James Whale : A New World of Gods and Monsters

By James Curtis

Book Overview

A biography of the 1930s film director, James Whale, best known for Frankenstein and subsequent horror classics, whose success was short-lived. His career faltered and, being openly homosexual, he found work increasingly hard to get. He eventually committed suicide.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0571192858
• ISBN13: 9780571192854
• Release Date: May 1998
• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Length: 455 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 1.3" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

A Definitive Biography

After seeing the film "Gods and Monsters" I was anxious to read a biography of James Whale. This book by James Curtis certainly fits the bill of a complete biography of its subject. Mr. Curtis was a close friend of David Lewis, who lived with James Whale for several years and saw to it after the director's death that his memory lived on. Mr. Curtis gives us a lot of detail about James Whale's life and I sometimes found...

Great Biography

I bought and read this biography after seeing the film "Gods and Monsters" and reading the novel Father of Frankenstein. I've always been a fan of Hollywood stories--especially from the thirties and forties--and this book gave me tons of interesting information. Whale was quite a character, and I'm glad I got to know him better through this excellent biography.

Early Master of Horror Films-Great Biography!

I grew up enjoying Whale's great films, "Frankenstein," "Invisible Man," & "Bride of Frankenstein." I didn't really know about him until the film "Gods and Monsters." James Curtis' book "Gods and Monsters" is a hard book to put down. It starts with Whale's rough childhood, interest in theater, and break into films. There is a chapter devoted to each of his major films with behind the scene insight. The book gives an honest...

Excellent Bio!

I just finished this book this morning, and I really enjoyed it. Having watched "Gods and Monsters" and read Father of Frankenstein last year, I was eager to learn more about James Whale and his films. This detailed biography offers more than the facts of Whale's life and works: it provides insight into the machinations of the Hollywood of the 1920's and 1930's. Highly recommended by this reader.

DEFINITIVE BIO OF A GREAT ARTIST

James Curtis's biography of James(Jimmy) Whale is completely satisfying as both biography and cinema history. Whale was one of the greatest-and most underrated-directors of all time. Many filmmakers who are widely considered the greatest do not have as many classic films to their credit as Whale. His ouevre is a testament to artistry that seldom exists today. His work, especially "Bride of Frankenstein" and "Showboat",...