Off the Shelf: Monsters and Villains

Time for something a little lighter to read, though it sounds a little heavy with it's stated goal being "a guide to some of the greatest villains and monsters throughout history." (pg. 7)

Monsters and Villains of the Movies and Literature
Gerrie McCall
96 pgs


Okay, this one was not originally my pick, but a book Sang grabbed at the used bookstore some months back that he then forgot he had.  I found it one night when bored and spent an entertaining hour or two reading through the pages and the facts they had, and now I'm going to share with you!

As far as organization, this book is a solid 10.  The contents are exactly what the titles says it will be, and is even split up under subject headings, start with Monsters from the Movies, then Terror in the Library, which moves to Fairy Tales and Fantasy before winding up with Creatures from Myth.  About every two pages, there is a new monster, leading to about 44 in all (leaving some pages for an intro and an index).  Most of the monsters and villains featured will be at least passingly familiar to anyone who does a lot of reading or movie watching, such as Nosferatu, Mr. Hyde, and Medusa, but the selection also varies to ones that almost everyone has heard of, but has probably put little thought into, such as the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz and Rumpelstiltskin, and then to ones that people may have heard of, by may not know the name of, like Imhotep (The Mummy and many movies since) and Grendel (Beowulf).  The book even features the whale, Moby Dick!

Honestly, the book is definitely not a heavy read for an adult, but is still fun.  Each heading features a picture of the villain or monster, with at least four points of interest pointed out and described.  The second page features a short, one-to-two paragraph summary, a map of where in the world the monster or villain will be found, and a short collection of facts.  For an example, on Jason (yes, the Jason of Friday the 13th), one of the points of interest is the machete in his hand, describing it's significance (while I assume most people know, I won't spoil it for those who do not), the paragraph describes some of the various things Jason has gone through in the various movies, as well as his "creation."  Of the facts, I found this one particularly interesting: "Even though Jason is a fictional character, he was awarded MTV's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992." (pg 29)

Overall, this book is definitely a simple read, but still enjoyable.  I would say fans of monsters of all ages would get some pleasure from it, though I think it's mainly marketed toward the elementary-crowd; older readers might find it better to check it out from the library for a quick read rather than dropping cash on it (though I got it for $2, and I definitely it worth that, and collectors of movie monster memorabilia might find it an interesting addition).  Definitely anyone, male or female, can enjoy this, if nothing else than for the facts, like I did.  Sang picked up a second, related book that I may review later, if it's as good as the first, but it just screamed more Halloween to me, so I'm holding off, for now.