Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
85th out of 103 books
—
34 voters
Danse Macabre
by
Stephen King
Tour of the whole horror genre in books, film, radio, and TV by the most popular writer in the genre today.
Mass Market Paperback, 464 pages
Published
February 15th 1987
by Berkley
(first published April 20th 1981)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
Oct 19, 2007
Gabriel
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone who is curious about the horror genre
When I first picked this up, I had seen the Johnny Depp adaptation of "Secret Window[, Secret Garden]" (the movie cut out the last half of the title) and, though the movie was far from excellent, I realized that there was more to the horror genre and to Stephen King in particular than I had previously thought. This book showed me the light.
Since reading this treatise on the genre, I have started actively seeking out more horror fiction than any other type of fiction and write almost exclusively...more
Since reading this treatise on the genre, I have started actively seeking out more horror fiction than any other type of fiction and write almost exclusively...more
This is my favorite Stephen King book--I've read it considerably more times than any of his other works. I don't think it's any secret what makes this book so enjoyable--it's really what makes all of his books work--his storytelling power. He has such a friendly, compelling narrative voice--it's like he's casually sharing secrets with you, and you can't wait to hear what he has to say next.
It might help to enjoy DANSE MACABRE if you are a horror fiction/film fanatic, but then again, it might ju...more
It might help to enjoy DANSE MACABRE if you are a horror fiction/film fanatic, but then again, it might ju...more
Dec 28, 2008
Alan Scott
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
horror fanatics
This book is truly nothing more than Stephen King riffing sloppily (as hell) about the "horror genre." There is no pretense of scholarship, and it has a folky tone which makes it quite easy to imagine what it must have been like back in the day when King got a twelve pack of beer in him, had smoked a joint, and done enough lines of coke to get him on a never ending jag about "the deal" with the genre: to put it bluntly, its about as tight as "the blob," it's rambling, and it's also somewhat amus...more
5 likes · like · see review
view 1 comment
"This book is only my ramble through that world, through all the worlds of fantasy and horror that have delighted and terrified me….It’s a dance. And sometimes they turn off the lights in this ballroom. But we’ll dance anyway, you and I. Even in the dark. Especially in the dark. May I have the pleasure?" ~Stephen KingI first read Danse Macabre when I was seventeen, and while I gobbled it up, there was a lot that just went right over my head unappreciated at the time. Even though I was well on my...more
This book length essay on the horror genre turned out to be much more entertaining than I expected. Even when writing a nonfiction genre-study, King cannot avoid being King. His goofy sense of humor, absolute frankness, and the occasional crass comment made me feel more like I was having a beer with the guy and discussing books than sitting in a lecture hall. King fans who want to hear where he gets his inspirations from and what authors/films he has taken enjoyment from will get a lot out of th...more
I was in a bookstore in Bangor, Maine looking at all the foreign editions of this book when a teenager mumbled that Danse Macabre is Stephen King's worst book. I beg to differ. This is a nonfiction analysis of the horror genre, both fiction and film, and it was really interesting to me. In fact, I photocopied the suggested reading in the back of the book and worked my way through the lists - it took about five years. I'm sure it's out of date, and that many of the titles he suggests are even har...more
Mar 17, 2013
Deborah Blair
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Horror Genre Buffs who also love the History of Literature
Recommended to Deborah by:
The New York Times Review of Literaure
Shelves:
fantasy-and-horror
If you are a reader of horror, are interested and fascinated by the history of literature - this is a book for you.
From age nine on when my brother Jim and I discovered the old, black and white Horror films staring Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Legosi and others AND the works of Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Brahms Stoker's Dracula, Robert Louis Steven's Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde and others. In the sixties there were a huge amount of Monster and Horror film magazines that we...more
From age nine on when my brother Jim and I discovered the old, black and white Horror films staring Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Legosi and others AND the works of Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Brahms Stoker's Dracula, Robert Louis Steven's Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde and others. In the sixties there were a huge amount of Monster and Horror film magazines that we...more
A meandering book that, despite its length, only manages to scratch the surface of the fantasy/horror genre (though, to his credit, King warns the reader early on that the book will wander and only touch on certain aspects of the genre -- hence the dance implied by the title). Most of the arguments King explores are by no means groundbreaking and will be familiar to anyone who has studied speculative fiction; however, I found his Apollonian/Dionysian dichotomy an intriguing and more colorful ver...more
Кинг написал историко-критический очерк о литературе и кино ужасов 50-70-х годов. Как читателю эта книга была мне скучна, как специалисту - интересна, но... лишь местами. Постоянно создавалось впечатление, что Кинг не в состоянии довести до логического завершения ни одну заявленную тему, ни одну концепцию в этой книге ему не удалось достаточно полно развить.
Грандиозный талант романиста никак не сочетается у Кинга с даром публициста и исследователя. Лучшее, что есть в "Пляске смерти", - несколько...more
Грандиозный талант романиста никак не сочетается у Кинга с даром публициста и исследователя. Лучшее, что есть в "Пляске смерти", - несколько...more
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a history buff. I love the history of just about anything that I don't already know. "Just bring it on" is my motto. So when I read Shock Value a few weeks ago and it recommended Stephen King's Danse Macabre, of course I needed to pick it up.
What is particularly interesting about this book is it's original release date--30 years ago. What this means is that King delved deep into history prior to 1981 in this book, and it was a deep history indeed. I appreciate...more
What is particularly interesting about this book is it's original release date--30 years ago. What this means is that King delved deep into history prior to 1981 in this book, and it was a deep history indeed. I appreciate...more
As someone who does not enjoy horror in general (I scare easily) I still found much to enjoy in Stephen King's exploration of his beloved genre. Even though my experiences with horror as a kid lead me to avoid it for the most part, I really enjoyed and related to his childhood experiences with horror movies and stories. King also posits theories on the different types of horror tales can be broadened well outside the genre. Best of all, he offers a long list of books and films, many of which I'd...more
Jul 28, 2011
Glen Moss
added it
I have been putting off reading this book for somewhere near fifteen years. It is not that I dreaded the task; I just never got around to it. Now, I kind of wish that I did not wait so long to read the book but I will discuss more on this aspect later.
To begin, the book is Stephen King’s analysis on the genre of horror in books, television and film ranging from 1950 until 1980. He even openly admits several times within the text that even attempting this feat would be a daunting task and that h...more
To begin, the book is Stephen King’s analysis on the genre of horror in books, television and film ranging from 1950 until 1980. He even openly admits several times within the text that even attempting this feat would be a daunting task and that h...more
I purchased this book back in the 1980’s when it was first published and I know I thumbed through it occasion but never really read it. In my defense, it was my “baby years” and I did not read much that was not escapism fiction. Okay, okay, I still don’t, but I sneak in some “high-brow” books every once in while now. I came across this title again as an audio download from my library and decided it was time to hear what the horror-master has to say about the horror genre.
The audio book had an up...more
The audio book had an up...more
True Story from a Life in Books:
While working on my Master's degree at the University of Virginia, I took a class on fin de siecle literature. Naturally, one evening, talk turned to the eruption of the gothic mode at the end of the 19th century. As we discussed whether or not Oscar Wilde's fantasies could be considered properly "gothic," I posited that the difference between, say, Wilde's Salome and a true 'gothic' like Castle of Otranto was the locus of the horror. "Stephen King makes a distinc...more
While working on my Master's degree at the University of Virginia, I took a class on fin de siecle literature. Naturally, one evening, talk turned to the eruption of the gothic mode at the end of the 19th century. As we discussed whether or not Oscar Wilde's fantasies could be considered properly "gothic," I posited that the difference between, say, Wilde's Salome and a true 'gothic' like Castle of Otranto was the locus of the horror. "Stephen King makes a distinc...more
Okay. It's difficult to really review a book about the state of horror as a genre when that book was first written back in 1981. With that said, my real issues with the book are not really the book's outdatedness. My big issue is that the book doesn't really seem to make a point and support it. It's more like getting high with one of your favorite writers and then just sitting and listening to him talk.
Some things that crossed my mind as I read this book:
1) It's actually kind of cool to hear St...more
Some things that crossed my mind as I read this book:
1) It's actually kind of cool to hear St...more
3 likes · like · see review
Who better to review a thirty year span of horror films, books, comics, and television than the master of horror himself, Stephen King? His knowledge, and passion alone suffice the prerequisites for the task nonetheless the amount of research and edits he went through to ensure it's accuracy have made this book a fantastic adventure.
After reading his two devout chapters on the horror film; where it started, where it's going, how it got to where it is now, I couldn't help, but wonder why I hadn't...more
After reading his two devout chapters on the horror film; where it started, where it's going, how it got to where it is now, I couldn't help, but wonder why I hadn't...more
King deconstructs the horror genre, and tells you how and why it works - while poking fun at its obvious and humorous shortcomings. The zipper running up the back of the monster suit is both real, and a metaphor showing the power of horror - it still works in spite of these flaws!
The title refers to the subject matter, but reference is also made to a "Macabre", a movie he saw as a kid. He and his friends called it "McBare".
One interesting point that King makes: writers of bad horror movies (a su...more
The title refers to the subject matter, but reference is also made to a "Macabre", a movie he saw as a kid. He and his friends called it "McBare".
One interesting point that King makes: writers of bad horror movies (a su...more
King's a great writer -- as always -- who fills his book with lots of amusing anecdotes. Typical of his work, it starts strong and sort of fizzles out towards the end. Or maybe that's a general fault of survey-style works? It's only loosely focused and starts to feel repetitive after awhile.
Danse Macabre surveys horror film, novels, television, and radio up to 1980, when it was originally written. The strongest segments are about the movies. King loves high art gothic horror as well as the lowe...more
Danse Macabre surveys horror film, novels, television, and radio up to 1980, when it was originally written. The strongest segments are about the movies. King loves high art gothic horror as well as the lowe...more
1 like · like · see review
All in all a rather ridiculous exercise in self love, even though King points out this book is not supposed to be for him to talk about his own books, he *continually* does so.
Hats off to him for knowing, for the most part, where he came from and citing many authors, all better, who came before him.
But a stiff and violent middle finger (what is the opposite of “hats off”?) to the legions of King fans who do not follow his recommendation, therefore rendering just about every name King does cite...more
Hats off to him for knowing, for the most part, where he came from and citing many authors, all better, who came before him.
But a stiff and violent middle finger (what is the opposite of “hats off”?) to the legions of King fans who do not follow his recommendation, therefore rendering just about every name King does cite...more
Per un americano tutto ciò che non è scritto in inglese va ascritto al novero delle curiosità folkloristiche, interessanti solo per la ristretta cerchia degli studiosi appassionati di civiltà remote.
Stephen King, in questo sua informalissima raccolta di saggi sulla letteratura fantastica e dell'orrore, non si sottrae a questo atteggiamento: e infatti traccia il suo percorso prendendo in considerazione solo ed esclusivamente opere di autori inglesi (poche) e americani (la stragrande maggioranza)....more
Stephen King, in questo sua informalissima raccolta di saggi sulla letteratura fantastica e dell'orrore, non si sottrae a questo atteggiamento: e infatti traccia il suo percorso prendendo in considerazione solo ed esclusivamente opere di autori inglesi (poche) e americani (la stragrande maggioranza)....more
I finally had the opportunity to read ‘Danse Macabre.’ My only regret is that I didn’t read it sooner. This is a whale of a book and really does cover the ground in rich, fertile prose both for books and film of the horror genre.
One thing I did notice is that Stephen King is a very opinionated individual. Some of his comments regarding other authors tell me that he’s at the point in his career where he just doesn’t care whether he offends. Fair enough. I still tread lightly around others’ works...more
One thing I did notice is that Stephen King is a very opinionated individual. Some of his comments regarding other authors tell me that he’s at the point in his career where he just doesn’t care whether he offends. Fair enough. I still tread lightly around others’ works...more
Stephen King has definitely become one of my favorite contemporary authors in the last year. I've devoured and LOVED two of his non-fiction books as well, this being one of them. Basically his own personal retrospective of the highlights of the horror genre in literature, film and television between 1950 and 1980 (the year the book was published), as well as the familiar archetypes of the horror genre and an armchair psychology lesson in fear: what makes something scary, and why are people drawn...more
Danse Macabre is different from most of Stephen King's works. It's a work of non-fiction where he discusses the horror genre--from movies to books to radio shows and more--in great length. I was very interested to hear what "The Master of Horror" had to say about the horror genre. I am a huge Stephen King fan, even if I don't care for some of his work. This is very dated so I would suggest making sure you get the newest edition, which includes some new information concerning newer movies and suc...more
This is a fantastic book.
Want to know what aliens and the USSR have in commom, when talking about horror? Read this one.
King goes through the last century or so of horror and terror works of art, and in the process makes you thrill in antecipation to read/watch/get to know them.
The author`s view about horror stories is incredibly dense, but put in a way that the book seems a talk rather than a school/undergrad work.
What trully got me into the book was the psychological approach King uses, trying...more
Want to know what aliens and the USSR have in commom, when talking about horror? Read this one.
King goes through the last century or so of horror and terror works of art, and in the process makes you thrill in antecipation to read/watch/get to know them.
The author`s view about horror stories is incredibly dense, but put in a way that the book seems a talk rather than a school/undergrad work.
What trully got me into the book was the psychological approach King uses, trying...more
Danse Macabre, or as Stephen King eloquently translates: The Waltz with Death. What a vivid and thought provoking title and idea. Every time we read about the macabre, there is a dance of morbid catharsis.
My only complaint about this book is that many of his pop culture references are very outdated. Not to say they aren't valid, I mean that they weren't part of my growing up, and I feel there are many good films out there which would exemplify King's points just as well. I also note that this o...more
My only complaint about this book is that many of his pop culture references are very outdated. Not to say they aren't valid, I mean that they weren't part of my growing up, and I feel there are many good films out there which would exemplify King's points just as well. I also note that this o...more
Książka jest bardzo dobra, to znaczy świetnie się czyta jeśli się lubi (a ja uwielbiam) przedmowy czy posłowie Kinga. Właściwie to jest chyba to co lubię u niego najbardziej... Tak. Jego książki są lepsze lub gorsze, komuś mogą się nie podobać, ale ja lubię jego. Oczywiście można powiedzieć, że się go nie zna, ale jednak po takich właśnie tekstach jak przedmowy czy ta książka, to jednak czegoś tam się dowiadujemy i on... na prawdę mi siebie w dużym stopniu przypomina. No i uwielbiam jego poczuci...more
For a fan of the genre who's always looking for more, or for someone who's interested in horror but isn't sure where to start, this is a must-read. King promises the reader an overview of horror--radio, TV, movie, and print--from the last 30 years (as of 1980), and this is exactly what he delivers. In a casual and knowledgeable tone--though by no means a scholarly or even professional one--he discusses the "purpose" of horror, horror archetypes, how what's scary changes with the times, and descr...more
I had mixed reactions to this non-fiction book. As with all Stephen King books, I liked the writing style (King does an excellent job in making it feel like he's talking to you, rather than talking down to you). I also learned quite a lot about the horror genre from the period that King covers (1950-1980), a period that I had very limited knowledge.
However, I couldn't help but feel disappointed that there isn't an updated version, covering the last 3 decades. Everything here feels mostly outdate...more
However, I couldn't help but feel disappointed that there isn't an updated version, covering the last 3 decades. Everything here feels mostly outdate...more
I have to say, I like this book way more than I've liked almost any of King's fiction. In a clear, conversational style, King basically outlines the basics of horror literature theory, using examples from film, fiction and music to break down what it is that works, and doesn't work in a horror story, why we tell horror stories, and also to examine the moral and ethical elements of the horror story. A must read for anybody looking to write in the genre, and an easy must-read at that. It will insp...more
Love him or hate him, everyone has to admit that Stephen King knows his shit. This book is basically just him rambling on about his own favorites in the extensive and ever varying horror spectrum. I tend to disagree with some of the things he says - he disses Blatty (The Exorcist) for crying out loud!! - but all the same, he proves here that his opinion on what makes good horror is definitely one that you must read if you are either keen on writing your own horror novel, or if you just like to r...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen King Fans: Danse Macabre | 30 | 121 | Jan 31, 2012 12:07pm |
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family...more
More about Stephen King...
Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“We fall from womb to tomb, from one blackness and toward another, remembering little of the one and knowing nothing of the other ... except through faith.”
—
24 people liked it
“we need ghost stories because we, in fact, are the ghosts.”
—
8 people liked it
More quotes…
