Evil and the Demonic: A New Theory of Monstrous Behavior [Paperback]

Paul Oppenheimer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0814761968 | ISBN-13: 978-0814761960 | Publication Date: March 1, 1999

The notion of evil- does it exist? what forms does it take? -has always fascinated humankind. The evil underlying such atrocities as the Holocaust, Communist China's Tibetan abattoir, and the murderous ethnic cleansing undertaken by the Serbs and Croats seems beyond explanations or analysis. In this powerfully original work, Oppenheimer analyzes the phenomenon of evil in a mental behavior that emerges in particular conditions. Oppenheimer argues that evil contains specific, predictable ingredients. By understanding its nature, we can diagnose its specific manifestations in mass murder, genocide, and serial killings. Utilizing a variety of cinematic and literary genres in developing its evidence, the book considers such familiar films as The Silence of the Lambs and Brazil, and draws upon such literary works as Richard III, Oedipus the King and the Picture of Dorian Gray. Evil and the Demonic takes a bold first step, providing a framework in which to place the horrors of human existence.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A wild and exuberant romp through the terrain of the monstrous . . . Oppenheimer's lucid explanations are the perfect antidotes to the sordid scenes he recreates."

-American Book Review,

"A masterly and original study of one of the most frightening topics with which human beings have to struggle."

-Literary Review,

"What is compelling, different and page-turning about this impressive book is that the author analyses evil through the medium of films and literature . . . Cinema buffs will find it a fascinating read."

-Evening Standard,

About the Author

Paul Oppenheimer is Professor of Comparative Medieval Literature and English at the City University of New York and Visiting Professor at University College London. He has taught in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, and he is the author of poems and short stories.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: New York University Press (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814761968
• ISBN-13: 978-0814761960
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,042,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read the book!! (not demonically deranged reviews about it), November 25, 2000

By 

Nick Anderson (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Evil and the Demonic: A New Theory of Monstrous Behavior (Paperback)

To begin with, I'd like to say I for one am not an English professor, although I see nothing inherently bad (or in fact evil) in being one. The previous reviewer unfortunately mistook Oppenheimer's blatant genius for tedious pedantry (two words I'm sure he learnt from some professor to whom these terms applied much more closely than to the author at hand), which is a shame because it shows he must've read the book with something else on his (or her?) mind - supper on the stove, an unsolved mystery in his neighbor's life, or ....??? Oppenheimer's book for those who have read it (and I know quite a few, since I keep recommending it and sharing it with people) is a revelatory experience which provides a deep insight not only into the author's intellectual and linguistic abilities (which are both exceedingly stunning to say the least) but also into the nature of (yes, moral) evil. In expounding his theories, the author draws on a mind-boggling array of cinematographic, literary and political sources, which make the book one of the two most convincing books I have ever read. It is written in quite an entertaining style and is a great read even for those who may not be quite so familiar with academic discourse about evil (although it might be better if you first removed the supper from your stove). So, forget other books on evil. If you're only going to read one book this year (or next), get this one. It's worth it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Evil, No theory!, September 19, 2010

By 

Laura Knight-Jadczyk (France) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Evil and the Demonic: A New Theory of Monstrous Behavior (Hardcover)

If you are looking for a "theory of evil", which is what the book promises in the title, forget about it: it's not here. That's not to say that Oppenheimer's discursive review of a whole lot of films is not enlightening, it's just that he just never brings it home.

More than that, the prose is uneven; sometimes it is quite engaging, other times it is choppy and so obscure as to leave the reader saying "say WHAT?!"

The high point of the book, I think, is his discussion of evil vis a vis language. That is a worthy observation.

If you want a serious, scientific, theory of evil, read [ASIN:1897244258 Political Ponerology (A Science on the Nature of Evil Adjusted for Political Purposes)]].

1.0 out of 5 stars 178 pages of text amounting to, to be generous, 10 pages of content, February 7, 2010

By 

M. Milewicz - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Evil and the Demonic: A New Theory of Monstrous Behavior (Hardcover)

This book is one hot mess. What Oppenheimer presents here is a collection of movie reviews with little to no grounding in social, psychological, religious or anthropological study.

The book claims to look at evil as presented through the lens of cinema. Unfortunately, whatever Oppenheimer's credentials, "film critic" is not one of them. For the most part he presents the movies out of their social and historical context, calling on their evocative imagery alone to make his spurious points. In this manner, he picks and chooses his films at random and as they serve him without comparing them to contemporary films that might present contradictory viewpoints.

While I, like Oppenheimer, believe that movies are a window into culture and may provide valuable data for cultural studies, Oppenheimer rarely looks at anything but American and non-Scandanavian European films, collecting a single-minded, Eurocentric picture of destructive anti-social behavior. On top of that, he rambles at length and without direction on each selection, talking more about how the movies make him feel than what information they might provide his thesis.

The latter may be because he doesn't appear to have a thesis beyond "Evil is real." Oppenheimer makes this assumption from the start without providing evidence for it, although he assures us evil "reaches beyond the mundane and ordinarily comprehensible" and "transcends, finally, the easily intelligible."

It's difficult to tell if this is a vacuous definition of evil or a description of his own manuscript.

Ultimately Oppenheimer's failing is that he's enraptured by the aesthetics of the movies he presents as evidence for evil and wholly uninterested in scholarship. In his rambling, sensual fervor he often either makes up morals for the films he's viewing or misses points the films obviously made.

If you're looking for a study on the nature of evil, look elsewhere. If you're looking to study evil in cinema, watch the films yourself.