Oct 19, 2011 (All Things Considered) — Why do gruesome stories draw us in? What is it about tales that chill us that we can't stay away from? Author Bruce Machart doesn't have the answers, but he does have three recommendations of books that explore the depths of human depravity.
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A butcher knife stuck in a book (iStockphoto.com)
Devil In The Details: 3 Artful Tales Of Murder
by Bruce Machart
Oct 19, 2011 (All Things Considered) — Why do gruesome stories draw us in? What is it about tales that chill us that we can't stay away from? Author Bruce Machart doesn't have the answers, but he does have three recommendations of books that explore the depths of human depravity.In 1985, my friend Johnny suffered a tragic loss in a crime that went unsolved until this year. While reporters tell us that justice has finally brought closure, the story endures, and it raises an unsettling question: What compels us toward tales about violence, about murder?
Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that all artful stories humanize us as surely as they humanize their characters. They allow us to transcend crime-scene voyeurism and courtroom media hype, to bear witness to those who survive, after the book is slid back onto the shelf.
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