Overview
Rightly called “the master of suspense,” Alfred Hitchcock created some of the most frightening, yet entertaining, films in the history of cinema. They were also profound personal expressions of his philosophy of life, which he saw as a contest between reality and illusion, order and chaos. In Simply Hitchcock, author David Sterritt traces the legendary director’s remarkable career, exploring how his life and work continually nourished one another, and illuminating his unparalleled ability to create films that were enormously popular and deeply disturbing at the same time.
Description
From Dial M for Murder and Vertigo to North by Northwest, Psycho and The Birds, Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980) made some of the most memorable thrillers in the history of cinema. Acclaimed for both his daring artistic innovations and his irrepressible showmanship, Hitchcock blended suspense, humor, and psychologically unsettling themes to create an extraordinary body of work.
In Simply Hitchcock, author and movie critic David Sterritt explores the celebrated director’s entire career, from its beginnings in the British silent film industry to its glory days in Hollywood. He shows Hitchcock as a consummate artist who dealt with deep existential and psychological issues, as well as a mischievous prankster who loved playing tricks on the audience and never lost a chance to pull a dead rabbit out of a hat.
With wit and erudition, Simply Hitchcock paints a comprehensive portrait of a brilliant and complex man, who not only made indelible films, but also succeeded in establishing himself as the most instantly recognizable movie director of all time.
About the author
David Sterritt is a film professor at Columbia University and the Maryland Institute College of Art. The author of The Films of Alfred Hitchcock (1993), he also serves as the editor of The Quarterly Review of Film and Video and is a contributing writer for Cineaste. His writing on Hitchcock has appeared in Film Quarterly, Film-Philosophy, The Christian Science Monitor and other periodicals, and he serves on the editorial advisory board of the Hitchcock Annual. He recently completed ten years as chair of the National Society of Film Critics.
About the series
Simply Charly's Great Lives Series offers brief, but authoritative introductions to the world's most influential people—scientists, artists, writers, economists, and other historical figures whose contributions have had a meaningful and enduring impact on our society. Each book, presented in an engaging, accessible and entertaining fashion, offers an illuminating look at their works, ideas and personal lives, and the legacies they left behind
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Reviews
"With his customary style and brilliance, David Sterritt neatly unpacks Hitchcock's long career with a sympathetic but sharply observant eye. As one of the cinema's most perceptive critics, Sterritt is uniquely qualified to write this concise and compact volume, which is the best quick overview of Hitchcock's work to date - written with both the cineaste and the general reader in mind. Rich in detail and observation, this is a book that unlocks the hidden terrain of Hitchcock's work, written with the lifetime experience of a master."
—Wheeler Winston Dixon, author of Black and White Cinema: A Short History and Ryan Professor of Film Studies at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln
"The faster the flow of publications on aspects of Hitchcock’s work—specific films and themes and periods—the greater the need for a clear and concise overview of all that he did and of just what has made him into such a central figure. David Sterritt delivers precisely this, in a form that is thoughtful, readable, and cogent: it is an ideal primer on Hitchcock, and full of insights for those who think they know all about him already."
—Charles Barr, author of Vertigo in the BFI Classics series and Emeritus Professor at the University of East Anglia
"Concise, even-handed, and always as enjoyable as it is informative, Simply Hitchcock is the book to have in hand when beginning to explore the vast and often imposing territory of Alfred Hitchcock’s life and works. David Sterritt handles the daunting task of surveying Hitchcock’s career of more than 50 years and more than 50 films elegantly and efficiently. We learn what to watch for—including attractive villains, vulnerable and beleaguered but complexly resourceful women, eroticized murders and murderous intimacies—even as we are advised to expect the unexpected from a filmmaker devoted to showing that the familiar is dangerous and strange. Well attuned to the technical virtuosity of one of cinema’s great stylists and the philosophical depths of one of its great thinkers, Sterritt skillfully prepares his readers for the challenges and delights of Hitchcock’s films, which he patiently demonstrates are evident in not only the acknowledged masterpieces but also in many of his lesser known films that readers of this book should—and undoubtedly will—immediately add to their viewing queue."
—Sidney Gottlieb, Professor of Communication and Media Studies, Sacred Heart University and Co-editor of the Hitchcock Annual
"David Sterritt is widely recognized as one of the most knowledgeable, perceptive, and accessible commentators on Alfred Hitchcock’s career. He makes a convincing case for the charm, technical innovativeness, and often perverse wit of Hitchcock’s films and television shows while, at the same time, not shying away from exploring troubling aspects of his career. Relax with this delightful book and prepare for the illumination and sheer pleasure it delivers."
—William Luhr, author of Thinking About Movies: Watching, Questioning, Enjoying and Professor of English at Saint Peter's University
"For everything you always wanted to know about Alfred Hitchcock, turn to David Sterritt who shares his extensive knowledge of the acclaimed director's life and career in an elegantly concise style. Simply put, this is a great book."
—Jan Olsson, author of Hitchcock à la Carte and Professor in Cinema Studies at Stockholm University
"Do we really need a new book on Hitchcock? David Sterritt shows that we do, as he brings his keen wit and penetrating intelligence to a study of the interconnections of Hitchcock's life and art. Simply Hitchcock is a kind of guidebook on the director's major themes that is both authoritative and fun to read."
—Christopher Sharrett, Professor of Visual and Sound Media at Seton Hall University
"Simply Hitchcock is an incisive introduction to the master’s work. Erudite and accessible, Sterritt provides not only an overview of the career but vivid snapshots of the individual movies. The best way to read this book is alongside Hitchcock’s films: watch one or two, referring to Sterritt’s illuminating historical context as well as close analysis. Hitchcock set the standard for suspense, and this book helps us understand the reasons for his enduring impact."
—Annette Insdorf, author of Francois Truffaut and Professor of the Graduate Film Program & Director of Undergraduate Film Studies at Columbia University
Genre:
NonfictionSubgenre:
Biography, FilmLanguage:
EnglishISBN (eBook):
978-1-943657-29-2ISBN (Print):
978-1-943657-17-9Publisher:
Simply CharlyPublish-Date:
August 13, 2017Edition Number:
1Available for sale on
