The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror; Revised Edition with a New Afterword

I purchased this book many years ago. As with many in my library, it sat on my shelf just waiting for the right mood to strike. I wish I'd read it sooner. It provided a wealth of entertainment; the kind that more likely than not, wouldn't have entered your mind on its own. Now, it all seems so logical. David J. Skal examines the horror genre, not only through the connections of stage performances and video, but the history made through the complicated eras they grew and passed through. If you're a fan of horror on any level, you owe it to yourself to approach the genre from a cultural point of view. It won't dissappoint.

My 2 Cents: I really got into this book while I was doing research for a film list that a friend of mine and I we watching. The thing I liked about it was that a) it took the genre seriously, but not too seriously (unlike most other genre critisisms that either repeat the terms "Kicked Ass" or "Sucked Nuts" or go way to indepth, past the point of being an enjoyable read.) Skal covers a nice range of films and topics that should make anyone interested in the genre happy.

If you love the horror genre , whether in literature or cinema, you got to read this book.