A review by amw207
The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror by David J. Skal

4.0

Actually more like 4.5 honestly. I loved this book! I've always been into horror, mostly Stephen King and more recent movies, so it's cool to learn about the genesis and transformation of the genre throughout history. The idea that war and socioeconomic worries played such a huge role in shaping monsters and what scared people is extremely interesting and I'm impressed that Skal was able to fit so much information into this book without jumping around too much. I think the brief rundown on each chapter/time period/form of horror made it easy for me to read without feeling bogged down by film theory and analysis. Skal's writing is fun and easy to read, but also has enough meat on its bones to keep you engaged. And because it's almost the Halloween season (for most of us anyway), it's the perfect time to learn more about the monsters of the past (cinematically and socially).