This was my first foray into the prolific world of Buffy criticism, and I'm quite impressed. Billson's tiny book makes for a good survey text. She explains where she's coming from as a viewer, places Buffy within the context of similar TV shows and movies, and launches into some good, (if brief), analysis of the show's themes and events. Each chapter begins with a concise summary of a season, followed by some deeper discussion of the issues that arise therein. The result is a readable, engaging take on the show that manages to cover some good, scholarly ground without ever becoming dry and boring.
Billson structures her arguments well, backing up each of her conclusions with solid evidence from the show. Not all her stances are positive, either; she's got strong opinions on certain matters, including the overall quality of season four and the efficacy of certain characters. I felt that she made a good case for each of her complaints; even when I didn't agree with her, I could see where she was coming from.
I definitely recommend this to Buffy fans, especially those who've just started exploring the media crit surrounding the show. (As it is a survey text, I'm not sure how much seasoned Buffy Studies veterans would get out of it). Also, be forewarned that there are some brief but major Angel spoilers. ( )
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This was my first foray into the prolific world of Buffy criticism, and I'm quite impressed. Billson's tiny book makes for a good survey text. She explains where she's coming from as a viewer, places Buffy within the context of similar TV shows and movies, and launches into some good, (if brief), analysis of the show's themes and events. Each chapter begins with a concise summary of a season, followed by some deeper discussion of the issues that arise therein. The result is a readable, engaging take on the show that manages to cover some good, scholarly ground without ever becoming dry and boring.
Billson structures her arguments well, backing up each of her conclusions with solid evidence from the show. Not all her stances are positive, either; she's got strong opinions on certain matters, including the overall quality of season four and the efficacy of certain characters. I felt that she made a good case for each of her complaints; even when I didn't agree with her, I could see where she was coming from.
I definitely recommend this to Buffy fans, especially those who've just started exploring the media crit surrounding the show. (As it is a survey text, I'm not sure how much seasoned Buffy Studies veterans would get out of it). Also, be forewarned that there are some brief but major Angel spoilers. (