Possession: Dreams of Suffering and Sanity

by Chris Kelso

Heralded as "quite simply one of the most audaciously unhinged and alarming movies of all time, Possession’s impact on horror cinema cannot be overstated. In Possession: Dreams of Suffering and Sanity, Kelso uses Zulawski’s film as a reflecting surface to explore the trials of separation and the doomed complexity intrinsic to all modern relationships (by way of Kristeva, Fisher, and Von Franz).

90 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2025

About the author

Chris Kelso is an award-winning genre writer, editor, illustrator, and musician from Scotland. His work has been published widely across the UK, US and Canada.

Reviews

[Matt Neil Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just finished this at one in the morning (WAY past my bedtime) and should probably process a little at least before saying very much. And watch POSSESSION again, then read the book again. But...

I'm not sure many people write with such naked honesty as Chris Kelso does. The film is clearly an extremely important touchstone for him, and to write about it through the lens of a traumatic adolescent breakup is a pretty brave (and frequently self-critical) act. The last brief section of the book (and especially the last couple of paragraphs, even down to the last footnote) points to the wounds of the past having been healed, which comes as something of a relief.

POSSESSION is a psychosexual nightmare of a film (complimentary!) and Kelso dissects it with great care and skill here, and the fact that he's performing an exorcism of past unhappiness within the pages is a perfect mirror to the film itself.

I'm not a huge reader of non-fiction but I tore through this book in a few broken hours, and will definitely go back to it. But now... damn, I'm going to dream of blood-slaked octopuses and echoing subway screams, aren't I? Ah well...

[Misha Honcharenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Kelso is an amazing author. His wit and passion about cinema and specifically Possession is explored on full time here. It reads as an autofictional analysis of a film and personal details. I liked how it explores bits of different opinions on performance, criticism, admiration; of how life affects all of it. And perhaps, it’s one of the best cinema monographs / studies of this particular year.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review of this book will appear in ParSec magazine and I'll add it here once the review is published.

[Vultural · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kelso, Chris - Possession: Dreams Of Suffering And Sanity

Part of the Midnight Monograph series, this wades into Andrzej Żuławski’s layered Horror film.
Possession equates with being possessed, being possessive. The film is a marital breakdown writ large, and according to Mr Kelso, may also be symbolic of the sundering and later reunification of Germany.
The movie can be a harrowing experience, as the main couple, Anna and Mark, are caught in a violent, scream filled separation.
The book goes into Berlin of 1981, recollections from a few participants. Also a great deal of theories and guesses about writer / director Żuławski.
To be blunt, I found the second half of the book more enjoyable than the first.
The writer spends an inordinate amount of time inserting his own experiences into the text. He suffered a relationship breakdown, as well, which he shares with readers over and over and over.
He parallels his adolescent fallout with the Possession characters, as if his misery was unique.
I daresay most of us suffer youthful calamities; few of us escape dewy relationships unscathed.
Kelso’s whining about his poor-me period with X is a distraction for about 20% of the book.
The movie is not for the faint-hearted. The book may be better for collectors of the series.
I don't like scoring, yet I am being generous with this one.

[Andrew Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly good, the insertion of the personal narrative feels extremely underbaked/ edited into oblivion and doesn’t pass the “so-what?” test.

[Horror DNA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Kelso’s Possession: Dreams of Suffering and Sanity is far from a conventional take on this cult classic; it is significantly more personal, being interspersed with key moments from his personal life and struggles which chime with the film. I loved these autobiographic, thoughtful and reflective snapshots when the author looks back at his time as a school librarian, the trials of teaching English in a Scottish high school, childhood memories, painful teenage years, and failed relationship before eventually finding love and starting a family. With Kelso, there is always a potential book or fresh literary idea bubbling in the background. Along the way, intriguing musical suggestions are also thrown into the mix.

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

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possession (the book) by Chris Kelso is a masterful, all encompassing deep dive into the psychology of Possession (the 1981 film). This book is utterly fascinating!! I highly recommend to people who love horror.