Buy used:
$34.99
Delivery Thursday, December 5
Or fastest delivery Thursday, November 28. Order within 17 hrs 56 mins
Used: Good | Details
Sold by WCRP Reads and Gaming
Fulfilled by Amazon
Condition: Used: Good
Comment: 10-15% Pencil Notes and Underlinings. Good Condition! Has Some Moderate Wear/Use.

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Added to

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Carol J. Clover
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film Paperback – March 22, 1993

by Carol J. Clover (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 47 ratings
See all formats and editions

Do the pleasures of horror movies really begin and end in sadism? So the public discussion of film assumes, and so film theory claims. Carol Clover argues, however, that these films work mainly to engage the viewer in the plight of the victim-hero, who suffers fright but rises to vanquish the forces of oppression.


Clover, a medievalist, had written extensively on the literature and culture of early northern Europe, especially the Old Norse sagas. From her expertise in formulaic narrative grew her interest in contemporary cinema, which is, after all, yet another form of oral storytelling. Men, Women, and Chain Saws investigated the appeal of horror cinema, in particular the phenomenal popularity of those "low" genres that feature female heroes and play to male audiences: slasher, occult, and rape-revenge films. Such genres seem to offer sadistic pleasure to their viewers, and not much else. Clover, however, argued the reverse: that these films are designed to align spectators not with the male tormentor, but with the female tormented--with the suffering, pain, and anguish that the "final girl," as Clover calls the victim-hero, endures before rising, finally, to vanquish her oppressor.


The book has found an avid readership from students of film theory to major Hollywood filmmakers, and the figure of the final girl has been taken up by a wide range of artists, inspiring not just filmmakers but also musicians and poets.

Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    276 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Princeton University Press
  4. Publication date
    March 22, 1993
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0691006202
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0691006208
  8. See all details
Next slide of product details

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Before Men, Women, and Chain Saws, most film critics assumed that horror (especially slasher) films entail a male viewer sadistically watching the plight of a female victim. Carol Clover argues convincingly that both male and female viewers not only identify with the victim, but experience, through the actions of the "final girl," a climactic moment of female power. As the Boston Globe writes, Men, Women, and Chain Saws "challenges simplistic assumptions about the relationship between gender and culture... [Clover] suggests that the 'low tradition' in horror movies possesses positive subversive potential, a space to explore gender ambiguity and transgress traditional boundaries of masculinity and femininity." Be forewarned, though: Clover addresses an academic audience, so her language can be heavy going.

Related title: The Dread of Difference: Gender and the Horror Film by Barry Keith Grant

From Publishers Weekly

Clover contends that contemporary horror films are not simply the misogynist fantasies that critics have made them out to be. Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Princeton University Press; 34791st edition (March 22, 1993)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 276 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0691006202
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0691006208
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 47 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Carol J. Clover

Carol J. Clover

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
47 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book a great, enjoyable read with good information. They also say it's insightful and influential.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
ReadabilityInsight
6 customers mention "Readability"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book great, enjoyable, and entertaining. They also say it's one of the best books of film criticism out there.

"...Overall it is a good read but be warned because a good chunk of this book goes pretty deep down the rabbit hole on the whole Freudian psychoanalysis..." Read more

"Very scholarly but quite enjoyable for the lay person who knows or has seen most of the movies she's writing about...." Read more

"Great book." Read more

"One of the best books of film criticism out there...." Read more

5 customers mention "Insight"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful, diverse in scope, and entertaining. They say it has good information and is scholarly. Readers also mention the analyses are interesting and the book has plenty of relevance today.

"...Clover's analyses are always interesting and her theories about the "Final Girl" are some of the most fascinating I've ever read...." Read more

"As a slasher/horror film junkie, I found this book to be extremely insightful on how gender plays a role in such films...." Read more

"Kind of a dry read, like a term paper would be. But it does have a lot of good information in it, as well as other research in the footnotes...." Read more

"Very scholarly but quite enjoyable for the lay person who knows or has seen most of the movies she's writing about...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Oskar
5.0 out of 5 stars great
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2022
Verified Purchase
Arrived as an promised condition.
Helpful
 Report
Justin Robinson-Prickett
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books of film criticism out there.
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2019
Verified Purchase
If you like horror, read it. If you like film, read it. So brilliant that a decent chunk of the slasher chapter is now just accepted wisdom.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
b
5.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting, Influential Book
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2014
Verified Purchase
If you have any serious interest in studying contemporary horror films then this is a must read. Clover's analyses are always interesting and her theories about the "Final Girl" are some of the most fascinating I've ever read. This book has plenty of relevance today, even if it was written more than a decade ago. Do yourself a favor and give it a look.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Dave B
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read, But A Little Deep
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2021
Verified Purchase
So this was published in the early 90's, it's not dated in the since that some people might think because the peak years for the slasher genre of horror is considered to by between the late-ish 70's to the mid to late 80's. This book does concentrate on the slasher flick more than other types of horror, even though other types are discussed in some detail, like possession and rape-revenge movies. From my understanding it is used in horror theory classes at film schools, I can't actually verify that because I've never been to film school. But according to the ole' Google Box this seems to be true. Overall it is a good read but be warned because a good chunk of this book goes pretty deep down the rabbit hole on the whole Freudian psychoanalysis of the woman's role in horror, specifically the "Final Girl" persona. As well as men's "reality check" that they are more in tune and relatable with the "Final Girl" character and not so much the slasher/killer due to potential latent homosexual or homoerotic fantasies and/or possible Oedipus complex related concerns. But I would only recommend this to a serious fan of the horror genre not the casual watcher of watered down horror movies.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Jeanne Rejaunier
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2018
Verified Purchase
Must have bought this for my son. Yes, I checked. He likes it.
Helpful
 Report
Emily
5.0 out of 5 stars Not damaged
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2014
Verified Purchase
Came in perfect condition. This book is now my favorite book. I needed it for a college paper and it fits perfectly with horror. It breaks down so many horror films, even Alien and Predator.
Helpful
 Report
Patrick Conlan
5.0 out of 5 stars loved it
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2013
Verified Purchase
I'm a huge scarry movie buff and this book really allowed me to really criticize horror films after reading this book. I'm keeping a hold of this book.
Helpful
 Report
Will Caudill
4.0 out of 5 stars Benchmark concept
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2019
Verified Purchase
The source for the concept of the Final Girl. Required reading for scholars of horror.
Helpful
 Report