Dreams and Shadows: An Exploration of the Novels of Adam Nevill

by Anthony Watson

Since 2004, Adam Nevill has been responsible for some of the most terrifying fiction ever created. His eleven novels of supernatural horror have garnered multiple awards and cemented his reputation as a leading author in the genre.
Dreams and Shadows is an exploration of those novels, an examination of their themes and techniques in order to elucidate what it is that makes them masterpieces of horror.

141 pages, Paperback

Published February 28, 2023

Reviews

[Kevin Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe this is the first exploration of an author's works I've read, but being a big fan of Adam Neville's work it was worth it.

This book offers some fantastic insight and some new ways to view Adam's works.

It's a quick read with easygoing prose. Definitely recommended for fans of Adam Neville's work.

[Ross Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really insightful exploration of the themes, styles and motifs of the novels of Adam Nevill. Written in an engaging, and easygoing style with some fantastic footnotes. Highly recommended to any fans of the books.

[Horror DNA · Rating 4 out of 5]

The number of literary criticisms about active horror writers – with the exception of Stephen King or Ramsey Campbell, who are both well served – is thin on the ground, so Anthony Watson’s deep dive into the work of Adam Nevill is a most welcome read. Dreams and Shadows: An Exploration of the Novels of Adam Nevill is not strictly literary criticism and is more akin to sitting in a book group with a truly knowledgeable host (Anthony) accompanied by a group of friends, shooting the breeze about their favourite author with a few drinks and jovial discussion. This book is aimed at big Nevill fans, so if all you have read is The Ritual or a couple of others, do not bother with this, as you are not its target audience. If you have stumbled upon this review and are new to Nevill, then check out my article published on Ink Heist in 2019, "It Dances in the Shadows: A Primer on the Fiction of Adam Nevill". Three novels have been published since then and my article will be updated after Nevill publishes his next book around Halloween 2023.

You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.