Horror

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-An extensive study. The introduction places the genre in its historical and literary context, and is invaluable as a touchstone for the essays that follow. The selections are by a wide range of writers and scholars, such as H. P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, and Joyce Carol Oates. Themes such as the anatomy of fear, the elements of gothic, and the physical and psychological components of horror are explored fully. Biographical information on each contributing writer is given at the beginning of each essay. Topics include "Some Defining Elements of Horror," "Five Characteristics of Postmodern Horror," "Analyzing Dracula's Enduring Popularity," and "Poe and the Gothic." The chapter headings are annotated so that their contents are easily recognized and accessible. In fact, each article can stand alone as a study of the individual topic. Together, however, the essays can be read for a complete and fascinating study of the genre. An excellent resource to learn the trends and modes of the genre from the broadest sense to the most particular.-Elizabeth Fernandez, Brunswick Middle School, Greenwich, CT Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.