Bored to Death

"Bored to Death" is a Raymond Chandler-inspired story about a struggling Brooklyn writer named Jonathan Ames who, out of boredom, becomes an amateur private detective after posting an ad on Craigslist. As he navigates a series of misadventures—including searching for a missing NYU student—he grapples with personal challenges like alcoholism, dead-end relationships, and writer’s block. Originally published in McSweeney’s and a key part of Ames’s collection of essays and fiction, the book is the basis for the HBO® series starring Jason Schwartzman, Zach Galifianakis, and Ted Danson.