Lust for Blood: Why We Are Fascinated by Death, Murder, Horror, and Violence

by Jeffrey A. Kottler

How do we explain the lurid fascination that most people experience when confronted by real or simulated acts of violence, murder, horror, and crime? This is the subject examined in this candid assessment of our dark vicarious thrills. Based on a series of interviews with perpetrators, victims, and "consumers" of violence, including several celebrities, the author of a best-selling book on serial killers explores what there is about this subject that draws such a wide audience. Unlike many other books that attempt to probe the murky psyches of deviant individuals, this book focuses on normal, average people who, despite themselves, enjoy getting close to the most forbidden, perverse side of destruction and evil. The persons interviewed range from homicide detectives and emergency room personnel to a heavyweight boxer and groupies of serial killers on death row. The author considers ideas from a variety of theories and research to explain our responses to violence, raises questions about the shifting line between normal and abnormal, evaluates the confusion and ambivalence that many people feel when witnessing others' suffering, and suggests future trends in society's attitudes toward violence.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology

312 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2010

About the author

Jeffrey A. Kottler is a professor, psychologist, author, consultant, workshop leader, keynote speaker, and social justice advocate who has spent the past 40 years working throughout the world to promote personal and professional development among professionals and marginalized groups. Jeffrey has worked as a teacher, counselor, therapist, and consultant in a variety of settings including a preschool, primary and secondary school, university, mental health center, crisis center, and corporate settings.

Reviews

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there is some interesting information in this book, it's also littered with factual errors and honestly I'm left feeling a bit concerned that the author is supposedly a psychologist given some of the things he thinks it's perfectly normal for people to fantasize about. It was also repetitive and poorly written in general and the author gets a bit off topic at some points. Overall, not worth the time wasted to read it.

[Fishface · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing on a number of different levels. The writing was strikingly clumsy and needed a thorough copyediting, with special attention to the misuse of prepositions. The author did not seem to know what he wanted to do with this book; he spent almost all of it describing different kinds of violent entertainment and exclaiming over the fact that EVEN PRETTY GIRLS really like this stuff. I was pretty disturbed about how almost all his male informants made bland statements like "yes, I really enjoy scary movies," while the aforesaid pretty young girls seem to want to tell him all about how 'wet' they get when they watch a splatter movie or a cage match, and how they carry that exciting memory into the bedroom with their boyfriends. TMI, dude. Especially bearing in mind that every pretty young girl he interviewed for this book apears to be a newly-minted psychologist he is supervising. Boundaries, people! He made a couple of lengthy detours processing the self-destruction of Jason Moss, his co-author on THE LAST VICTIM. Then at the last minute he announced, apparently based on the fact that crime is dropping as violent entertainment is on the rise, that these forms of entertainment appear to reduce violent behavior, not cause it. He did not back this up in any meaningful way. The book was worth it for the grim interviews he did with happy-time folks like Henry Lee Lucas and Rick Ramirez; and fior the citations of other researchers who I may seek out, to see if they did a more careful job backing up their claims than he did.

[August · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really surprised this book got bad reviews. I thought it was deeply interesting and not repetitive at all? I had 20 pages left to read when I gave the book to my friend but I don't think 20 pages could've made this go down to a one star rating. I thought the author was brave in admitting his dark thoughts and discussing his old work partner.

[Cass · Rating 3 out of 5]

eh it was informational and great source material for my essay, but that was it

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book made even more timely by the tragic shooting a couple of weeks ago at the Batman movie. This books often seemed to wander all over the place but managed to do a nice job bringing it all together in the final chapter. Obstacles in understanding this topic were well explained as well as how people react differently to media violence (other than most of us like it whether it's movies, news, or channeled into professional sports such as football, racing, etc.) I would like to read more books by this author as the topics he writes about seem to be things I've wondered about as well.

[Alisa Kester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting content, but I largely disagree with his conclusions. It might be just me, though, since he says (basically) that we like violence and horror because we are fascinated and horrified by the prospect of our own future death, and we are trying to come to terms with the idea of dying. I've never been frightened by the idea of my 'death'. As a Christian, death is merely a doorway, death has no dominion over me or power to hold me. I'm curious about death only because I'm quite excited to begin experiencing the eternity on the other side of it!

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

It felt like this author had enough information for an article rather than a full length book. I was bored by constant repetition of the same phrases. If you don't have new information to add, it is time to end your argument.

[Cev · Rating 2 out of 5]

interesting info, even though it was a bit repetitive. I never finished it, and had to return it to the library. I might check it out again later, but it didn't really hold my attention enough to merit that.

[Erin Tuzuner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terribly written and sloppily organized.

[Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

Offers a few theories almost in passing as to why these things fascinate us, but is more concerned with repeating stories about serial killers. Disappointing.

[Lauren Rosiak · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay. There were some interesting facts but it just went on and on like he liked hearing himself talk. I glanced through most chapters because it just wasn’t that interesting to me.