What do you think?
Rate this book
The Book of Horror: The Anatomy of Fear in Film
The Book of Horror introduces you to the scariest movies ever made and examines the factors that make them so frightening.
Horror movies have never been more critically or commercially successful, but there’s only one metric that matters: are they frightening? Back in the silent era, viewers thrilled at George Méliès’ The House of the Devil and Thomas Edison’s Frankenstein. Today, the films may have changed, but the instinct remains the same: to seek out the unspeakable, ride the adrenaline rush and play out our fears in the safety of the cinema.
The Anatomy of Horror will focus on the most frightening films made since the 1960s – from The Innocents (1961) to The Blair Witch Project (1999) to It: Chapter Two (2019) – and examine how they were directed to capitalise on fear. Matt Glasby charts each movie against seven psychological factors (dead space, the subliminal, the unexpected, the grotesque, dread, the uncanny, the unstoppable) to see how each one plays so successfully on terror. The text will also give insider knowledge about how the plots were devised, chart each film's scariest moments with infographics and tell you the key horror films you need to watch.
Including references to over 100 classic horror films and striking illustrations from Barney Bodoano, this will be a rich and compelling guide to the scariest films ever made.
The Films:
Psycho (1960), The Innocents (1961), The Haunting (1963), The Exorcist (1973), Don’t Look Now (1973), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Who Can Kill A Child? (1976), Suspiria (1977), Halloween (1978), The Shining (1980), The Entity (1980), Angst (1983), Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986), Ringu (1998), The Blair Witch Project (1999), The Others (2001), Ju-On (2002), The Eye (2002), Shutter (2004), The Descent (2005), Wolf Creek (2005), The Orphanage (2007), REC (2007), Lake Mungo (2008), Martyrs (2008), The Strangers (2008), Insidious (2010), The Innkeepers (2011), Oculus (2013), Banshee Chapter (2013), The Babadook (2014), It Follows (2015), Hereditary (2018), It: Chapter Two (2019)
Horror movies have never been more critically or commercially successful, but there’s only one metric that matters: are they frightening? Back in the silent era, viewers thrilled at George Méliès’ The House of the Devil and Thomas Edison’s Frankenstein. Today, the films may have changed, but the instinct remains the same: to seek out the unspeakable, ride the adrenaline rush and play out our fears in the safety of the cinema.
The Anatomy of Horror will focus on the most frightening films made since the 1960s – from The Innocents (1961) to The Blair Witch Project (1999) to It: Chapter Two (2019) – and examine how they were directed to capitalise on fear. Matt Glasby charts each movie against seven psychological factors (dead space, the subliminal, the unexpected, the grotesque, dread, the uncanny, the unstoppable) to see how each one plays so successfully on terror. The text will also give insider knowledge about how the plots were devised, chart each film's scariest moments with infographics and tell you the key horror films you need to watch.
Including references to over 100 classic horror films and striking illustrations from Barney Bodoano, this will be a rich and compelling guide to the scariest films ever made.
The Films:
Psycho (1960), The Innocents (1961), The Haunting (1963), The Exorcist (1973), Don’t Look Now (1973), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Who Can Kill A Child? (1976), Suspiria (1977), Halloween (1978), The Shining (1980), The Entity (1980), Angst (1983), Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986), Ringu (1998), The Blair Witch Project (1999), The Others (2001), Ju-On (2002), The Eye (2002), Shutter (2004), The Descent (2005), Wolf Creek (2005), The Orphanage (2007), REC (2007), Lake Mungo (2008), Martyrs (2008), The Strangers (2008), Insidious (2010), The Innkeepers (2011), Oculus (2013), Banshee Chapter (2013), The Babadook (2014), It Follows (2015), Hereditary (2018), It: Chapter Two (2019)
176 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 22, 2020
60 people are currently reading
379 people want to read
About the author
Matt Glasby
3 books16 followersMatt Glasby is a London-based journalist who writes for GQ, Total Film and the Radio Times among others. He is the author of A-Z Great Film Directors (2015), an illustrated pop-culture primer; Britpop Cinema, a celebration of 1990s UK film featuring interviews with Irvine Welsh, Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright and many more; and The Book of Horror, an illustrated guide to the scariest movies ever made.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
November 9, 2020
Matt Glasby’s The Book of Horror: The Anatomy of Fear in Film is an informative and interesting look at a variety of classic and contemporary scary films from around the world. The book is well-organized and well-written with a great design. But, the writing is a bit dry and meandering sometimes. Furthermore, the book can get a bit technical so I think it is better suited for film students than the average reader.
The book examines thirty-four frightening films from around the globe. The book begins with 1960’s Psycho and wraps up with 2019’s It. The book features many American movies. However, the globe is fairly well-represented with films from places like Japan, Australia, Thailand, Spain, and Italy. But, I really would have liked to see more non-English language movies. The films are a great mix of renowned classics with twentieth and twenty-first century movies. The book includes popular choices like The Exorcist, The Strangers, Suspiria, and The Blair Witch Project. However, there are lesser known works like Lake Mungo, The Innkeepers, Banshee Chapter, and the Orphanage.
Each chapter explores a notable horror movie, examining what exactly makes the work so frightening. Glasby notes its scariest moments via a scare rating and a timeline of movie events with brief explanatory titles. Each film also receives a scale which documents the seven scare tactics: dead space; the subliminal; the unexpected; the grotesque; dread; the uncanny; and the unstoppable. This may be useful to some readers but I didn’t really follow it. Although there is a brief explanation of the seven scare tactics at the beginning of the book, I didn’t think that in-depth knowledge of these things really influenced my understanding of the chapters. I also like that each film has a further viewing section where the author lists 3 similar films to explore if you liked the main film.
Glasby’s writing is brief but thorough as each main film receives a write up of approximately 3-5 pages. The writing is a bit dry but, for the most part, it is clear and easy-to-follow. However, the writing can sometimes get technical and seems better suited for film majors. Furthermore, the writing sometimes meanders and could be more concise.
I like the book’s sparse black and white design with splashes of red. The minimalism keeps the focus on the writing while also emphasising the terrifying aspect of the subject matter. Each film chapter is accompanied by nicely spooky illustrations from Barney Bodoano. I love the haunting black and white drawings which wonderfully represent iconic imagery from the films.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion for this book in exchange for an honest review.
🎥 🎥 🎥 ½ out of 5 movie cameras!
The book examines thirty-four frightening films from around the globe. The book begins with 1960’s Psycho and wraps up with 2019’s It. The book features many American movies. However, the globe is fairly well-represented with films from places like Japan, Australia, Thailand, Spain, and Italy. But, I really would have liked to see more non-English language movies. The films are a great mix of renowned classics with twentieth and twenty-first century movies. The book includes popular choices like The Exorcist, The Strangers, Suspiria, and The Blair Witch Project. However, there are lesser known works like Lake Mungo, The Innkeepers, Banshee Chapter, and the Orphanage.
Each chapter explores a notable horror movie, examining what exactly makes the work so frightening. Glasby notes its scariest moments via a scare rating and a timeline of movie events with brief explanatory titles. Each film also receives a scale which documents the seven scare tactics: dead space; the subliminal; the unexpected; the grotesque; dread; the uncanny; and the unstoppable. This may be useful to some readers but I didn’t really follow it. Although there is a brief explanation of the seven scare tactics at the beginning of the book, I didn’t think that in-depth knowledge of these things really influenced my understanding of the chapters. I also like that each film has a further viewing section where the author lists 3 similar films to explore if you liked the main film.
Glasby’s writing is brief but thorough as each main film receives a write up of approximately 3-5 pages. The writing is a bit dry but, for the most part, it is clear and easy-to-follow. However, the writing can sometimes get technical and seems better suited for film majors. Furthermore, the writing sometimes meanders and could be more concise.
I like the book’s sparse black and white design with splashes of red. The minimalism keeps the focus on the writing while also emphasising the terrifying aspect of the subject matter. Each film chapter is accompanied by nicely spooky illustrations from Barney Bodoano. I love the haunting black and white drawings which wonderfully represent iconic imagery from the films.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion for this book in exchange for an honest review.
🎥 🎥 🎥 ½ out of 5 movie cameras!
August 31, 2020
This book would make a great present for someone who loves horror movies. Matt Glasby explains a lot about the general suspense in horror movies an how it works. Then he analyses different movies on how they did it right. I liked the movies he chose, but you should already have seen them before reading this book.
Thanks to White Lion and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to White Lion and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2023
Rating: 4 stars.
Matt Glasby's The Book of Horror: The Anatomy of Fear is Film is like reading someone's film blog, but in the best way. Each chapter covers a horror film that Glasby believes is among the scariest ever made, and is a mixture of recap, discussion, film analysis, and academic analysis—the forewarned reader should know that this is a book thick with spoilers. Each chapter also includes a rating system for seven types of spooky 'psychological factors', plus a capsule review/discussion of three related films to check out after the main event.
The book itself covers a total of 34 horror films over almost sixty years, from Psycho in 1960 to It: Chapter Two in 2019 (perhaps the weirdest film inclusion, Glasby might be the one person on Earth who thinks it's superior to the first movie). Glasby gives some odd reasoning for his film selections—most questionably, he claims Alien and Jaws aren't horror movies because they're not 'primarily' concerned with scaring the viewer—but lists like these are always going to be subjective, so I didn't stress too much over what did or didn't make the cut.
I'd previously seen sixteen of the films and was familiar with twenty-five of them, meaning nine were new discoveries for me—far more so if you include the three extra recommendations per chapter. I was also glad to see the inclusion of a number of international horror films as well.
Overall, The Book of Horror was an enjoyable romp through the history of horror films. Glasby ensures each chapter's an engaging read that makes you want to seek out all the movies inside to (re)watch. If you're looking for particularly in-depth academic writing of any one film, however, this book is a little light on heavy analysis—though with 34 films covered, I imagine there was simply not enough space.
As an aside: I read Book of Horror on my Kindle through Kindle Unlimited, which had the downside of the factor and recommendation sidebars being awkwardly inserted in the middle of each chapter, rather than the beginning or end. Not a huge deal, but that, combined with the black-and-white illustrations for each movie being shrunken down, makes me think the physical book would be the preferred reading experience.
Matt Glasby's The Book of Horror: The Anatomy of Fear is Film is like reading someone's film blog, but in the best way. Each chapter covers a horror film that Glasby believes is among the scariest ever made, and is a mixture of recap, discussion, film analysis, and academic analysis—the forewarned reader should know that this is a book thick with spoilers. Each chapter also includes a rating system for seven types of spooky 'psychological factors', plus a capsule review/discussion of three related films to check out after the main event.
The book itself covers a total of 34 horror films over almost sixty years, from Psycho in 1960 to It: Chapter Two in 2019 (perhaps the weirdest film inclusion, Glasby might be the one person on Earth who thinks it's superior to the first movie). Glasby gives some odd reasoning for his film selections—most questionably, he claims Alien and Jaws aren't horror movies because they're not 'primarily' concerned with scaring the viewer—but lists like these are always going to be subjective, so I didn't stress too much over what did or didn't make the cut.
I'd previously seen sixteen of the films and was familiar with twenty-five of them, meaning nine were new discoveries for me—far more so if you include the three extra recommendations per chapter. I was also glad to see the inclusion of a number of international horror films as well.
Overall, The Book of Horror was an enjoyable romp through the history of horror films. Glasby ensures each chapter's an engaging read that makes you want to seek out all the movies inside to (re)watch. If you're looking for particularly in-depth academic writing of any one film, however, this book is a little light on heavy analysis—though with 34 films covered, I imagine there was simply not enough space.
As an aside: I read Book of Horror on my Kindle through Kindle Unlimited, which had the downside of the factor and recommendation sidebars being awkwardly inserted in the middle of each chapter, rather than the beginning or end. Not a huge deal, but that, combined with the black-and-white illustrations for each movie being shrunken down, makes me think the physical book would be the preferred reading experience.
August 29, 2020
The Book of Horror: The Anatomy of Fear in Film by Matt Glasby is an excellent look at what elements in film scare viewers and at the films that best (by his personal criteria) exemplify them.
This book fits nicely between more academic type books (Wheeler's A History of Horror and Hantke's Horror Film: Creating and Marketing Fear are two off the top of my head, well, okay, I glanced at my shelves) and books that simply gush about how much the listed films are loved. Glasby has a well-considered list of elements and his selection criteria helps to narrow the list. Like any list you will think one or two could have been left off and a couple others put in, but such is the fun of such lists.
He discusses each movie and illustrates with the help of infographics where the different fear elements are used. If you like the horror genre you will likely have seen all or most of the movies discussed (he names several other movies with each analyzed film as ones to also see, these include more that you may not have watched, yet). This is important because in order to talk about the films he needs to go through the films, so if you absolutely hate knowing too much before watching a film, skip the ones you haven;t seen until you have a chance to watch them.
I recommend this to both film fans (especially horror fans, of course) as well as anyone considering getting into filmmaking since the point of the discussions is how these films work.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
This book fits nicely between more academic type books (Wheeler's A History of Horror and Hantke's Horror Film: Creating and Marketing Fear are two off the top of my head, well, okay, I glanced at my shelves) and books that simply gush about how much the listed films are loved. Glasby has a well-considered list of elements and his selection criteria helps to narrow the list. Like any list you will think one or two could have been left off and a couple others put in, but such is the fun of such lists.
He discusses each movie and illustrates with the help of infographics where the different fear elements are used. If you like the horror genre you will likely have seen all or most of the movies discussed (he names several other movies with each analyzed film as ones to also see, these include more that you may not have watched, yet). This is important because in order to talk about the films he needs to go through the films, so if you absolutely hate knowing too much before watching a film, skip the ones you haven;t seen until you have a chance to watch them.
I recommend this to both film fans (especially horror fans, of course) as well as anyone considering getting into filmmaking since the point of the discussions is how these films work.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
March 30, 2024
Another rare five-star review for a thorough--and thoroughly enjoyable--book. While I might not agree with all the author's choices for inclusion, the collection is well-researched and I found the recommended/related movies for each selection immensely helpful, including some of which I was not aware.
September 3, 2020
This book is a treat for horror fans. I’ve seen most of the movies discussed here and the author’s analysis was eye-opening. The Shining is one of my favorite films, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen it and Matt Glasby made me notice new things. As per its subtitle, The Anatomy of Fear in Film, there are all kinds of horror movies here: Ghost stories, slasher flicks, supernatural villains and serial killers; commercial and not widely known; foreign and domestic. The illustrations are gorgeous and the charts that track the tension throughout the films are fun to check out. The author also uses a system to code the ways that the tension is achieved. Even the films that I haven’t seen captured my interest and made me want to stream them asap. The Book of Horror is an innovative way to look at scary movies.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/White Lion Publishing!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/White Lion Publishing!
December 29, 2020
*I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*
Best-Of book roundups always make half the audience angry (How dare they leave my favorite off! The nerve of them to enjoy different movies than me! What makes you the authority anyway? etc etc etc -- BORING REVIEW, y'all! People like different things. Get over it.)
That said -- like peeking at someone's bookshelf, it's always kind of interesting to find out what OTHER people like, what their criteria for something being "good" is, and how they categorize/organize their opinions, ideas, and arguments.
This book uses illustrations and charts to great effect to break down the movies they picked (because they got a book deal, and we didn't, so they get to do that) and more importantly, the WHY of their choices.
Also, what is with these other reviewers and the unreasonable hatred for someone including The Others on their list. That is seriously weird.
Naturally with 34 films, there's going to be some ones you agree with, ones you hate, ones you've never heard of, and ones you wonder why they were left out. That's the nature of books like these, and with so many different KINDS of horror out there, you can only include so many. Sometimes there's overlap in genres and subgenres you like and sometimes there isn't.
The writing is semi-academic yet approachable. This is something that the cool undergrad film teacher might assign that would make their class super popular.
TL;DR -- Chill out because the author likes The Others and can break down why. Easy to read, okay to skim, some surprises but overall a fun read about horror movies and the strategic elements of an effective scary movie.
Best-Of book roundups always make half the audience angry (How dare they leave my favorite off! The nerve of them to enjoy different movies than me! What makes you the authority anyway? etc etc etc -- BORING REVIEW, y'all! People like different things. Get over it.)
That said -- like peeking at someone's bookshelf, it's always kind of interesting to find out what OTHER people like, what their criteria for something being "good" is, and how they categorize/organize their opinions, ideas, and arguments.
This book uses illustrations and charts to great effect to break down the movies they picked (because they got a book deal, and we didn't, so they get to do that) and more importantly, the WHY of their choices.
Also, what is with these other reviewers and the unreasonable hatred for someone including The Others on their list. That is seriously weird.
Naturally with 34 films, there's going to be some ones you agree with, ones you hate, ones you've never heard of, and ones you wonder why they were left out. That's the nature of books like these, and with so many different KINDS of horror out there, you can only include so many. Sometimes there's overlap in genres and subgenres you like and sometimes there isn't.
The writing is semi-academic yet approachable. This is something that the cool undergrad film teacher might assign that would make their class super popular.
TL;DR -- Chill out because the author likes The Others and can break down why. Easy to read, okay to skim, some surprises but overall a fun read about horror movies and the strategic elements of an effective scary movie.
January 2, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this book as Matt Glasby does a great job in describing the different elements of horror as they appear in the movies he reviewed. This will help a viewer understand exactly why they were scared at specific points of the movies. He also rates different scenes on a scale of how scary they are during the timeline of the film. That is an interesting new concept and in my opinion, it should become the norm.
Matt Glasby's writing is clear, concise and descriptive. Often adding in what the directors vision was for the film that can give the reader a new perspective. I had written "Hereditary" off and after reading his take, I decided to give the movie a second look.
There are some classics here, but also a few new additions to the growing pantheon of classic horror films. I found a few hidden gems in the films that Glasby micro-reviewed as similar movies and that also worth watching. However, be careful. If you haven't already seen some of the movies in this book, watch the movie first, due to having full plotlines explained and fear-points broke down.
My official opinion is that this book is a must-read for any horror movie enthusiast.
Matt Glasby's writing is clear, concise and descriptive. Often adding in what the directors vision was for the film that can give the reader a new perspective. I had written "Hereditary" off and after reading his take, I decided to give the movie a second look.
There are some classics here, but also a few new additions to the growing pantheon of classic horror films. I found a few hidden gems in the films that Glasby micro-reviewed as similar movies and that also worth watching. However, be careful. If you haven't already seen some of the movies in this book, watch the movie first, due to having full plotlines explained and fear-points broke down.
My official opinion is that this book is a must-read for any horror movie enthusiast.
November 14, 2020
This is a stunning book on horror films. Following an introduction on the tactics used by horror film-makers. Matt Glasby analyses 34 films, breaking them down into different aspects of the genre as well as producing a chart to present the level of jumps and scares throughout the film.
Fortunately for horror film fans looking to broaden their viewing pleasure, Glasby includes international films in his list such as Rec and the haunting Lake Mungo.
There is the odd surprise in the book's choices such as the inclusion of The Others over a film such as, for example, Onibaba. If Matt Glasby finds The Others frightening I think he is in the wrong field of film analysis.
Otherwise, this is a fantastic book.
This book was provided by NetGalley for an honest review
Fortunately for horror film fans looking to broaden their viewing pleasure, Glasby includes international films in his list such as Rec and the haunting Lake Mungo.
There is the odd surprise in the book's choices such as the inclusion of The Others over a film such as, for example, Onibaba. If Matt Glasby finds The Others frightening I think he is in the wrong field of film analysis.
Otherwise, this is a fantastic book.
This book was provided by NetGalley for an honest review
September 7, 2020
If you love horror it's a must! It is very well written and beautifully put together, illustrations are amazing! It takes every film apart minute by minute, scene by scene and explains the science of horror, a very curious read! I didn't see all of them films myself, but still did enjoy it a lot, if you're a horror lover you're in for a treat!
Thank you #NetGalley for my free copy!
Thank you #NetGalley for my free copy!
May 1, 2021
A fun, easy read that covers thirty or so classic horror movies in depth, and gives short summaries for many more suggested watches. If you're already a big horror movie fan, a lot of this will be ground you've probably already covered, but for those who dabble in the genre, it's a useful resource. I did find the icons and graphs gimmicky and not of any real value, but they don't detract from the rest of the book, which is a succinct and enjoyable introduction to the modern horror film.
January 1, 2021
Starting the new year with my favorite subjects - horror books and horror films!
August 29, 2020
**I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
I love breaking down and studying films, so I jumped at the opportunity to read and review this book.
Obviously, it doesn't contain every horror movie ever made, but the ones it lists are each studied in detail. The intro opens up with what makes a good horror movie work and why some movies that are classified as horror aren't truly horror films.
The book balances nicely between almost academic level discussions on what works and what doesn't, but it also manages to be approachable and you can sense the author's love of horror films in every sentence.
This book would be a great one to give to any horror movie fan or filmmaker you know.
I love breaking down and studying films, so I jumped at the opportunity to read and review this book.
Obviously, it doesn't contain every horror movie ever made, but the ones it lists are each studied in detail. The intro opens up with what makes a good horror movie work and why some movies that are classified as horror aren't truly horror films.
The book balances nicely between almost academic level discussions on what works and what doesn't, but it also manages to be approachable and you can sense the author's love of horror films in every sentence.
This book would be a great one to give to any horror movie fan or filmmaker you know.
August 22, 2020
DING DONG DARLING thank you so much NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange of a honest review.
OMG this book is a MUST READ for every horror lover. It’s amazing; the way it picks (with a good, solid system) a carefully chosen selection of horror movies and explains simply but with great knowledge WHY they’re scary.
I LOVED the selection. I’m extremely happy for that I have seen almost all of them, and obviously I wrote down the few I haven’t watched. Extra kudos for adding some ‘international’ movies there. Everyone should watch The orphanage.
The edition is FLAWLESS, MARVELOUS, BEAUTIFUL and I want to buy this book and display it, opened, on a top shelf. I would have chosen a different cover, tho.
Congrats to the author! Amazing book.
OMG this book is a MUST READ for every horror lover. It’s amazing; the way it picks (with a good, solid system) a carefully chosen selection of horror movies and explains simply but with great knowledge WHY they’re scary.
I LOVED the selection. I’m extremely happy for that I have seen almost all of them, and obviously I wrote down the few I haven’t watched. Extra kudos for adding some ‘international’ movies there. Everyone should watch The orphanage.
The edition is FLAWLESS, MARVELOUS, BEAUTIFUL and I want to buy this book and display it, opened, on a top shelf. I would have chosen a different cover, tho.
Congrats to the author! Amazing book.
December 14, 2020
Though I’m a life-long fiend for all things horror, my love for the genre does tend to wax and wane. Sometimes I become a bit unplugged, only to dive back in with a voracious ferocity that’s probably a bit alarming from an outsider’s perspective. Matt Glasby’s The Book of Horror: The Anatomy of Fear on Film, and has marvelously rekindled my love for all things horrid, haunting, and harrowing. Glasby examines some of the most frightening films created and explores with us what it is exactly, that makes them so scary. Which sounds like it might be a dry, scholarly affair, but it’s not even a bit! The analysis is tightly written, wryly humorous, and exceptionally insightful, and, coupled with the spare elegance of the striking black and white artwork—I’m utterly immersed and enthralled and I haven’t been able to put it down.
September 11, 2020
Subtitle: The Anatomy of Fear in Film
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
The Book of Horror examines a sampling of post WWII horror films to determine the various techniques the filmmakers used to create horror. It includes a mix of undisputed classics and more recent and probably lesser known films. Along with each main film featured, it includes brief descriptions of three other films that explore similar horror themes.
At the beginning, the book defines seven distinct methods of horrifying audiences. I’ll list a brief summary below:
Dead space – This is the amount of background included in each frame. Either too much or too little can be unsettling, as well as offering opportunities for showing details in the background to startle or create dread or doubt in the viewers mind.
Subliminal – The use of subtle visual or audio clues that may go unnoticed.
The Unexpected – Jump scares or plot twists
The Grotesque – Blood and gore
Dread – Creating apprehension that something horrible is going to happen
The Uncanny – Creating the feeling that something is just not ‘right’
The Unstoppable – Creating a sense that the horror is never going to end
The part of this book I liked the best were its breakdowns of classic horror films that I’ve already seen, such as Psycho, The Haunting, The Exorcist, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, The Shining, Blair Witch Project, and IT, Chapter 2. In addition for the analysis previously mentioned, there were also comments from the directors and bits of trivia that provided additional depth to my knowledge of those films. For movies I hadn’t seen, such as The Ring, it provided a long-form synopsis that gave me an image of what happened in the film and why. Probably 50-60 percent of the films mentioned were ones I had never heard of.
I gave The Book of Horror four stars. Because I’m not a fan of Japanese style horror and don’t watch many foreign films, I won’t be watching a lot of the recent movies covered here. The PDF version I read employed a lot of white font on black background sections, which caused some eye strain when reading on my devices. This probably isn’t an issue if you read a physical copy of the book, but could cause some problems if reading a digital version.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
The Book of Horror examines a sampling of post WWII horror films to determine the various techniques the filmmakers used to create horror. It includes a mix of undisputed classics and more recent and probably lesser known films. Along with each main film featured, it includes brief descriptions of three other films that explore similar horror themes.
At the beginning, the book defines seven distinct methods of horrifying audiences. I’ll list a brief summary below:
Dead space – This is the amount of background included in each frame. Either too much or too little can be unsettling, as well as offering opportunities for showing details in the background to startle or create dread or doubt in the viewers mind.
Subliminal – The use of subtle visual or audio clues that may go unnoticed.
The Unexpected – Jump scares or plot twists
The Grotesque – Blood and gore
Dread – Creating apprehension that something horrible is going to happen
The Uncanny – Creating the feeling that something is just not ‘right’
The Unstoppable – Creating a sense that the horror is never going to end
The part of this book I liked the best were its breakdowns of classic horror films that I’ve already seen, such as Psycho, The Haunting, The Exorcist, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, The Shining, Blair Witch Project, and IT, Chapter 2. In addition for the analysis previously mentioned, there were also comments from the directors and bits of trivia that provided additional depth to my knowledge of those films. For movies I hadn’t seen, such as The Ring, it provided a long-form synopsis that gave me an image of what happened in the film and why. Probably 50-60 percent of the films mentioned were ones I had never heard of.
I gave The Book of Horror four stars. Because I’m not a fan of Japanese style horror and don’t watch many foreign films, I won’t be watching a lot of the recent movies covered here. The PDF version I read employed a lot of white font on black background sections, which caused some eye strain when reading on my devices. This probably isn’t an issue if you read a physical copy of the book, but could cause some problems if reading a digital version.
September 3, 2020
I only needed to read a few paragraphs before I decided to pre-order a physical copy of this book. The Introduction and "Scare Tactics" sections explain how movies qualified for this collection, and preface how they will be analyzed and rated. The author uses a really detailed and interesting rating system that assigns a symbol to each of seven scare tactics - Dead space, the subliminal, the unexpected, the grotesque, dread, the uncanny, and the unstoppable. Each of these is explained before we begin with the first movie discussed - Psycho. Each movie's section contains details such as release date, director, and cast. Rather than summarizing the movie (if you're reading this book, you've probably seen most or all of these), it gives cultural context and rates specific timestamps and scenes on a Scare Rating scale from 1-10. It also has a table that rates the movie on a scale of 1-10 for each of the Scare Tactics. Finally, it wraps up with a Further Viewing section that recommends films (in a few different decades!) that can be viewed as similar to the movie at hand. This book is so well structured and organized, visually interesting, gives a concrete but fun way to consider each of the films, and is a definite must for any fan of horror. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance - I look forward to adding it to my collection when it comes out on 9/22.
Read
September 23, 2020This book is most accurately described as short essays on a collection of good horror films. Personally, I love the genre, so I expected to be a bit annoyed that some movie was included where another one wasn't. Any list of the best of anything will, of course, have its controversies. What I didn't expect was to be left wondering what the point of the book was. The essays are fine, the analysis of the films in question is fine, but with such a grand title, a description which seems to deal with the genre itself, this book felt very small. Inadequate, in fact.
If you like the genre, as I do, you'll enjoy the essays because you enjoyed the films. You'll enjoy the graphics and art because they're quite good, easily the best part of the book. But like with many horror films themselves, you'll be left wondering 'Where's the teeth?'
3.5/5
If you like the genre, as I do, you'll enjoy the essays because you enjoyed the films. You'll enjoy the graphics and art because they're quite good, easily the best part of the book. But like with many horror films themselves, you'll be left wondering 'Where's the teeth?'
3.5/5
August 20, 2020
The Book of Horror is an amazing dissection of what makes horror movies scary.
The book starts off with a more general information on suspense in movies and later looks at iconic horror movies in detail, examining how different things contribute to the movie being horrifying and dreadful.
It was a curious read, although I wasn't as interested in reading about movies that I haven't seen yet. The descriptions of the scenes from the movies, while quite good, are much better if you've seen the movie already and know exactly how the scene played out.
I definitely recommend the book to any movie and horror lovers.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.*
The book starts off with a more general information on suspense in movies and later looks at iconic horror movies in detail, examining how different things contribute to the movie being horrifying and dreadful.
It was a curious read, although I wasn't as interested in reading about movies that I haven't seen yet. The descriptions of the scenes from the movies, while quite good, are much better if you've seen the movie already and know exactly how the scene played out.
I definitely recommend the book to any movie and horror lovers.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.*
September 28, 2020
Horror films. Horror ratings. Horror facts about the most popular horror films of all time. And, generally - yup, you guessed it- all things horror-movie-related!
Accompanied by inspired and definitely atmospheric illustrations, The Book of Horror is a must-have for the fans of the genre.
This book was actually a lot more informative than I had anticipated, which was a very pleasant surprise. Summaries, facts, ratings: you name it, it's in there. A recommended read.
Accompanied by inspired and definitely atmospheric illustrations, The Book of Horror is a must-have for the fans of the genre.
This book was actually a lot more informative than I had anticipated, which was a very pleasant surprise. Summaries, facts, ratings: you name it, it's in there. A recommended read.
September 20, 2020
Matt Glasby explores over 40 postwar horror films considered the most scary. In it each film is analysed but seven scare tactics. These are also plotted against the film timeline shown in a graph. Also shared is further viewing lists pertaining to each film.
This is a must for all serious horror movie fans and film students alike.
*eArc provided by the publisher and NetGalley
September 24, 2020
Love this book - Glasby is a horror expert and reviewer, but this book is more than a list of scary films or a history - it’s a fascinating analysis of what makes the best horror films scary. Great for film buffs - beautifully written, with super creepy illustrations. Well worth a read.
September 20, 2020
Good review and analysis, with ratings, of many popular horror films! Pictures included and recommendations for fans of each film.
May 21, 2023
I loved the horror scale and found it ineresting which movies were picked, made me think of the concept in and around horror a lot and gave me new inspiration for my own work in horror.
September 29, 2020
Let me begin with a word of warning to would-be readers of this book. There's a little symbol on the cover, right next to the author's name, that says the book contains spoilers. Heed that warning. Not only does this book contain spoilers, it's almost nothing but spoilers, and that might severely limit its readership. One of the reasons one might want to rad a book like this is to create a "viewing list" of movies one might have missed over the years. On one level, the book succeeds in that endeavor, providing quite a list of some of the best horror films ever. However, if you actually read the entries associated with each title, you'll not only know how the film ends, but most of the scares it contains. For me, that would rather ruin the experience.
You might have a bit more luck turning to the entries on your favorite horror films and then consulting the "further viewing" notes in which the author recommends three titles somehow related to the work under consideration, making the book a treasure trove of excellent titles. Be forewarned, though, even those sections aren't free of spoilers.
And if we're being completely honest, this might not be the best way to make a viewing list anyway. Most of the titles chosen for inclusion are already well-known to even fairly casual horror fans, so you're unlikely to find more than one or two films you haven't already watched. Missing are most of the forgotten classics from decades past (indeed, though the book starts tracing films as early as 1960, it displays heavy bias in favor of 21st Century cinema) and the independently-produced "sleepers" that find tiny cult audiences. No, these films, by and large, are the blockbusters of the genre. And there's nothing wrong with that, it's just worth knowing going in.
The real reason to read this book is for its analyses, and there we're treated to a partial success. Where the book shines is in its listing and categorization of almost every scare in the films into one of seven categories: dead space, the subliminal, the unexpected, the grotesque, dread, the uncanny, and the unstoppable. Each film's analysis is presented alongside two graphs, one rating the degree the film uses each of those elements and another plotting the level of fear as a function of the film's runtime. This analytic approach provides a lot of value to the reader interested not only in watching horror movies, but in understanding what it is that actually makes them scary. The particularly curious reader might also take the time to compare the author's analysis to his or her own reactions and discover which particular techniques are most effective for different individual minds.
That, however, is where the analysis ends. While these categories are briefly defined in the introduction and rigorously applied to categorizing the selected films, they're not subjected to any deeper psychological analysis. We're told what the uncanny is, for instance, and we see which films make use of it (and, indeed, in which scenes), but we're left just as in the dark as when we started concerning just what it is about the uncanny that so terrifies us. Perhaps the curious reader could re-watch films (or scenes) emphasizing each element to develop more intuition regarding its function, but the book will provide little help except in helping the reader find the correct scenes.
The subtitle of this book is "the anatomy of fear in film," and that seems appropriate to the level of analysis we're given. We certainly aren't disappointed by what we do learn, but we're just as certainly left with a feeling of having just barely scratched the surface of a deep psychological mine. If this book gives us the anatomy of fear in film, perhaps it's not too much to hope that the author might follow it up with the physiology of fear in film. That is, if anatomy is the categorization of bones and organs (or scare tactics), physiology can tell us how they function, both independently and (perhaps more importantly) in relation to one another.
Despite my criticisms and (perhaps unrealistic) wishing for a bit more content, this book is a delight to read. As long as you take care to skip over chapters concerning films you haven't yet seen (in my case, the grand total of entries in that category was just one), you'll love reliving some of your favorite scenes from cinematic history, comparing the scare tactics between one film and the next. And the illustrations by Barney Bodoano make the book itself feel like a work of art.
I'm not going to step out on a limb and say I really learned anything new about my favorite genre, but I will say I enjoyed reading it nonetheless, and I do think it belongs in the library of any true horror nerd.
You might have a bit more luck turning to the entries on your favorite horror films and then consulting the "further viewing" notes in which the author recommends three titles somehow related to the work under consideration, making the book a treasure trove of excellent titles. Be forewarned, though, even those sections aren't free of spoilers.
And if we're being completely honest, this might not be the best way to make a viewing list anyway. Most of the titles chosen for inclusion are already well-known to even fairly casual horror fans, so you're unlikely to find more than one or two films you haven't already watched. Missing are most of the forgotten classics from decades past (indeed, though the book starts tracing films as early as 1960, it displays heavy bias in favor of 21st Century cinema) and the independently-produced "sleepers" that find tiny cult audiences. No, these films, by and large, are the blockbusters of the genre. And there's nothing wrong with that, it's just worth knowing going in.
The real reason to read this book is for its analyses, and there we're treated to a partial success. Where the book shines is in its listing and categorization of almost every scare in the films into one of seven categories: dead space, the subliminal, the unexpected, the grotesque, dread, the uncanny, and the unstoppable. Each film's analysis is presented alongside two graphs, one rating the degree the film uses each of those elements and another plotting the level of fear as a function of the film's runtime. This analytic approach provides a lot of value to the reader interested not only in watching horror movies, but in understanding what it is that actually makes them scary. The particularly curious reader might also take the time to compare the author's analysis to his or her own reactions and discover which particular techniques are most effective for different individual minds.
That, however, is where the analysis ends. While these categories are briefly defined in the introduction and rigorously applied to categorizing the selected films, they're not subjected to any deeper psychological analysis. We're told what the uncanny is, for instance, and we see which films make use of it (and, indeed, in which scenes), but we're left just as in the dark as when we started concerning just what it is about the uncanny that so terrifies us. Perhaps the curious reader could re-watch films (or scenes) emphasizing each element to develop more intuition regarding its function, but the book will provide little help except in helping the reader find the correct scenes.
The subtitle of this book is "the anatomy of fear in film," and that seems appropriate to the level of analysis we're given. We certainly aren't disappointed by what we do learn, but we're just as certainly left with a feeling of having just barely scratched the surface of a deep psychological mine. If this book gives us the anatomy of fear in film, perhaps it's not too much to hope that the author might follow it up with the physiology of fear in film. That is, if anatomy is the categorization of bones and organs (or scare tactics), physiology can tell us how they function, both independently and (perhaps more importantly) in relation to one another.
Despite my criticisms and (perhaps unrealistic) wishing for a bit more content, this book is a delight to read. As long as you take care to skip over chapters concerning films you haven't yet seen (in my case, the grand total of entries in that category was just one), you'll love reliving some of your favorite scenes from cinematic history, comparing the scare tactics between one film and the next. And the illustrations by Barney Bodoano make the book itself feel like a work of art.
I'm not going to step out on a limb and say I really learned anything new about my favorite genre, but I will say I enjoyed reading it nonetheless, and I do think it belongs in the library of any true horror nerd.
September 2, 2021
Stylish but superficial exploration of fear in horror films. The book is structured in a series of very short chapters, one per film, with a quick analysis of what makes each film so fear-inducing. It is, however, more subjective in its decision of which films are most frightening than I think the author is willing to admit. Frankly, I began to be sceptical in the introduction, where Glasby claims that he doesn't include Jaws or Alien as horror films because "scaring us is not their primary objective," apparently, to which I call bullshit. There are in fact no animal horror films here at all, and no eco-horror either. That's a subjective criticism in itself, given that these are the horror films I most enjoy personally, but I think when you're trying to put forward a list of "the scariest movies ever made" you either need to justify your biases or put forward a more objective rationale for including them (or preferably both). When you don't have even a single film representing some of the major sub-genres of horror, it's time, I think, to consider whether stacking your best-of list with serial killer films is a result of personal preference. (It's fairly obvious that serial killers, violent sadism, a dose of supernatural horror, and found footage is the horror Glasby likes best.) And personal preference is fine, as far as it goes, but relying on it limits the analysis of fear which is the goal of this book by excluding other types of fear produced by other types of horror films.
It's a pimped-up version of My Favourite Horror Films, basically, and it is very stylish, but it is also, as I said, a bit thin. Likeable enough, but I won't be referencing it in any of my own scholarship, for instance.
It's a pimped-up version of My Favourite Horror Films, basically, and it is very stylish, but it is also, as I said, a bit thin. Likeable enough, but I won't be referencing it in any of my own scholarship, for instance.
March 29, 2022
3.5 stars really. This is a good swift overview of a handful of horror movies with succinct plot summaries and symbols that highlight the different scare tactics buried in the text. Overall, the reviews are good and the summaries clean, straightforward and highlight the best in each selected film.
Where I fell short of really getting into the book lies in what I thought it was vs. what it turned out the be. The subtitle "The Anatomy of Fear in Film" is misleading. There are little symbols which show films using horror clichés like jumpscares or tension, but it doesn't really discuss or compare these tactics in any debth. I also was interested in the idea of the heartbeat/fearscape, but was disappointed that in the end it didn't add much. I think I expected it to be like those magnificent people on Instagram who show the heart rate monitor over the course of a film. Instead I found myself debating whether the points highlighted lined up with my own (particularly endings, which the diagrams suggest all are release of tension, but often that's not the case).
Nonetheless, there are a few other points one should know before reading: the selection is subjective, so you may want to glance at the contents and decide if you find the films he selected good examples of horror as a genre. It skews American but has a selection from J horror and Europe; though it leaves out influential films from the British, Mexican, and Korean cannon. This left me with the impression that the book is aimed at people who have a passing interest in horror rather than more devoted fans. Still, it is a pretty object and Glasby knows how to write a good summary/review.
Where I fell short of really getting into the book lies in what I thought it was vs. what it turned out the be. The subtitle "The Anatomy of Fear in Film" is misleading. There are little symbols which show films using horror clichés like jumpscares or tension, but it doesn't really discuss or compare these tactics in any debth. I also was interested in the idea of the heartbeat/fearscape, but was disappointed that in the end it didn't add much. I think I expected it to be like those magnificent people on Instagram who show the heart rate monitor over the course of a film. Instead I found myself debating whether the points highlighted lined up with my own (particularly endings, which the diagrams suggest all are release of tension, but often that's not the case).
Nonetheless, there are a few other points one should know before reading: the selection is subjective, so you may want to glance at the contents and decide if you find the films he selected good examples of horror as a genre. It skews American but has a selection from J horror and Europe; though it leaves out influential films from the British, Mexican, and Korean cannon. This left me with the impression that the book is aimed at people who have a passing interest in horror rather than more devoted fans. Still, it is a pretty object and Glasby knows how to write a good summary/review.
December 10, 2020
I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion in exchange for an honest review.
What a fantastic book this is! I am a huge horror fan and I particularly enjoy reading about horror films, so I was excited to see what this book would be like. Thankfully it lived up to all my expectations and more. This book is a brilliant snapshot of the history of horror movies, covering both famous films and more obscure ones. It picks a single movie from each year (starting in 1960) and then discusses both the movie and horror more generally in the time period. It also lists additional films for further viewing which I really appreciated as this is where the more obscure stuff comes in. I got a lot of great recommendations from this book and I can't wait to watch them all.
My only minor gripe is that is picks a pretty strict definition of horror, excluding all franchises and blended genres (for example, no Friday the 13th or Alien) which seems like a bit of an oversight. The author does give a reason for this but I don't think it's a full discussion of horror due to these exclusions. Still, this is a brilliant book and I enjoyed my ARC so much that I've actually asked for the full copy for Christmas. This is definitely a must have for any horror fans, particularly those who want to learn more about horror cinema over the years.
What a fantastic book this is! I am a huge horror fan and I particularly enjoy reading about horror films, so I was excited to see what this book would be like. Thankfully it lived up to all my expectations and more. This book is a brilliant snapshot of the history of horror movies, covering both famous films and more obscure ones. It picks a single movie from each year (starting in 1960) and then discusses both the movie and horror more generally in the time period. It also lists additional films for further viewing which I really appreciated as this is where the more obscure stuff comes in. I got a lot of great recommendations from this book and I can't wait to watch them all.
My only minor gripe is that is picks a pretty strict definition of horror, excluding all franchises and blended genres (for example, no Friday the 13th or Alien) which seems like a bit of an oversight. The author does give a reason for this but I don't think it's a full discussion of horror due to these exclusions. Still, this is a brilliant book and I enjoyed my ARC so much that I've actually asked for the full copy for Christmas. This is definitely a must have for any horror fans, particularly those who want to learn more about horror cinema over the years.
August 9, 2023
This was an interesting read. It was really just an in-depth list of the scariest movies and their plots and descriptions of similar films. I was looking for more horror theory books, but this is what was available on kindle unlimited. Interesting choices, lots of international choices I’d never heard of.
If you’re interested in film more than specific films, the first chapter of this book where they describe the 7 different elements of horror they use to judge the movies is really interesting:
-dead space (what could be hiding there unseen??)
-the grotesque (it’s gross, it’s uncomfortable)
-unstoppability (when it seems like the horror will never end!)
-subliminal (unseen cues that put us on edge)
-the unexpected (jump scares, plot twists)
-dread (you know something bad is gonna happen… but when?)
-the uncanny (the sense that something just isn’t right)
If you’re interested in film more than specific films, the first chapter of this book where they describe the 7 different elements of horror they use to judge the movies is really interesting:
-dead space (what could be hiding there unseen??)
-the grotesque (it’s gross, it’s uncomfortable)
-unstoppability (when it seems like the horror will never end!)
-subliminal (unseen cues that put us on edge)
-the unexpected (jump scares, plot twists)
-dread (you know something bad is gonna happen… but when?)
-the uncanny (the sense that something just isn’t right)
January 24, 2021
I bought this for the gimmicky 'scare tactics' charts and graphs, but was happily surprised by the general quality of the book. The black and white illustrations are beautiful and the mini-essays on how some of the best(ish) horror films since the 60s work are interesting, even if they sometimes drift into plot-descriptions.
Other than the odd unwelcome opinion, my only issue was the selection process for the included films. Glasby claims that horror is intended to scare. I don't agree, but won't go into detail here. Fine, whatever. The problem is, he uses this excuse to (for some reason) exclude the likes of Alien and The Thing. How anyone could watch either of those masterpieces and not describe them as horror is beyond me.
Other than the odd unwelcome opinion, my only issue was the selection process for the included films. Glasby claims that horror is intended to scare. I don't agree, but won't go into detail here. Fine, whatever. The problem is, he uses this excuse to (for some reason) exclude the likes of Alien and The Thing. How anyone could watch either of those masterpieces and not describe them as horror is beyond me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews