The King of Pain

"One of 2012's most enjoyable novels" — The New York Times 


Meet Rick Salter, the hilarious, outrageous producer of TV's hit torture show “The King of Pain” who wakes up pinned under his massive home entertainment system with no memory of how he got there and little hope for rescue. With only a book, "A History of Prisons," and his own dubious memory for company, Salter retraces his life and his show's history in this timely, innovative, riotous debut about torture and TV. Welcome to the wild world of THE KING OF PAIN, Seth Kaufman’s riotous fiction debut that is part George Saunders, part Philip Roth, part Entourage and 100% marvelous. 


"This is a dark, sharp, very funny novel about imprisonment, torture and the dangerous pleasures of stories." --Zoe Heller


 “Kaufman’s hilarious novel is a multifaceted meditation on pain and entertainment in a deranged society where the two are often interchangeable.”--B&N Review 


“The King of Pain is a book with messages, wrapped in stories and sprinkled with wit, bound together by the themes of imprisonment and human endurance…Kaufman has created a brilliant satire that entertains as it sends its message. It’s unique, original, and innovative, presenting commentary on modern culture while being wonderfully entertaining. I was so drawn into this book that I flew through it in less than two days, unable to put it down.”--Zigzag Timeline 


“This book is full of dry humor that really hits home…I loved this book for its dark yet entertaining humor and highly recommend it to like-minded readers.”–-fictionaddict.com 


“Evokes memories of another transformation story, Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis.”--Jewish Book World