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Book: American Scary: A History of Horror, from Salem to Stephen King and Beyond
Year: 2024
Author: Jeremy Dauber
ISBN: 9781643753560 (ISBN10: 1643753568)
ASIN: 1643753568
Synopsis: from the acclaimed author of American Comics and Jewish Comedy comes a sweeping and entertaining narrative that details the rise and enduring grip of horror in American literature, cinema, and, ultimately, culture—from the taut, terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe to the grisly, lingering films of Jordan Peele.
Review:
This is a book that I got the chance to read thanks to Johanna from JRB Communications. Reading through the press release, I got excited and even more so when she sent over a critic’s copy. The concept was interesting and something that I’m doing with my podcast, just focusing more on films than going through a wider range like literature and radio plays.
I need then to start by giving credit to the amount of research that has to go into this. This starts all the way back to even before the United States was a country. There isn’t as much of a focus there, but there wasn’t as much art being produced. It was a more difficult time to survive. That doesn’t mean there wasn’t folklore or things happening to people to be included. It is quite interesting though that the first major point this hits is the witch trials of Salem. Having visited there and gone on a tour to learn more, it truly is despicable. It does show that horror is ingrained in the fabric of this country.
Now due to the amount of time and material to cover, this does move rapidly through things. That’s not to say it doesn’t slow down and focus at times, because it does. Examples would be like covering the religious side of Salem and the books that were produced by those that were perpetrating the crimes. It then moves from there to the different eras that followed. I love that culture is also included to help frame how it affects horror through different arts. I’ve noticed that through films and running through the eras where you can see a noticeable shift. It is also interesting when you get a film ahead of its time or even something that comes later with still a major impact. Looking at the treads and how the collective experiences affect the genre makes for an interesting read.
I’d highly recommend this book having now finished. There were things here and there where I think that the author is taking liberty. This isn’t me calling them out or anything to that effect, because I have a feeling if we sat down and discussed it, I could see the stance or the angle they’re coming from. It doesn’t make either side wrong. Just the wealth of knowledge and information kept me interested. This book is one I’ll use as a reference guide when seeking out books to read going forward due to its index for sure.
My Rating: 8 out of 10