Jonathan Ames Book order
Jonathan Ames crafts narratives that delve into the complexities of the human psyche and relationships. His writing is characterized by sharp wit, self-examination, and a penchant for the absurd, often with a melancholic undertone. He explores themes of identity, desire, and the search for meaning in modern life. His distinctive voice offers readers a profound yet often humorous perspective on the human experience.






- 2022
- 2021
An offbeat, blackly comic thriller from the author of You Were Never Really Here.
- 2021
A supremely hardboiled thriller adapted for a major Hollywood film starring Joaquin Phoenix and directed by Lynne Ramsay.
- 2018
The Alcoholic (10th Anniversary Expanded Edition)
- 144 pages
- 6 hours of reading
In the proud tradition of drunken writers everywhere . . . comes the tale of Jonathan A., a boozed-up, coked-out, sexually confused, hopelessly romantic-and of course, entirely fictional-novelist who bears only a coincidental resemblance to real-life author Jonathan Ames, critically acclaimed author of Wake Up, Sir!, The Extra Man, and What's Not to Love as well as HBO's Bored to Death and Starz's Blunt Talk Featuring gritty, yet poignant artwork by Dean Haspiel (The Quitter), The Alcoholic marks Ames' hilarious yet heartbreaking graphic novel debut. This tenth anniversary edition hardcover also features a new afterword by Jonathan Ames as well as a special behind-the-scenes artist section!
- 2018
You Were Never Really Here (Movie Tie-In)
- 97 pages
- 4 hours of reading
Now a major motion picture starring Joaquin Phoenix, You Were Never Really Here is a gritty, harrowing story of corruption and one man's violent quest for vengeance. Joe has witnessed things that cannot be erased. A former FBI agent and Marine, his abusive childhood has left him damaged beyond repair. He has completely withdrawn from the world and earns his living rescuing girls who have been kidnapped into the sex trade. When he's hired to save the daughter of a corrupt New York senator held captive at a Manhattan brothel, he stumbles into a dangerous web of conspiracy, and he pays the price. As Joe's small web of associates are picked off one by one, he realizes that he has no choice but to take the fight to the men who want him dead. Brutal and redemptive in equal measure, You Were Never Really Here is a toxic shot of a thriller, laced with corruption, revenge and the darkest of inner demons.
- 2018
You Were Never Really Here (Film Tie-in)
- 112 pages
- 4 hours of reading
Soon to be a major film starring Joaquin Phoenix, directed by Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin)
- 2018
The Extra Man
- 384 pages
- 14 hours of reading
Meet Louis Ives : well-groomed, romantic, and as captivating as an F. Scott Fitzgerald hero. Only this hero has a penchant for ladies' clothes, and he's just lost his teaching job after an unfortunate incident involving a colleague's brassiere. Meet Henry Harrison : former actor, brilliant but failed playwright, and a well-seasoned escort for New York City's women of means. What can this ageless Don Quixote of the Upper East Side have to offer a young gentleman such as Louis ? What, indeed... The Extra Man is a story of friendship and frustration, of cocktails and cross-dressing, a hilarious tale for our times from America's most versatile wit.
- 2009
The Alcoholic
- 136 pages
- 5 hours of reading
Written by Jonathan Ames Art and cover by Dean Haspiel "Hysterically funny and gut-wrenchingly dramatic...graphic lit at it's best." - WIZARD MAGAZINE "Painfully honest, shockingly revealing and totally riveting." - Blair Butler, G4TV "An engaging graphic novel . . . Unflinching . . . Powerful." - THE NEW YORK TIMES "Tender, funny and heartbreaking." - PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Jonathan A. is a boozed-up, coked-out, sexually confused, hopelessly romantic and, of course, entirely fictional novelist who bears only a coincidental resemblance to real-life writer Jonathan Ames, critically acclaimed author of Wake Up, Sir!, The Extra Man and What's Not to Love? For the fictional Jonathan, writing and drinking come easy. The hard parts of life are love and hope. From a touching relationship between Jonathan and his aging great aunt, to an inebriated evening with an amorous, octogenarian dwarf, Ames's first original graphic novel, with gritty, poignant art by Dean Haspiel (THE QUITTER), tells a story about how our lives fall to pieces and the enduring human struggle to put things back together again. Advance-solicited; on sale September 16 - 136 pg, 6.875" x 9", B&W, $14.99 US - MATURE READERS
- 2005
Exploring deep emotional connections, this collection reveals the beauty in life's complexities, showcasing love for family and strangers alike. The author delves into themes of loneliness and pain, uncovering sweetness and humor in unexpected places. Through tender reflections, the work invites readers to appreciate the profound intricacies of human experience.
- 2004
A brilliant contemporary reimagining of the greatest comic relationship of all time, which goes far beyond pastiche to places even Wodehouse couldn't.

