
The Dark Side of Genius
The Life of Alfred Hitchcock
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.00 for first 30 days
Buy for $25.76
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Jeff Riggenbach
-
By:
-
Donald Spoto
The story of the man who changed people’s relationships with their showers forever, thanks to Psycho, this is the classic, Edgar Award-winning biography of the enigmatic and intensely private Alfred Hitchcock. One of America’s greatest film directors, his suspenseful subject matter ranged from the dark drama of a man possibly trying to kill his wife, to the humorous problem of disposing of a body, to the ecological underpinnings of an attack by fowl fiends in a sleepy harbor town.
Acclaimed biographer Donald Spoto explores the roots of Hitchcock’s obsessions - with food, murder, and idealized love, among others - and traces the origins of his incomparable, bizarre genius, from his childhood and education to the golden years of his career. Based on interviews with his writers, actors, and longtime associates, and on exhaustive research, The Dark Side of Genius is the definitive biography of Alfred Hitchcock.
Donald Spoto is the author of more than 20 books, including best-selling biographies of Alfred Hitchcock, Tennessee Williams, Laurence Olivier, Marlene Dietrich, Ingrid Bergman, and Audrey Hepburn. He lives with his husband, Danish artist and school administrator Ole Flemming Larsen, near Copenhagen, Denmark.
©1983 Donald Spoto (P)1998 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
"Absolutely compulsory reading." (New York Times Book Review)
"A vivid and perceptive portrait…. Knowledgeable and revealing." (Time)
People who viewed this also viewed...


















Hitchcock taps into a subconscious reservoir of human repression, present in the nature of human beings. Spoto illustrates Hitchcock’s genius for translating male’ repression into film; it is there for the entire world to see but, sadly, for few to fully appreciate or care to understand.
ALFRED HITCHCOCK
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Hitch's life and phobias keep you "Spellbound"
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Must Have!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Would you consider the audio edition of The Dark Side of Genius to be better than the print version?
Personally, I prefer the audio edition to print because there were a lot of french words that I would have struggled with had they not been read for me. Also, I could listen to the book during my workouts.What did you like best about this story?
It was fascinating to hear the background that went into Hitchcock's movies including the manipulative ways he climbed the ladder to success. I loved hearing about the way he went to great lengthens to lay out his movies (i.e., story boarding / moving sets). He was not appreciated in his day, (but, who is?) and today other up-and-coming directors have benefited from his struggles.Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I felt the book title was apropos for Hitchcock's personal and lifelong demons he battled. Many things shocked me in this book, but two things stood out. The first was his constant underlying sexual deviance and under-handed dealings with just about everyone, except his wife. Second, when Hitch dangled a severance under the nose of his secretary of 25 years that would not be realized!Any additional comments?
This book was very fascinating, disturbing and yet, I would recommend reading 'til the end. I was sadden to hear how a few events from his early childhood influenced, controlled and fueled much of his life-long struggles. I didn't give this book 5 stars overall because, I could not relate to the stars mentioned during Hitchcock's time as discussed in the book. It was a little hard to gloss over the names of certain writers, directors and actors of that time and not be able to quickly draw on a memory so that I could connect with the situation. However, I did Google them later for a point of reference to see their body of work.EYE OPENING!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Both the “Dark” and “Genius:” Unflinching but Respectful
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I'll still enjoy Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Shado of a Doubt, and Vertigo.
Great, thorough biography
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
GOOD EVENING!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The story itself was not very interesting, seeming to get bogged down in meaningless detail while skipping over the most interesting part (his relationship with Tippi Hedren and its effect on her career). Its tone toward its subject was a little tentative.
I don't think I would purchase another book written by Mr. Spoto in any form.
a boring story
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Negatives: The narrator is very low key, almost robotic. The author belabors some of his over-arching points.
The definitive biography
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Is there anything you would change about this book?
... then this is the book for you. The author seems obsessed with Hitchcock's obesity and is all about "fat shaming" the late director. Unfortunately, much of the book seems to rely on pop psychology rather than facts.What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
The production of the book was interesting. There were often long pauses between sentences when I wouldn't think they should be. Finally, at the end of the book there was a mistake -- a "end of cassette 17" announcement that made me realize that I was hearing the gaps between cassette sides that had never been cleaned up.If you're interested in Hitchcock's weight...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.