be the greatest movie ever made, but it's surly in the top ten.

Remaking the movie was inevitable, and it happened before. Dino De Laurentiis did it in 1976, and it was a complete turd. Kong clambered to the top of the World Trade Centers then, and it's arguably the worst disaster to hit those buildings ever. I remember being a kid and looking at some promotional art for the movie. Kong stood atop the WTC towers, one leg on each, holding an exploding jet plane in his hand. Of course, in the movie Kong wasn't nearly large enough to do this, he had to run and leap from one tower to the next, and he was killed by helicopters. I also remember there being a lot of press built around a gigantic robotic Kong built to scale for use in some scenes in the movie. The robot looked completely lame, completely fake, and nothing like the actor in the suit playing Kong in the rest of the movie. The robot got about five seconds of screen time.

Kong has suffered a lot since the 1933 movie. He gained electrical powers in 1962 and fought Godzilla, and in 1967 had to fight a robot version of himself called Mecha-Kong in King Kong Escapes. (Mecha-Kong was controlled by the villainous Dr. Who, related, perhaps to the British television series?) There was a terrible animated television series based on Kong that had a pretty kicking theme song:

King Kong! You know the name of
King Kong! You know the fame of
King Kong! Ten times as big as a man!

Throughout the land you've heard about this wonder.
Listen closely and you will hear the thunder
Oft this mighty ape and he's a friend of man.
So goes the legend, the legend of...

King Kong! You know the name of
King Kong! You know the fame of
King Kong! Ten times as big as a man!

One day a boy, too young to know the danger;
Made a friend of this giant fearsome stranger!
And the life they led on their island home
Became a legend, the legend of...

King Kong! You know the name of
King Kong! You know the fame of
King Kong! Ten times as big as a man!

Despite all the terrible things that have happened to Kong I'm confident that Peter Jackson will still pull off a spectacular remake. Everything I've seen from the movie so far has been knocking me out. I really think that this will be the big budget Hollywood film we've been waiting for all year. The movie comes out December 14, 2005, which seems a long time.

So I picked up King Kong: The Island of the Skull which is billed on the cover as "The official prequel novel to the Universal Pictures movie event!" It's written by Matthew Costello, whose "...innovative work includes groundbreaking and award-winning novels, games and television shows." If true, all his innovation and ground-breaking would need to be brought to bear on a novel in which none of the main characters can be allowed to meet, the big monster, Kong, can only be heard and not seen, and contains no scenes or ideas that might be better or cooler than the movie to come.

The book bounces around three separate plot-lines. We follow the adventures of Ann Darrow, (played in the movie by Naomi Watts) a down-on-her-luck actress, as she becomes desperate for cash and finds a job diving horses off a pier in Atlantic City and avoids gangsters. Girls diving horses off piers to the applause of paying customers seems weird today, but it's real. See here. (http://www.petticoated.com/pdqwinter04/otherdocs/divinghorsesW04.html)

We also follow filmmaker and adventurer Carl Denham (played in the movie by Jack Black) as he heads up a disastrous expedition to the artic in search of killer whales. His best friend loses a leg to a pack of sea lions, and Jack nearly loses the funding for future projects. Big deal. Both Carl Denham and Ann Darrow have real stories in King Kong. All this is just back story disguised as a novel, somewhat interesting, but rather pointless.

The best part of the book, and the only part that actually matters, is the stuff with Sam Kelly, a former Navy diver who joins an ill-fated Portuguese pearl ship that meets its desperate end near Skull Island, home of Kong. Sam's story is interesting, a does provide some interesting context to what comes later. The map Sam draws will ultimately come into the possession of Carl Denham, and this map will lead the crew to Skull Island and the legendary rendezvous with King Kong.

Three plots may seem like a lot to cram into 328 pages, but it isn't. The story arc of any of these characters would barely qualify as a short story anywhere else. The book is slowly paced, especially at the beginning, and is padded with nonsensical asides and odd thoughts from the characters. Take this bit, from page 51. Ann is in Atlantic City, looking for the famous Steel Pier and a job with the diving horses.

"Is it really steel, she wondered? Why would you make a pier out of steel? Wouldn't wood be better? Or was that just dumb?"

I'd go with just dumb. It's like somebody said fill 300 pages no matter what and the writer just went back over the manuscript over and over again, throwing in any old thing he could think of to spread it out and fill the space. Innovative and ground-breaking indeed.

Books like this are unfortunate. The studio probably knew they couldn't get by releasing the old Joe DeVito adaptation of the original movie, it's been in the public domain for years. They needed something they could stamp their "Official Movie Merchandise" symbol on, and they got it. Unfortunately the novel is pointless and unsatisfying.

Despite this, there are some things that tweaked the fan in me. I love good solid historical details like the diving horses bit at the Steel Pier. I like the historical verisimilitude such details provide. I love it when fictional characters and historical figures interact. At one point in the novel Carl Denham runs into Eugene O'Neill, famed playwright and author of Mourning Becomes Elektra. It's the kind of fun, throwaway scene I wish there were more of.

The second bit that intrigued me is much more sinister and weird. On page 305 a native girl from Skull Island is dying in Sam Kelly's arms"

"She opened her mouth, and said words in her language. `Ka-neh, ry-leh nah.'"

Fans of HP Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos stories will know what I'm talking about. Ryleh is the island, somewhere in the south seas, where the dread Cthulhu lies, waiting to destroy the world. It's an island of insanity, monsters, and non-Euclidean geometry. Has Matthew Costello slipped a Cthulhu reference into the King Kong mythology? It couldn't be an accident. Costello should know the horror genre, having scripted the video games The 7th Guest and DOOM 3.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars In the beginning, February 15, 2006

By	Daniel Pollacchi (Western Australia, Australia) - See all my reviews

Have you seen King Kong at the cinemas or on DVD and wanted certain questions answered; Primarily how Carl Denham obtained the map that showed skull island and about the man that grabbed the map. Well if you want answers to these questions then this is the book for you.

It gives living accounts of characters that appear in the movie of where they were before they all met. Even Kong makes a special appearance; however he is not the main focus of the story.

This is not a story that revolves around Kong. This is most probably the reason why many people would stop reading; however many might want answers to the questions that I did and not be able to put it down.