Men, Women, and Chain Saws

Gender in the Modern Horror Film

De: Carol J. Clover

Narrado por: Eva Wilhelm

From its first publication in 1992, Men, Women, and Chain Saws has offered a groundbreaking perspective on the creativity and influence of horror cinema since the mid-1970s. Investigating the popularity of the low-budget tradition, Carol Clover looks in particular at slasher, occult, and rape-revenge films. Although such movies have been traditionally understood as offering only sadistic pleasures to their mostly male audiences, Clover demonstrates that they align spectators not with the male tormentor, but with the females tormented - notably the slasher movie's "final girls" - as they endure fear and degradation before rising to save themselves. The lesson was not lost on the mainstream industry, which was soon turning out the formula in well-made thrillers.

Including a new preface by the author, this Princeton Classics edition is a definitive work that has found an avid fanbase from students of film theory to major Hollywood filmmakers.

©1992 Princeton University Press; Preface copyright 2015 by Princeton University Press (P)2021 Tantor

A classic, for good reason

As a lifelong horror fan, this book was an absolute revelation. I’ve always loved horror for being a window into the societal Freudian “id,” but this really put it into a new perspective for me. And it’s always wonderful to read a book that takes the horror genre seriously. It may not always speak solemnly (or respectably), but it’s a genre that has profound things to say.

Rich and insightful

I’m a massive genre fan, and being able to read this seminal work, one which coined the term “final girl”, has been a total joy. The audiobook is well performed by Eva Wilhelm, and includes the latest forward by the author. My only complaints have to do with the facts that a) the chapters in the audiobook do not match up with the physical book at all (when the audiobook metadata says “chapter 6” but the narrator says “chapter 3”, you can see how difficult it would be to sync up the audiobook with the physical book you might be reading in bed) and b) none of the footnotes are read.

Regardless, this is a great way to enrich your knowledge of cinemas least understood genre.

Good reader, decent book

This one was ok. Interesting, but not riveting. I read it on a movie podcast recommendation. It used a lot of psych and movie language I wasn’t super familiar with. I might have liked it better if I liked movies more. It was also frustrating that it was an older book and didn’t reference any newer movies which addressed the book’s arguments.

Brilliant insight and analysis!

The term "final girl" is just the tip of the iceberg in Carol Clover's book.

A must listen for horror fans!

The material here is amazing! It offered insights and takes on horror if never considered before