If you, like me, are both a person that loves old monster movies and cares about history, you'll find this book to be a fun read. Contact us This item: Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting by W. Scott Poole Paperback $34.99 The Monster Theory Reader by Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock Paperback $45.11 On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears by Stephen T. Asma Paperback $28.95 What other items do customers buy after viewing this item? Poole's examples are well-chosen and well-explicated. Indeed, Poole interprets the meaning of the meaning, reinterpreting historical narratives infusing past story with present perception: history is horror (22). OBrien gathers her papers and moves away, leaving Steve standing with outstretched arms. Indians, the physically disabled, African-Americans, deep-sea animals or mammals, science is a powerful motivator and caused society to vilify those that do not fit the acceptable mold. Hardback: Baylor University Press, 2011. Poole's connection of the monster to American history is a kind of Creature Features meets American cultural history. Poole does justice to judgment; the focus of some horror films. Thanks to Poole's insights we see the ubiquity of the monster lurking in and around us. Yuckfest. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Wendell Berry Poems Seven of Our Favorites! In her closing argument for the State, Petrocelli stresses the importance of the stolen cigarettes in proving who committed the crime. At times in the book a movie director is taken at his word, the reason for his film given authorial intent. "The American past reads like something of a horror movie, maybe even a low-budget slasher. , Poole has now turned his attention to the monsters that inhabit American cinema and American imaginations. She coaches Steve on how to answer questions on the witness stand. Monsters highlight both the positives and negatives in any society, and as such, require the reader to open ones mind and accept that the history taught in history books may not be the truth. I was pretty fascinated through this whole book. 1960-1980 3. From Victorian-era mad scientists to modern-day serial killers , new monsters appear as American society evolves, paralleling fluctuating challenges to the cultural status quo. [Pooles] book is sufficiently clear and engaging for general readers to enjoy and would make a worthwhile addition to undergraduate course in American history or culture. incredibly rewarding and fulfilling reading. Monsters in America has without a doubt earned a spot on my favorite books of 2011. Written in an accessible, smart and entertaining way, this is a fantastic book. In "Monstrous beginnings," the introductory chapter of "Monsters in America: Our Historical, Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting" by W. Scott Poole, the author makes an argument, about how monsters were not only used as entertainment, but were also used as an excuse to, justify the offenses done to the Native Americans as well as the slaves brought from Africa by, the European settlers. 62 reviews Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. (Greg Garrett, Faithful Citizenship blogger and author of, One Fine Potion: The Literary Magic of Harry Potter, (John David Smith, Charles H. Stone Distinguished Professor of American History, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte), W. Scott Poole is Professor of History at the College of Charleston. She identifies James King as being one of the two young men. I found it to be a perfect model for critical thinking about the social representations of various popular monsters, and the book led to wonderful class discussions. IE- minorities = what we are anxious about / obsessed with = the monstrous = monsters. Thanks to Poole's insights we see the ubiquity of the monster lurking in and around us. damn good primer on monsters in America. Especially enlightening is the the animistic portrayal and subsequent fear of African-Americans that has permeated society since they were first brought to the Americas on slave ships. Poole states that, in actuality, that the Europeans saw the natives. "Sick," published by Abrams/Amulet). Poole stays far away from polemic and sticks to the facts. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Discount, Discount Code They Poole offers an insight on America's fascination with monsters. Petrocelli presents the charges against the defendants. Conflicting anxieties about race, class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, science, and politics manifest as haunting beings among the populace. Friedrich Nietzsche believed we are the monsters. An interesting and accessible overview of the link between American history and the monsters that fascinate them. More than mere metaphors, they are creations of human fears and human ignorance. Unfortunately, however, the writing just reads as super amateurish and unnatural--to the point where your brain feels exhausted after slogging through only a couple pages. All content on this blog is protected under US copyright by Michelle Shannon. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Select a location to see product availability. Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon, Baylor University Press (January 15, 2014). Poole's examples are well-chosen and well-explicated. on 50-99 accounts. Mary Oliver Essays 10 Prose Selections to Read for Free Online! Finally, in the new section "American Carnage," Poole challenges readers to assess what their own monster tales might be and how our sordid past horrors express themselves in our present cultural anxieties. He states that he knows James King and Osvaldo Cruz, but only casually. She explains that some jurors have decided against him just because he is young and Black, so Steve has to make the jury see him as different from the other defendants. ! His transitions from movie metaphors to American social ills are often strained if not unconvincing. Academic, yet very accessible, I was fascinated by this book, and it holds a very special distinction as the only book I was required to buy for a college class that has earned a permanent place on my bookshelf now that the class is over. ", In 2014 he published _Vampira: Dark Goddess of Horror_ that looked at the life of 1950s horror host Maila Nurmi (a.k.a. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. Name: Kim Hoan Tran Dr. Che 07/08/2019 Summary Paper Summary of Monstrous Beginning In Monster in America written by W. Scott Poole, especially the chapter called "Monstrous Beginnings". Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2012. 1 (1998): 90-102. An unexpected guilty pleasure! Unless specifically stated in the review, I have purchased all books reviewed. What is it that rumbles in the American unconscious that relates to the figures we see on the screen. uniquely brings together history and culture studies to expose the dark obsessions that have helped create our national identity. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends, and Sightings in America. Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. While Poole is an academic his book is anything but dry. Poole's connection of the monster to American history is a kind of Creature Features meets American cultural history. I suppose history could be read into just about any object. In Monsters in America, Scott Poole expertly weaves together folklore, media studies, and some of the more disturbing moments in American history to remind us of the vital roles monsters play in our culture. Call me crazy, but I don't think a historian's role ought to be the reaffirmation of modern feelings of superiority over everyone else who has ever lived. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. That being said, however, if you are a teacher who needs to get a class full of barely literate college freshmen to understand what it means to read / think about things in historical context, Poole's introduction, "The Bloody chords of Memory," is readable and accessible even for a group of resistant and vaguely engaged (at best) 18 year olds. He wrote in his journal. . It is an alternative view of history through something that is not necessarily studied in such depth and over such a long period of time. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past, Monsters in America uniquely brings together history and culture studies to expose the dark obsessions that have helped create our national identity. Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2014. Sex and violence are the recurring themes of the book, but Poole always provides context for why they recur so often. Renews March 11, 2023 Well-written and engaging,Monsters in Americais a must-read for anyone fascinated by history or monsters or both. American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends, and Sightings in America - Kindle edition by Godfrey, Linda S.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. The book is rich in history, pop culture references, and analysis. The author radically departs from the notion that monsters are a metaphor for our fears through the ages. We've quickly looked at a wide variety of Native Cultures across the Americas. Michelangelo Biographies Best Books on the Renaissance Artist! I want to start out by saying that I absolutely love the notion behind this book. Marilynne Robinson 10 Freely Available Essays! Not only do they continue to live in our midst, but, as historian Scott Poole shows, these monsters are an important part of our pasta hideous obsession America cannot seem to escape. Petrocelli also calls an eyewitness, Mrs. Lorelle Henry, to the stand. A.The James River B.The, Which was NOT an attempted reform movement in antebellum Virginia? I feel like three stars is generous for a book that did not bring me any new insights, but it was neither especially good nor especially bad. Poole wants to tell a story and take his readers on a journey, and he definitely does so. He is at home with his parents and his brother Jerry. Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting. Starting with the Puritan era and the fear of witches and ending with the modern-day fascination with the monsters within us, i.e. Lovecraft_. Paperback; 9781481308823; Published: July 2018; $34.99. Instead it's more about the social function of the monsterous and why people believe what they believe and how different folkloric monsters became popular at different times in history. Monsters In America challenges, enlightens, and, quite honestly, frightens in its prescient view of American history, . Monsters in America is an important contribution, and it will be enjoyed by literary and cultural historians alike. This exciting work blends the study of horror films, comic books, religious texts and newspaper accounts of "satanic panics" into a highly readable analysis of the concept of the devil in American cultural history. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! For Professors: Exam Copies. Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. Bram Stoker Award finalist W. Scott Poole is the author of numerous books and articles on monsters and mayhem in popular culture. (And as someone who lives with a history PhD and who briefly pursued graduate studies in history myself, I like to believe that I know from whence I speak.) A.They would back the federal government against another state B.They would support, What issue was at the root of the nullification crisis of 1832, which turned many Virginia Republicans against Andrew Jackson? Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. This book is really good, a look at our monsters in a social conceptional way. Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. All rights reserved. Sometimes it can end up there. The book won the John Cawelti prize from the Popular Culture Association for the best book published in pop culture history for 2011. Howard Thurman Books An Introductory Reading Guide. No historically reflective Christian would disagree with Pooles castigation of wrongdoings by some Americans. The history of the United States offers a chamber of horrors, with clergy transforming the Native American other into demonic beings, mad scientists turning state-funded laboratories into torture chambers, and the photographic revolution of the Victorian era turning toward a morbid fascination with the bodies of the dead and the creation of the category of 'gore.' Monsters in America is W. Scott Pooles interpretive history. Here's where you'll find important quotesfrom Monsterand explanations of them. Wed love to have you back! When, meeting the natives, he saw their way of life as barbaric and uncivilized. Monsters refuse to be cordoned off in only one nationality, ethnicity, religion, or political mindset. He wonders what OBrien saw. The little monsters who come to our doors for candy at Halloween are small reminders of our large problem. Discount, Discount Code Reprinted by permission. Interesting as a surface-level exploration of "Monster Theory". View all A well informed, thoughtful, and indeed frightening angle of vision to a persistent and compelling American desire to be entertained by the grotesque and the horrific. Read the chapter-by-chapter Summary & Analysis, a Full Book Summary, or Full Book Analysis of Monster. Highly recommended." Jenn's Bookshelves "In Monsters in America, Scott Poole expertly weaves together folklore, media studies, and some of the more disturbing moments in American history to remind us of the vital roles monsters play in our culture. Not only is it written in a fun, easy to relate to voice, but it is also chock full of info. It's also a great way of introducing the idea that you can use different lenses/ways of writing to introduce and discuss topics. Why are we scared of this person? is always a question behind each chapter and Poole is careful to never reduce it purely to matters of sociology or psychology while still using those tools of analysis. In 2016, he wrote the Bram Stoker Finalist _In the Mountains of Madness: The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of H.P. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% By the end of the book, Poole cautions that Americas monsters arent going away anytime soon. A must read for fans of horror and monsters! Please try again. If one would like to get into the spirit of monster mania during Halloween, no better place to begin is with the books that generated monster madness: Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and The Island of Dr. Moreau. Which one would you like to know more about and why? Its not a salacious book, either. $24.99 In a nutshell, monsters for Poole are metaphors / stand-ins for whoever is loathed or feared in a certain historical context. I loved this book. Excellent study of the machinery of monsters and their meaning Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! For the record, I'm *not* well versed on the horror genre due to my fear of almost every popular culture monster. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! C. Christopher Smith is the founding editor of The Englewood Review of Books. . For Poole Halloween means more trick than treat; we discover that the monsters are us. Browning's research, including extensive field work in New Orleans, has uncovered a subculture of . Scott - For All Who Hunger - Feature Review, Mattix & Thomas, Eds - Christian Poetry in America Since, Copyright 2023 The Englewood Review of Books. Monsters in America instead should acknowledge monsters exist in every culture, every tribe, every era. Wed love to have you back! But a third interpretive option exists. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. His footnotes have left me with a massive pile of additional books to read. Monsters in America is lively and entertaining throughout. Bloodshed and hatred are universals in human nature and Pooles book is a very unsettling history of its American manifestation. But he also shows that the monstrous can be sympathetic, that it can also be used by the oppressed to speak back to the mainstream. Enter your email address to subscribe to That's What She Read and receive notifications of new posts by email. Social commentary may drive sub-text but money drives the movie. Poole never assumes a 1-1 metaphor, but he does show how common themes (the reemergence of the vampire at different points in American history, for example) are useful shorthand for working through these anxieties. I wasn't ready for the overtly sociological approach of the book, and was expecting a history, as alluded to in the title of the book. Best Bob Dylan Books Biographies, Lyrics, and More! He is the author of several books, including a biography of H.P Lovecraft, which became a Bram Stoker award finalist, and. Monsters in America argues that historical, political and social conditions produce narratives of horror and create "monsters." Choose one of the following periods 1.) Alien invasions prompt the authors apt comment, The otherness of the monster can embody the sum of all fears but also an escape from fear (131). Specifically, he discusses how the stories like "Pocahontas" and "The. Classic Gratitude Poems Joy Harjo, Mary Oliver, MORE. Insightful and brilliant! Learn how your comment data is processed. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Freedman, Jonathan. Dont have an account? Good references in the book that I looked up to further read about horror movies and their importance to our sociological perspective. Anne Bradstreet Poems Five of our Favorites by the Puritan Poet! We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. I had to read this for a class (one I wasn't too stoked about, if I'm being honest) and went into it with a pretty closed mind. "Rue Morgue" magazine called it "the best biography of H.P. Copyright Thats What She Read 2009-2013. Christopher Columbus came to the Americas searching for gold, slaves, and monsters. Historian W. Scott Poole distinguishes himself by focusing on the American context, providing a history told through the personified expressions of our anxieties and fears. Vampira) to explore the history of American sexuality, gender relations and the rebirth of the horror film in post-WW2 America. He argues that our myth of conquering the monster has made us particularly inclined to turn other groups of human beings into monsters and to justify their oppression or domination. The man immediately begins screaming about something hidden in the mist that is attacking and killing people. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Steves lawyer, Kathy OBrien, urges Steve to take his situation seriously because this crime could put him in jail for twenty years or more. Consulting newspaper accounts, archival materials, personal papers, comic books, films, and oral histories, Poole adroitly illustrates how the creation of the monstrous "other" not only reflects society's fears but shapes actual historical behavior and becomes a cultural reminder of inhuman acts. Even fewer scholars do so as adeptly and as entertainingly as W. Scott Poole. Judging from the verbiage, Pooles sub-text for the American monster is conservative-Christian-white-heterosexual-Republican. Martin Luther King, Jr. His Prophetic Faith in 15 Quotes, Important Discipleship and Formation Books A Reading Guide Fall 2020, Frederick Buechner Books An Introductory Reading Guide. A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past. This is such an interesting and compelling about our connection to the monstrous and the monstrous' role in expressing national anxieties in our popular media. Monsters in America Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting.