Haunted

On Ghosts, Witches, Vampires, Zombies, and Other Monsters of the Natural and Supernatural Worlds

Braudy Leo

An award-winning scholar and author charts four hundred years of monsters and how they reflect the culture that created them Leo Braudy, a finalist for both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, has won accolades for revealing the complex and constantly shifting history behind seemingly unchanging ideas of fame, war, and masculinity. Continuing his interest in the history of emotion, this book explores how fear has been shaped into images of monsters and monstrosity. From the Protestant Reformation to contemporary horror films and fiction, he explores four major types: the monster from nature (King Kong), the created monster (Frankenstein), the monster from within (Mr. Hyde), and the monster from the past (Dracula). Drawing upon deep historical and literary research, Braudy discusses the lasting presence of fearful imaginings in an age of scientific progress, viewing the detective genre as a rational riposte to the irrational world of the monstrous. Haunted is a compelling and incisive work by a writer at the height of his powers.

About the Author

Leo Braudy is among America's leading cultural historians and film critics. His most recent book, "From Chivalry to Terrorism", was named Best of the Best by the Los Angeles Times and a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times. Among his previous books, "The Frenzy of Renown: Fame and Its History" was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and "Jean Renoir: The World of His Films" was a finalist for the National Book Award. Braudy's writing has appeared in the New York Times, Harper's, American Film, and Partisan Review, among others. He currently is University Professor and Leo S. Bing Chair in English and American Literature at the University of Southern California.

Reviews

"Braudy is deft and comprehensive, a veritable Linnaeus of the underworldly oversoul... He also has a kangaroo capacity for crossing huge distances at a bound, moving with equal zest and confidence among biblical, classical, medieval, Enlightenment and Hollywood figures and conceits" – Gregory Maguire, The New York Times Book Review

"[Displays] an impressive depth of knowledge... thanks to the way Braudy has reframed the vast canvas on which stories of horror and terror are depicted, I don't think I will ever watch a horror movie quite the same way again" – Jonathan Kirsch, The Jewish Journal

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