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niori_1709) wrote2020-10-31 12:23 pm
niori_1709) wrote2020-10-31 12:23 pm
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Book Review: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark- Alvin Schwartz
Halloween is upon us, and with it of course comes our need to find ways to scare ourselves. There are so many wonderfully creepy things to seek out, from horror movies to scary games, each one a bit more frightening because of the season. It’s the perfect time to curl up in bed, blankets pulled up tight, lights bright to chase away any monsters in the shadows, and tell yourself a scary story. Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is one of the best examples to go for.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a collection of twenty-nine of the creepiest short stories aimed at a younger audience that I’ve ever read (and some of the creepiest illustrations aimed at any generation). There are haunted houses, escaped criminals, killers on the loose, magic, the supernatural, and fatal mistakes. One story, The Red Spot, still makes me shudder when I think about it, and I read it years ago. It was my worst childhood fear made real on the page, and it shows just how effective Schwartz’s writing is that it still freaks me out today.
Each story in the book ties into urban legends, the modern-day folklore, that will be familiar to many. Schwartz took some influence from other well-known authors that people have definitely heard of and mixed them into a spookily atmospheric tone that will send shivers down your spine. I have always been fascinated by urban legends, because they are modern day mythology. It tracks the way urbanization and the easy access of culture has influenced the way we tell our society wide stories. We have gone from the epic poems to ‘it happened to a friend of a friend of mine’ and how that reflects on the way the world has changed. This is the kind of thing that gets me excited, but I’m aware that not everyone is a nerd like me. Even if you’re not, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is an excellent read, spooky and close to haunting. It’s a good scare, whether or not you’re doing it for the Halloween season (though I do highly recommend it for then. Just saying).
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a collection of twenty-nine of the creepiest short stories aimed at a younger audience that I’ve ever read (and some of the creepiest illustrations aimed at any generation). There are haunted houses, escaped criminals, killers on the loose, magic, the supernatural, and fatal mistakes. One story, The Red Spot, still makes me shudder when I think about it, and I read it years ago. It was my worst childhood fear made real on the page, and it shows just how effective Schwartz’s writing is that it still freaks me out today.
Each story in the book ties into urban legends, the modern-day folklore, that will be familiar to many. Schwartz took some influence from other well-known authors that people have definitely heard of and mixed them into a spookily atmospheric tone that will send shivers down your spine. I have always been fascinated by urban legends, because they are modern day mythology. It tracks the way urbanization and the easy access of culture has influenced the way we tell our society wide stories. We have gone from the epic poems to ‘it happened to a friend of a friend of mine’ and how that reflects on the way the world has changed. This is the kind of thing that gets me excited, but I’m aware that not everyone is a nerd like me. Even if you’re not, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is an excellent read, spooky and close to haunting. It’s a good scare, whether or not you’re doing it for the Halloween season (though I do highly recommend it for then. Just saying).