Rating: 
Summary: Wannabe Screenwriter
Review: After having been introduced to the term "carnivalesque" early on in Horton's book, by page 246, I still hadn't a clue what it actually meant. But maybe I'm just dense.Dense or not, I do expect to understand a term that an author uses throughout his work, when I plunk down good money. I expect a cogent paragraph or two that define the term and then follow it with lots and lots of examples to drive all nuances of its meaning home. Or the opposite. But somewhere I want a clear and succinct definition. I didn't get one. I also found Horton's style a bit on the erudite side. While I thought it might work well as a text within a classroom setting, it didn't cut it as a standalone work, even though the author did try (abysmally, in my educator's opinion) to translate classroom work to self-study. I'm still not clear about most of his points and feel the need for him to stand in front of me and talk. I think I'd get it then. That said, I did begin to germinate seeds for a new character-driven story while reading his book. I even wrote it as a short story to begin getting my hands around the characters and the action. So, I suppose something must have seeped into my subconscious. Maybe even an understanding of "carnivalesque." But I doubt it.
Rating: 
Summary: Syd Field, You Lose
Review: Don't waste any time like I did reading catchy titles like "Writing Screenplays That Sell." If you are serious about writing screenplays, you MUST read "Writing the Character-Centered Screenplay." It is the BEST book out there. It may be difficult to get through, only because it's so thick with good information, but it will give you a solid understanding of how to write great characters. I have serveral books on screenwriting, but this is the only one that has any real value. Sorry Syd.
Rating:
Summary: Syd Field, You Lose
Review: Don't waste any time like I did reading catchy titles like "Writing Screenplays That Sell." If you are serious about writing screenplays, you MUST read "Writing the Character-Centered Screenplay." It is the BEST book out there. It may be difficult to get through, only because it's so thick with good information, but it will give you a solid understanding of how to write great characters. I have serveral books on screenwriting, but this is the only one that has any real value. Sorry Syd.
Rating: 
Summary: A pretty good place to start
Review: Having spent a sizable fortune on "how-to-write" books, I now realize that I need to stop buying these books and just start writing. Having said that, however, I think that Horton's book contains a lot of useful information and is better than most screenwriting books out there.
Whether you like this book probably depends on both your movie preferences and your writing style. If you are more Steven Segal than Woody Allen, then this book is probably not for you. Similarly, if you are a screen writer who meticulously outlines a story, then you should probably take a pass on Horton. If you can follow all those story diagrams in McKee's book, then you will hate this one. This book is the Anti-McKee.
Simply put, Horton view is that the most important part of a story is the development of the character rather than external events. A story should make us identify and empathize with the characters. Consequently, a great screenplay will have that identification and empathy as it's main goal.
The book is often written in a high-handed academic style. Horton is, after all, an academic. This may annoy some readers. For me, it imparted a measure of earnestness. Many of the reviewers had trouble with the "carvivalesque" concept. This could be explained a little more straightforwardly. Basically, it means that character: (i) is not static, but in a state of flux; (ii) is multi-faceted and does not always behave consistently; and (iii) is influenced by its background and evnironment. The first half of the book builds off of these themes.
The one quibble that I had with the book is that some of the exercises are unrealistic. For instance, am I really going to contact an agency to obtain a copy of a little-known short film so that I can review it? Of course not. Neither will you. Only a college professor would make such obscure assignments.
All-in-all, this is a good book to get one started in writing character-centered screenplays. I guess the name says it all.
Rating:
Summary: Tremendous!
Review: Horton's well-thought-out book is more than a simple "how-to," or list of "tricks of the trade," it is an exciting blend of theory and instruction. Building on Aristotle's classic three-sided definition of drama, Horton defines the "character-centered" screenplay and leads the reader through a thought-provoking analysis of the workings of this sub-genre. He goes on to explain structure, give tips and even a writing schedule that is adaptable to the aspiring screenwriter's needs. Critics have long lamented the lack of believable characters in American film; Andrew Horton is doing something about it. For me personally, it redefined how I watch movies.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful!
Review: I couldn't put this book down. If I thought this book was boring (as one reader claims), I wouldn't be able to finish reading it, much less finish it in one sitting! Horton delves into subject matter that every screenwriting class I've taken seems to skip. These classes (mostly plot-centered) teach that the "Hollywood" script should have a theme, but that theme is usually the main character's transformation from one end of the spectrum to the complete opposite. Horton assures us that this does not have to be the case for a well-written, character-centered screenplay. Rather, different aspects of a character appear at different times, under different circumstances, much like real life! In other words, the protagonist does not need to be "transformed" in order to be dimensional. Horton's examples are wonderful and he is inspiring.
Rating:
Summary: Not without some merit, but tedious and uninspiring
Review: I've now read this book twice, hoping I missed the insight on moving a script toward a character driven progression. But what I have had to sadly conclude is Horton's book on the "Character centered screenplay" is more of a college dissertation than a book designed to help the writer develop a character piece. That's not to say the book is completely useless. It has an interesting take on character paradigms, going into deeper than other books might. Horton's ideas on the multiple voices a character might represent can help open up perspectives on how to make a character more rounded without having to blather out more exposition to explain characters. Vogler, McKee (both who's books I highly recommend) don't spend this kind of focus on character dimension... but they weren't writing books solely on character. Horton throws his arms out patting himself on the back with his pontification regarding 'carnivalesque'. The idea might have been interesting in a glancing pass, and attempt at expanding our perspective about characters and their many sides with the allusion towards changing masks and showing different sides of self, but it became an esoteric exercise in proving academic chops. Had it be posed and then left so we could delve more deeply into other topics, it wouldn't have been an issue. But carnivalesque was dropped front and center at indulgent intervals, ending up being distracting and fruitless, the exact opposite of what a book about writing should be about. In the end, 'Character-Centered...' is a flat, uninspiring read. Horton is probably a cerebral person who has spend time dissecting and analyzing films, but little time focusing on the writer's journey of producing a good script. In my meandering through screenplay literature, it is rare to find someone giving you 'hows' instead of 'whats'. "Character Centered..." simply doesn't live up to it's name on the basis of a lack of desire to direct would-be writers to produce character driven material.
Rating:
Summary: Not without some merit, but tedious and uninspiring
Review: I've now read this book twice, hoping I missed the insight on moving a script toward a character driven progression. But what I have had to sadly conclude is Horton's book on the "Character centered screenplay" is more of a college dissertation than a book designed to help the writer develop a character piece. That's not to say the book is completely useless. It has an interesting take on character paradigms, going into deeper than other books might. Horton's ideas on the multiple voices a character might represent can help open up perspectives on how to make a character more rounded without having to blather out more exposition to explain characters. Vogler, McKee (both who's books I highly recommend) don't spend this kind of focus on character dimension... but they weren't writing books solely on character. Horton throws his arms out patting himself on the back with his pontification regarding 'carnivalesque'. The idea might have been interesting in a glancing pass, and attempt at expanding our perspective about characters and their many sides with the allusion towards changing masks and showing different sides of self, but it became an esoteric exercise in proving academic chops. Had it be posed and then left so we could delve more deeply into other topics, it wouldn't have been an issue. But carnivalesque was dropped front and center at indulgent intervals, ending up being distracting and fruitless, the exact opposite of what a book about writing should be about. In the end, 'Character-Centered...' is a flat, uninspiring read. Horton is probably a cerebral person who has spend time dissecting and analyzing films, but little time focusing on the writer's journey of producing a good script. In my meandering through screenplay literature, it is rare to find someone giving you 'hows' instead of 'whats'. "Character Centered..." simply doesn't live up to it's name on the basis of a lack of desire to direct would-be writers to produce character driven material.
Rating: 
Summary: BORing
Review: Luckily, I did not buy this book; I read it while enjoying coffee and cheesecake in a Barnes and Noble (sorry Amazon!). It states the obvious obviously. You'd be better off writing your script and asking your friends for their opinion. To illustrate - do you know the definition for protagonist, antagonist, conflict, drama? I certainly hope so! And do you really need 100 pages to define these terms for you? I certainly hope not! My advice for screenwriters who truly want to understand story is to read "The hero's journey, the mythological structure of storytelling" and Robert McKee's "story." Go to McKee's seminar. Buy some scripts. Download scripts off the Internet. Then buy the software - Final Draft is my personal favorite - and start writing. Let the software worry about how to format - it's all automatic.
Rating:
Summary: Save your money
Review: Save your money. This is by far the worst book on screenwriting and film that I have ever read (and I have a vast library). Frankly, I cannot believe that I finished it. It is very poorly organized and poorly written (the chapters wander off course). Mr. Horton never takes the time to nail down what he means by "carnivalesque" which is the central concept of his book. Also, he takes for granted that the reader shares his tastes in film and television, and so never really takes the time to probe what is truely worthy in his examples or what their shortcomings might be. The University of California usually puts out material of much higher (academic) quality. I cannot believe this book got published and has gone beyond one printing. I give it a star because it does actually have a few saving graces (but not enough to warrant actually buying it). First, there are ample quotes from Luis Bunuel. Second, Horton is right about the excellent character development in Northern Exposure. But the only really valuable thing about this book is a very thorough character development outline that can be very useful in creating a character. However, this character outline is comprised of elements that any serious writer should know about their character anyway. I agree with Robert McKee (in reference to screenwriting books on character) when he asserts that character is not an element that is separate from plot or story because choice and action are what define character.
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