The Literary Haunted House
Lovecraft, Matheson, King and the Horror in Between
Published on 26. January 2015
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-0-7864-6573-6 (ISBN)
Description
The haunted house of American fiction is an iconic union of setting and theme with an enduring presence in popular culture that traces its lineage to the early English Gothic novels. Blurring the boundaries between past and present, the living and the dead, the haunted house--synonymous with the dark side of domesticity--challenges accepted notions of reality and wields a special power over the reader's imagination.
Focusing on the work of H. P. Lovecraft, Richard Matheson and Stephen King, this critical work offers a fresh perspective on one of the most popular motifs in American fiction. Case studies demonstrate how these authors have kept the past alive while highlighting the complexities of modern society, using their ghostly tales to celebrate and challenge 20th century American history and culture.
Focusing on the work of H. P. Lovecraft, Richard Matheson and Stephen King, this critical work offers a fresh perspective on one of the most popular motifs in American fiction. Case studies demonstrate how these authors have kept the past alive while highlighting the complexities of modern society, using their ghostly tales to celebrate and challenge 20th century American history and culture.
Reviews / Votes
"Janicker presents students, academics, and general-interest readers with a critical investigation of the haunted house as a motif unifying setting and them from its beginnings in early English Gothic novels to its contemporary place in American fiction"-ProtoView.More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Jefferson, NC
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Interest Age: From 18 years
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
notes, bibliography, index
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
371 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7864-6573-6 (9780786465736)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Rebecca Janicker is a senior lecturer in film and media studies at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom.
Content
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction: The Haunted House Motif in Popular American Fiction
One. "The changeless, -legend-haunted city of Arkham": Cosmicism, Regionalism and Liminality in "The Dreams in the Witch House"
Two. "Behind the barricades of silence": Haunted Suburbia in A Stir of Echoes
Three. "A ghost in his life?": The Legacy of the 1950s Marriage in Earthbound
Four. "Protecting the hotel was his job. He was the caretaker": Masculinity, Class and Capitalism in The Shining
Five. "Going places with the Young in Heart": Haunted by Nostalgia and the Past in Christine
Six. "It's my house, isn't it?": Memory, Identity and Haunting in Bag of Bones
Conclusion: Return of the Repressed: The Future of the Haunted House Motif
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction: The Haunted House Motif in Popular American Fiction
One. "The changeless, -legend-haunted city of Arkham": Cosmicism, Regionalism and Liminality in "The Dreams in the Witch House"
Two. "Behind the barricades of silence": Haunted Suburbia in A Stir of Echoes
Three. "A ghost in his life?": The Legacy of the 1950s Marriage in Earthbound
Four. "Protecting the hotel was his job. He was the caretaker": Masculinity, Class and Capitalism in The Shining
Five. "Going places with the Young in Heart": Haunted by Nostalgia and the Past in Christine
Six. "It's my house, isn't it?": Memory, Identity and Haunting in Bag of Bones
Conclusion: Return of the Repressed: The Future of the Haunted House Motif
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index