Storytelling: The Art of Horror
This week I’ve dipped my toe into horror twice. The first by reading Printer’s Devil Court, by the author Susan Hill, and the second by watching the Walking Dead. I do love this genre; such extremes it holds.
So let’s touch on the book.
Printer’s Devil Court is a quaint little ghost story that was quite Dickensian in its telling. A neat little read, easy on my repairing brain, and I suppose in terms of length it must fall into the novella/novelette range. Susan Hill left a lot up to the reader's imagination in her telling, and this is most refreshing. It lets the imagination live and breath.
As a ghost story it was cute; lots of questions and no real answers (which I like) as it keeps you thinking after you've finished. If you're looking for a book that's not taxing but is equally quite interesting then give it a go. I think you'll enjoy it as a bite size read.
I enjoyed it. (3.5*) well deserved stars.
So, feeling warmed by my horror reading session, I was excited by the seventh season of The Walking Dead. Which of our favourite heads did Negan’s vampire bat bite?
I will not tell you...
But I think I’m traumatised for life now.
It is brilliant horror storytelling; both psychological and gruesomely gory in its portrayal. I did sit with mouth open, feeling sick and yet unable to look away. The writers really do not shirk from the horrible or pander to the expected. It is horror of the highest order, brutal in its telling with acting that is quite remarkable.
I loved it ... and hated it. Brilliant – 5*
This season really does promise to be something else.
So I have chewed on the apple of horror on two extremes this week, both entertaining, of the same genre and yet worlds apart. The reason they’re good? They both have a focus on storytelling as a beating heart. Long may it continue.
[With this being a new website, this is a revisit of an older blog post from October 2016; me being excited for the #TWD Season Finale tonight]
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