The Gothic Vision: Three Centuries of Horror, Terror and Fear

by Dani Cavallaro

The Gothic Vision examines a broad range of tales of horror, terror, the uncanny and the supernatural, spanning the late-eighteenth century to the present, and of related theoretical approaches to the realm of dark writing. It argues that such narratives are objects for historical analysis, due to their implication in specific ideologies, whilst also focusing on the recurrence over time of themes of physical and psychological disintegration, spectrality and monstrosity. Central to the book's argument is the proposition that fear is a ubiquitous phenomenon, capable of awakening consciousness even as it appears to paralyze it.

Genres: Gothic, Nonfiction, Art, Horror

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2002

About the author

Dani Cavallaro is a freelance writer specializing in literary studies, critical and cultural theory and the visual arts. Her publications include The Gothic Vision<?em>, Critical and Cultural Theory and Cyberpunk and Cyberculture.

Reviews

[Apoorva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting points marred by too much jargon.

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of horror fiction, I'm interested in the question of why people read horror. After all, why seek out fictional cruelties when the world is so full of real ones. Horror authors themselves, from Stephen King to Thomas Ligotti, have provided interesting answers, but Cavallaro's book provides a very interesting perspective. The Gothic Vision shows how works of dark fantasy allow us to contemplate and even accept the dark facets of our lives and our own beings that we do not tend to acknowledge in our "daytime" vocabulary. If you're interested in horror and the Gothic not just as sources of dark amusement but of philosophical insight, I would highly recommend this book.