The term "art-horror" was new, and after the author defined it, it made perfect sense. There are differences in the genre between films, books, and theater, and it is easy to see how much of the horror genre could be considered "art-horror." In addition, the section on plotting was extremely enlightening, especially the characteristic horror plots, which were extremely familiar once the author laid them out. In addition, the author's definitions of different genres and how they are analyzed was helpful in showing the vast differences between genres and what they hope to accomplish.
This book helped put the entire horror genre into better focus. If anyone is interested in writing horror novels, this book should be on their list of books to read and emulate. The author has a deep understanding of the horror genre, but more than that, he seems to respect and admire it, which would serve anyone interesting in creating it quite well. The author's analysis of films, plot lines, characters, and even monsters is in-depth and helpful for anyone interested in...
After reading this book, viewing horror films is more interesting, and more intricate, which seems to be the author's ultimate purpose. It is interesting to note how the author says that horror films touch an emotional chord in the viewer. At first glance, I would not have thought that, but with the author's explanation, it makes good sense. Fear and disgust are emotions just as love and trust are, and those emotions are definitely awakened in films like "Jaws," "Carrie," the "Halloween" series, and numerous others.
Finally, the author's analysis of "why" people want to be horrified was extremely enlightening. It helped make the entire genre come together and make sense. Horror is a paradox, and there is something about it that keeps drawing viewers back, no matter how horrible the monsters and the mayhem. This author explains the genre well, and reading this book makes much more sense and art out of the horror genre.
References
Carroll, Noel. The Philosophy of Horror, Or, Paradoxes of the Heart. New York: Routledge, 1990.
