American Monsters

By: Adam Jortner, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Adam Jortner

Cackling witches in Puritan communities calling forth Satan. Sea serpents squirming along coasts to snack on bathers. Ape creatures slinking through forests and leaving behind mysterious footprints.

In America, tall tales of monsters walking among us have existed for hundreds of years. Real or fictional, human or inhuman, monsters and other terrors directly reflect the events within American culture. As a society changes, its anxiety changes - and its monsters change as well. Thus, any confrontation with America’s monsters is, in truth, a confrontation with the history of fear in America.

Grab a flashlight and go monster-hunting in the safe company of Adam Jortner, award-winning professor of religion at Auburn University, with the 10 eerie and illuminating episodes of American Monsters. You’ll encounter chilling tales of living houses, sentient plants, psychotic toys, brain-eating zombies, and otherworldly beings whose mere name is enough to drive people insane. Along the way, you’ll learn how monster stories change how Americans think and what Americans do, how they shape the history of our country, and what secrets about human nature these inhuman monsters can share.

American monsters are mythical, but in many ways monster stories are frighteningly real. The most terrifying thing about them: what they reveal about the monsters within us.

©2021 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC.

Less Is More Sometimes

Overall it was good, and I enjoyed the narrator's voice, but it focused too much on race at times.

A good read

Interesting material and great narration. Highly recommend this book for anyone interested in a deep dive into all things monstrous.

Excellent analysis!

Really insightful and enjoyable; sometimes these kinds of things make me roll my eyes, they can feel like they’re trying too hard or reaching for something that isn’t there, but this was GREAT. Reasonable, well-thought-out, spot-on. I loved it.

A great look at the shifting gears of the United States

This was a terrific series of lectures on what has captured and perturbed the American psyche; and how we have created monsters as a “safety value” to deal with uncomfortable topics. I found the pacing, narration, and information to be spot on. I highly recommend everyone listen to it.

Perfect for Horror Fans and Analytical Minds

Absolutely loved this. A great commentary on American monsters from the very founding of the first colonies up to present day movies. What do they mean and what can our fears reveal about our society.