Книга Monsterland: A Journey Around the World’s Dark Imagination
Monsters, in all their terrifying glory, have preoccupied humans since we began telling stories. But where did these stories come from?
In Monsterland, award-winning author Nicholas Jubber goes on a journey to discover more about the monsters we’ve invented, lurking in the dark and the wild places of the earth — giants, dragons, ogres, zombies, ghosts, demons — all with one thing in common: their ability to terrify.
His far-ranging adventure takes him across the world. He sits on the thrones of giants in Cornwall, visits the shrine of a beheaded ogre near Kyoto, travels to an eighteenth-century Balkan vampire’s forest dwelling, and paddles among the shapeshifters of the Louisiana bayous. On his travels, he discovers that the stories of the people and places that birthed them are just as fascinating as the creatures themselves.
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‘In his engaging new travelogue, Monsterland, Nicholas Jubber delivers a cast of creatures to make readers shudder — and sometimes smile.’
" - The Times"
‘Captivating … Packed with memorable descriptions and insightful context on stories ranging from Haitian zombies to Balkan vampires.’
" - Geographical"
‘Monsterland fuses travel writing, folklore and history to explore why monsters endure. From Mexico’s wailing La Llorona to Japan’s ogre-like Shuten-dōji, Jubber shows how such tales reflect local fears, desires and moral codes. Evocative and sharply observed, the book argues that monsters are not relics of superstition, but mirrors of collective memory.’
" - Newsweek"
‘Nicholas Jubber has been drawn to the mythical creatures said to inhabit … margins. In this enchanting work, he travels to the shadowlands still haunted by such folk tales … With humour and flair, he probes how monsters register the “emotional states of their epochs” and bind communities together.’
" - The Sydney Morning Herald"
‘Journey through some of the globe’s most haunted and frightening monster lore and the regions from which they hail … Jubber also examines how traditions, people, and communities are bound together by creatures meant to frighten outsiders and teach valuable lessons … Monsterland is a refreshing take on some of the world’s oldest and most shared pieces of monster lore. It’s also a spellbinding look into the histories, landscapes, and beliefs that have shaped the monsters that fill screens, books, and the larger collective imagination.’
" - Southern Review of Books"
‘This wonderful book celebrates monsters from around the world in all their glory, alongside the people and lands they belong to.’
" - LoveReading"
‘He demonstrates, over and again, people’s connection to place and history through their relationships with their monsters … Jubber’s mix of interviews and observations bring to life the people who celebrate these monsters … Monsterland is an entertaining and enlightening read. It’s an immersive contribution to the age-old question of who we are, turning to our monsters to answer it.’
" - Open Forum"
Praise for The Fairy Tellers:
‘Prepare yourself for a wild ride.’
" - The Times"
Praise for The Fairy Tellers:
‘His cornucopia of tellers and tales is a delight, a riveting celebration of a genre that revels in its own hybridity and the imaginative riches produced by the crossing of cultural and literary borders.’
" - Financial Times"
Praise for The Fairy Tellers:
‘Engaging and interesting ... Jubber’s book shows the long-sustained value of these narratives, and should make us wonder what might happen to us if they disappeared from somewhere at the back of our brains.’
" - The Spectator