The Haunted Screen: Ghosts in Literature and Film [Library Binding]

Lee Kovacs (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786406895 | ISBN-13: 978-0786406890 | Publication Date: October 31, 1999

While ghosts often inhabit films and literature devoted to the horror genre, a group of literature-based films from the 1930s and 1940s presents more human and romantic apparitions. These films provide the underpinnings for many of the gentle supernatural films of the 1990s. Tracing the links between specters as diverse as Rex Harrison's Captain Gregg and Patrick Swazye's Sam Wheat, the text presents the evolution of the cinematic-literary ghost from classic Gothic to the psychological, sociological, and political ideologies of today. Included are analyses of the literary and film versions of classic ghost stories-Wuthering Heights, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Portrait of Jennie, Letter from an Unknown Woman, The Uninvited, Liliom, and Our Town-as well as interpretations of modern films not based on literary works that show the influence of these predecessors-Ghost and Truly, Madly, Deeply. The text includes stills, a bibliography, and an index.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Recommended” --Interzone

“[An] eloquently written analysis of ‘the romantic ghost film’" --Video Watchdog --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Writer Lee Kovacs is a member of the National Coalition of Independent Scholars. She holds a degree from the University of Pennsylvania and lives in Philadelphia.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 191 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (October 31, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786406895
• ISBN-13: 978-0786406890
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,773,814 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OK for students of supernatural entertainment, but just, February 23, 2005

By 

Ron "[e-mail]" (Whidbey Island, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Haunted Screen: Ghosts in Literature and Film (Library Binding)

A slim volume that is divided into four sections: The Gothic Ghost ("Wuthering Heights,") The Romantic Ghost ("The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," "The Uninvited," "Portrait of Jennie," "Letter From An Unknown Woman,") The Theater Ghost ("Liliom", "Our Town,") and Contemporary Ghosts ("Ghost" and "Truly, Madly, Deeply.") Those are the only ghostly tales covered in the book. Missing are such classics as "The Haunting of Hill House," "The Innocents" (i.e. "The Turn of the Screw"), and "The Legend of Hell House," among others.

I love ghost stories, and Dorothy Macardle's "The Uninvited" is at the top of my list. But this book did not satisfy me. In fact, I have yet to read some of it. It is not entirely an analysis of the subject or the works covered -- it contains lengthy detailing of basic plot elements and should have the word "SPOILER" stamped in red on the cover. If you have not seen or read the items that Kovaks writes about, you won't have to after you know all the details. (That is why I have not read some sections, since I have yet to see one or two of the works of fiction included in this book.)

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!, July 19, 2000

By 

Lynette Vessels "LV" (Philadelphia,PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Haunted Screen: Ghosts in Literature and Film (Library Binding)

For anyone interested in the adaptation of literature to film this is a must! This book is a collection of classic gothic writintgs tailored for the big screen. Gothic classics such as Wuthering Heights, A Portrait of Jennie, and The Ghost and Mr. Muir are reviewed in context to the unique characteristic of each story. The Haunted Screen: Ghost in Literature and Film examines the intricate aspect of memorable characters in gothic literature and film. This book provides a deeper understanding of romance, obsession and immortatlity.