Customer Reviews

Buffy Chronicles : The Unofficial Companion to Buffy the Vampire Slayer

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This book at first seems like one big episode guide but it is way more than that. Although it covers only the first and a half seasons of the series (its been around awhile longer than most other buffy books) it's still a joy to read because it manages to go deeper than just examining the episodes. What makes this book unique, is that you can tell the author really does her homework researching not only the show's engaging characters but the myths and legends upon which all Buffy/Whedon mythology are based on.

Each episode is broken down into a short synopsis, which is basically a summary of the plot, just slightly longer than the blur you would find on your tv guide, and the long version which breaks down the episode with interesting facts. For example, the episode "I Robot, You Jane" has a detailed, insightful discussion of modern day pagans who find themselves comfortable with technology and internet chat rooms, in much the same way as the late Jenny Calendar did. There are also pictures, cast and guest star information, music from the show, bloopers, quotes and philosophies, and 150 fun trivia questions. You can imaging how informative the chapter based on the episode "Halloween" is. As a bonus, the book also boasts of some cool suggestions for what to do about those nagging re-runs and how to play the unofficial Buffy drinking game. It's a good buy.

On the one hand, this really isn't that bad of a companion volume to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series. By the standard of such things "The Buffy Chronicles" is clearly above average. The problem is that "The Watcher's Guide" is THE standard by which all such works should be judged. There are a few things you get from this one that aren't in the "official companion," and a true fan will not mind having both on their shelf. But if you only get one, this ain't it boys and girls.

I bought the Buffy Chronicles with high expectations, and they were met! I loved the pics and I loved the background info more! And who can resist learning what bloopers they made? For example: In the first season finale, Angel said he could not revive Buffy because he had no breath. So what was Spike doing in a later episode smoking? And Angelus had no problem sucking his victim's neck hard enough to get a drag of his/her cigartte. This book was totally worth the money!

If you've ever read a book and immediately given it away, then you know what this book _isn't_. It's not a lot of fluff, so, if that's what you're looking for, go elsewhere. It's not aimed at the lowest common denominator, the crowd satisfied with "Miss Gellar has a dog!" or "Everyone on the show is really cool!" or whatever. It's obviously designed to be read _alongside_ the program itself and it doesn't waste a lot of ink on things that fans already know, like what actually happened in an episode. (Personally, if I see one more episode guide masquerading as a _book_, I'll scream!) Where this book shines is in answering the questions a thinking viewer has left _after_ the show ends on Tuesday night.

What makes "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" different is that it _is_ more than a hack-and-slash vampire show. What makes this book different is that it acknowledges how much more there is to this program than forty-seven minutes of bouncing teen bodies and big teeth.

It's not for everyone, but, for those who want to explore how Whedon's work fits in with the subculture, what separates BtVS from what came before, how brilliantly the show _does_ use an existing format to put across a much larger message, then this book is one you'll want to curl up with again and again.

This has to be my favorite informative Buffy book. It tells about the director, make up artists, and everything you ever wanted to know. It even has a quiz section to test you Buff knowledge.

Genge's book covers the first two seasons of BtVS. For each episode, there is a short description consisting of a few sentences, followed by an essay related (often tangentially) to the episode topic. A few examples:

'The Pack' - The author argues that historically, witches were considered to be satanists, however unfashionable that argument might be today.
'I Robot' - an essay about real-life techopagans and the internet.
'Nightmares' - an essay about out-of-body experiences from the perspective of medical science.
'Some Assembly Required' - about 19th century grave-robbers in Britain.
'Halloween' - The author explains how Halloween, as we know it, actually began in the 1930s in the US!

These essays are often interesting background material. However, readers will be severely disappointed if they're looking for a description of plots, character development, or the symbolism underlying the episodes. An additional difficulty is that the BtVS writers have played fast and loose with historical authenticity (to the extent that monsters have any historical roots at all). Just as Star Trek is a poor vehicle for learning about physics, BtVS does not hold up very well when treated as a documentary about medieval folklore and mythology.

This book is pretty good if you are looking for insight in the actual show such as what happend in this episode but if you're looking for hardcore info on buffy it's not here.I suggest to look at the Scene book on sarah to get more info on the actor.

Finally got to read this after a hectic Christmas - and was it worth waiting for! I have many other series guide but, excuse the pun, there's never much to sink your teeth into. This is a wonderfully rich banquet of information! First of all, it assumes the ready has actually _seen_ the show -- a really nice touch. We don't have to read some steroid-pumped episode guide before getting to new information. There's just enough episode description to jog your memory, then -boom!- onto the original material. And there's such variety here! Film history, bloopers, funny stuff - everything aimed straight at fans who've grown up past the "What's Buffy's favorite color" sort of thing that clogs every second guide-to book out there. Secondly, this book assums a broad viewing audience and delivers a heaping helping of well-reasoned, minutely-researched articles touching on every aspect of the program. I'm a professor of medieval history and I was still floored by the effortless way this author tracked down the perfect examples to illustrate dozens of pieces! An amazing piece of research, seamlessly delivered in an easy, conversational style. My sixteen-year-old daught and my wife are equally delighted with it. Last, it was just bloody funny! Genge has put together a terrific book that not only sends you back to the show with an entirely new appreciation for the original product, but a book that, for many readers, will likely be re-read with pleasure long after the show leaves the airwaves. A rare treat.

UNOFFICIAL is right! Please don't even bother. This book contains nothing that a true Buffy fan doesn't already know. It has no real info on the show and some of the mythology and legends it talks about are in direct contradiction with the show's mythology. If you want an episode guide with lots of extras get the Watcher's Guide.

Finally got to read this one (bless mid-term break, right?!) and just had to say what a terrific job it is. All too often, this type of book is all hype and glitz, like a bunch of magazine articles just condensed and shoved together inside a set of covers. Genge definitely spent some "quality time" on this one. I'm one big time fan, of _Buffy_ and all the other quality vampire stuff out there, and this book still surprised me on every other page with brand new information. I've read lots of "guide-to" books, but this is probably the first that gave me -more- to think about after the show's credits roll. It even makes watching the re-runs fun! Highly recommend this one.