“The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock” by Donald Spoto – The Birth of a Cinematic Einstein

I’m sure you have heard of the name Alfred Hitchcock before; he incontestably the greatest horror director in cinema’s short history, single-handedly crafting the genre with classics such as
, and countless others. Many call him the grandfather of horror cinema, and I’m sure you can understand why if you are remotely familiar with his movies. If you are familiar with the man himself however, you’ll know that he was a very peculiar man who liked to remain more or less secluded from everyone else. When he received his Oscar, his only words were "Thank You". Doesn't get much more enigmatic than this as far as geniuses go.  

In The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock its author, Donald Spoto, basically attempts to explore and shed some light on the mysterious life of this movie director. Amongst other things, he tries to figure out where Hitchcock developed his obsession with blondes, and more famously, murder. All in all, it is a biography of one of the greatest cinematic geniuses in the history of moving pictures.

The Dark Side of Genius by Donald Spoto (Book cover)
How good of a biography is it? Well, while some people may have given it low ratings, I do not agree with them; in my opinion, it is one of the most well-researched and presented biographies there is. It is obvious that Donald has done his homework, having gathered tons of information which I’m sure even the biggest Hitchcock fans ignored. 

 All the information is presented in a very coherent and comprehensive manner, making for a read that keeps on giving you incentive to read on further; the facts presented have been well-chosen in the sense that you aren't bored with completely trivial and unremarkable information.

All in all, if what you are looking for is a biography that will help you get acquainted with one of cinema’s most revered titans, The Dark Side of Genius is what I recommend for you.


Donald Spoto (Author)

Donald Spoto


Donald Spoto is an American writer and theologian who has dedicated much of his literary work to biographies. Amongst the many fascinating personalities he has written on one can find many film and theater celebrities, including Alfred Hitchcock, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Ingrid Bergman. Some of his other works, such as Diana and The Hidden Jesus, place the focus on historical personalities.



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