Mass Market Paperback, 479 pages
English language
Published by Hodder.
It was not long after Halloween when Stephen King received a telephone call from his editor. 'Why don't you do a book about the entire horror phenomenon as you see it? Books, movies, radio, TV, the whole thing. '
The result is this unique combination of fantasy and autobiography, of classic horror writing honed to an unforgettable edge by the bestselling master of the genre.
Danse Macabre ranges across the whole spectrum of horror in popular culture from the seminal classics of Count Dracula and Frankenstein. It is a charming and fascinating book, replete with pertinent anecdote and observation, in which Stephen King describes his ideas on how horror works on many levels and how he brings it to bear on his own inimitable novels. --back cover
King schreibt über Horror, wie nur King es kann: schlampig recherchiert, lustlos redigiert – aber dabei seltsam sympathisch. Das Merkwürdigste daran ist, dass er offenbar ganz genau weiß, wie Horror funktioniert und nicht funktioniert: und sich trotzdem in seinen eigenen Büchern einen Dreck darum schert.
Quick impressions: Overall, it is a good but not great book. If you are a hardcore horror fan, you have probably read this already, and if not, what are you waiting for? If you want to learn about the horror genre, this is a good selection, but keep in mind it is like being in a series of college lectures with a professor who drones a bit too much at times (King mentions he does teach some college courses). Still, if you want a good overview of the genre, this is worth the effort.
(Full review on my blog later)
Really loved part about literature but movie part difficult to read
If you are at all interested in horror movies and books from 1950 to 1980, if you are interested in the mythic underpinnings of the horror genre, or if you just enjoy good, rational and reasonable analysis, this is the book for you. King's literary "voice" is, as always, easy to relate to and even easier to understand. The book does not, however, rely entirely on King's own analysis, as he includes the writings of others and even from the authors in many cases. I've read dozens of books about the horror genre, but this is the one that first got me interested in what made it all work in the first place.
