The world of wonder
Subtitle: on children's lust for terror
By: Gert Jan Bekenkamp
Publisher: Uitgeverij Eburon
Published: 2013
Place of publication: Delft
Language: eng
Number of pages: 546
ISBN-13: 9789059727687
Subjects: Child psychology; Children; Books and reading; Horror tales; Violence in literature; Literature; Psychology; Children's stories; History and criticism
Description: Why do children love spine-chilling stories? Is it not paradoxical to associate enjoyment with creepiness, fear and terror? The subject of this book is the emotional experience of terror in children in response to the reading of children's literature. The empirical research investigates children's immediate responses to stories by authors such as Roald Dahl and Marc De Bel. In addition, it analyses the textual traits of gothic tales for children that provoke terror (mystery, magic, humour), in contrast to horror (fear, anxiety and sadness). The research shows clear differences between the feeling of terror and the emotion of horror, and between the experiences of young and adult readers.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 449-544).