Dreadful Pleasures: An Anatomy of Modern Horror
Select Format
Select Condition 
Book Overview
Dreadful Pleasures takes a lively look at the stories that make our hair stand on end. James Twitchell examines the appeal of horror through the centuries--its persistence in our culture, its manifestations in art, literature, and cinema, and our need for the frisson it provides.
From the cave paintings at Lascaux to the "slasher" movies of today, Twitchell traces our fascination with horror stories and explores why certain myths and images--vampires and transformational monsters like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde--have had special resonance in our culture, and why others have faded. Whether discussing the engravings of William Hogarth or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Twitchell is consistently insightful and entertaining. Film buffs and scholars, literary critics and Gothic novel devotees will all welcome this study of the horror genre and the immense appeal it has had throughout the centuries.
From the cave paintings at Lascaux to the "slasher" movies of today, Twitchell traces our fascination with horror stories and explores why certain myths and images--vampires and transformational monsters like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde--have had special resonance in our culture, and why others have faded. Whether discussing the engravings of William Hogarth or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Twitchell is consistently insightful and entertaining. Film buffs and scholars, literary critics and Gothic novel devotees will all welcome this study of the horror genre and the immense appeal it has had throughout the centuries.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0195050673
ISBN13:9780195050677
Release Date:May 1987
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Length:368 Pages
Weight:1.10 lbs.
Dimensions:0.9" x 5.8" x 9.0"
Related Subjects
Art Arts, Music & Photography Criticism & Theory Film & Television Gender Studies Genre Fiction Gothic & Romantic Health, Fitness & Dieting Health, Fitness & Dieting History & Criticism Horror Humanities Humor & Entertainment Language Arts Linguistics Literary Criticism Literary Criticism & Collections Literature Movements & Periods Movies Performing Arts Politics & Social Sciences Psychology & Counseling Social Science Social Sciences Women's Studies Words, Language & GrammarCustomer Reviews
1 rating
Best intro to the horror genre that I've read.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
There's a lot of horror criticism and commentary floating around out there these days, but Twitchell's book is still one of the best I've read. In fact, I wish he'd update it since it's pretty old--I think it ends with the late seventies.Not everyone will agree with his approach which is unapologetically Freudian. He sees horror as a morality tale, instructing readers and viewers (too book looks at both films and fiction) in what sexual behavior is appropirate. While this approach may put people off, I'd urge them to keep reading. Even where you may not agree with Twitchell, his arguments are very interesting and worth considering. What's more, this is a pretty readable book, and that's refreshing in these days of "culture studies" where academics can't seen to write books without spouting jargon like "poststructuralist feminist hegemonic non-essentialism." The book focuses mostly on kinds of monsters--particularly: the vampire, the shape-shifter, and the dead-thing brought to life (i.e., the vampire, the werewolf, and Frankenstein's creature).
Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
