Rating: 
Summary: So many errors.
Review: I don't know if it's just my edition, but there are endless, major mistakes stated by King.
The book is split in 2 halfs. The first one is about the history of horror films, and the second half is about horror books. In the film half, King has this Quiz list about horror films. In one place he gives a hint about the film "The Midnight Express," and King hints that he's smuggling some white substance. Did King watch the movie? It isn't horror, and it was hasish that was tried to smuggle. I know this isn't a huge deal but there are endless errors like that.
Like in the book half; he talks about the book "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". And he talks about the first page of the book. It descripes Mr Utterson, who does not seem like a nice guy. R.L. Stevenson writes "...and yet he was somhow lovable." King states "I must admit that, after reading Stevenson's description of Utterson, I found myself curious as to just how he was lovable!" Well, if he was so curious about it, he should have kept on reading the next paragraphs. Did King even bother to read first page of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"? The next pages explain the statement of why he was somehow lovable.
This reminds me of King's recommendation to "Shadowland", By Peter Straub. "It was scary from page one." Or something similar, King states. Well the book is a dark fantasy, and the first chapter is about old friends meeting at a bar and one of the guys does a magic card trick. Did King read that book?
He also talks about the book "something wicked this way comes". By Ray Bradbury. In my edition King says "it is propably his best work." Then some 20-30 pages later he states "eventhough this is not Brabury's best book..." This is not word for word, but it comes down to the same point.
The examples I've just told are only a part of what my edition has. I hope they have fixed it.
I think people tend to judge books by who writes them, instead of how the books truly are. Like one comedian said that getting the status of being funny is hard, but once yo get there it is easy to maintain the status.
Rating:
Summary: Well, it was dry, but I finally finished reading it
Review: A very dry book. I was bored out of my wits (what little I have) trying to complete this book. I finally did and not with complete dissapointment. It was a dull book at many parts, but It was also very interesting at just as many others. If you are a true hard-core horror fan who likes a more in-depth analysis of books and movies of the genre then you may be able to get through this book with some satisfaction. My only advice is don't try to swallow it all at once (I completed it in between readin 5 novels).
Rating: 
Summary: A lot of fun!
Review: And pictures, too! Good ones! King is one of those writers who
has never known when to shut up, but I'll make an exception in the case of this book. It's not only a history of horror/SF--movies, stories and novels--it's also an explanation of what
horror is--order under attack by chaos (King uses a lot of fancy words to describe it, but that's what it really is about). He includes a list of what he considers the best horror films and
novels of all times. Some I had never even heard about, but I
found King was exactly right when I looked them up. Who's ever
heard of Hal Halbrook in a little-known film called "Rituals"? I
hadn't, until I read this book. If you like horror/SF, then
you should definitely read this book. You'll like it, I promise.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book for readers just getting into horror criticism.
Review: As many of the other reviews here imply, whether or not you'll like DANSE MACABRE really depends on how much you're interested in reading what and how people think about literature. Obviously, being a fan of horror stories doesn't mean you like to read about what people think about horror, and from the reviews people wrote here, I'd say they expected to read a Stephen King novel. Still, this seems to me like a good book for people who don't want to get too deep into literary critism but would like to think about horror at another level. The book's best feature is King's breezy readable style. I'm surprised at the people who had a hard time getting through it because it's an extremely readable book. (Again, I can only guess it's because these people don't like this kind of book--they bought it expecting something else). I've used this book in a course I've taught on horror film and fiction, and it's been pretty well received by my students. The drawbacks (if you think of them as drawbacks) are: 1. King has little to say about his own fiction or the many film versions of it. 2. It jumps all over the place. King does have some intersting things to say about novels like FRANKENSTEIN and DRACULA but not all that much. That's fair enough--this book is as much an account of what makes horror interesting for King as it is about the horror genre--but it leaves me wanting more. Good book for someone who's just getting into reading about horror as a genre, but probably less than satisfying to somebody who wants more. I'd actually recommend Twitchell's DREADFUL PLEASURES as a better introduction to horror--but I'd bet people who were bored with this book would also hate that one (even though I think it's quite readable).
Rating:
Summary: Both enjoyable and informative.
Review: As someone just breaking into the horror genre, I found this book a wealth of information on the best horror books and movies in the time period he focused on (1950-1980). Through this book I got into Robert Bloch, Shirly Jackson, Ira Levin, Peter Straub, Richard Matheson and my personal favorite (and incidentilly King's as well), H.P. Lovecraft. The book also provided excellent insight as to how King writes (interresting to me as an aspiring writer, as well as a King fan). I'm not sure how one of the reviewers below was incapable of finishing this book, as I swept through it in a couple of days. Interspersed among the text-like sections (which are quite interresting themselves), are many autobiographical sections giving a view of his childhood and the time before he got "Carrie" published. His voice throughout is accessable and informative, and my interrest never lagged. I've used this book both as a reference and a source of entertainment, and I don't see how you could be disappointed with it.
Rating: 
Summary: Rambling yet user friendly
Review: Back in 1981, when Stephen King was still a horror writer, he wrote this interesting yet lesser known book. Inspired by a series of lectures he gave at the University of Maine, Danse Macabre pretty much covers the impact horror had on King between 1950 and 1980. From radio to TV, from Lovecraft to Straub, King's analysis is written in his straight foward manner. He refers to the medium of radio with great fondness, he bashes TV for destroying creativity, and he is at his most passionate when he talks about the written word. The book also contains a surprising autobiographical edge that takes this work away from being a true essay. King attempts to give us an insight into the man that would eventually become the worlds most successful writer. Although much of what is written here remains relevant today, one can't help but feel this book needed to be written by a much older and wiser Stephen King of today: the plunging quality of horror fiction these past twenty years, the numerous failed film adaptions of his books.....I must admit, there is alot in this book I simply disagree with, but one can't help but admire King's masterful understanding of horror, and he never tires of defending it. In then end, Danse Macabre is a must for any true fan of the genre and your collection isn't complete without it.
Rating:
Summary: Professor King
Review: Danse Macabre is the finest and least known book that King has written. (Evidenced by the 12 lonely reviews in this section.) Do not look for gore; you will not find it. In Danse Macabre you will the educated side of a popular fiction writer. He still has stories to tell, but does so with the organized dicipline of a non-fiction author. He proposes a theory of horror, if there is such a thing, but does so in a way even a computer scientist could understand. You will find new insight into King's fiction and discover how the quality of his writing sets him apart from other horror novelists. Read this book and use it as a checklist for your movies, books, and television. He will not lead you astray.
Rating:
Summary: The psychology of horror - why were you horrified ?
Review: Did you know that the success of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is directly related to the fear of Russian nuclear attack that was prevalent then ? In this work of non-fiction, Stephen King explains how the success of significant and enduring works of horror over the past decade (films and fiction) are directly related to the mass paranoia (Communist plots/spies, nuclear war, economic instability, etc) prevailing at that time. King has also classified the differet elements of horror, and dwelt at length on examples for each. A significant work of literature and psychology. A must-read for all aspiring writers and students of mass psychology
Rating:
Summary: An excellent critical history
Review: Engaging, interesting, opinionated, and well-written, this book provides a fascinating look at the horror genre between 1950 and 1980, focusing heavily on comics, novels, films, and B-movies (and if you don't think there's a difference between films and B-movies, you haven't watched enough creature features). More significantly, though, it provides an intriguing look into why people read horror and what horror says about morality. King's discussion of how horror helps us deal with the Appolonian and Dionysian sides of our own personalities is extremely useful, as is his discussion of how _Dracula_, _Frankenstein_, and _Dr._Jeckyll_and_Mr._Hyde_ provide us with the three basic archetypes that still dominate the horror genre. Don't buy this book expecting a novel because it really is a critical history, but if you have a genuine interest in the horror genre, you owe it to yourself to buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: The Best book on Horror EVER!
Review: For any serious fan of horror, Stephen King's Danse Macabre is an invaluable book, right up there with Lovecraft's Supernatural Horror in Literature. To use a rough analogy, it is as if Hitchcock wrote a book on suspense (actually, Truffaut's interviews with him amount to just that). Some of the negative reviews I've read on this site claim that King is too digressive. Well, it is digressive - the paperback clocks in at just over 400 pages - but Stephen King is not an academic, and he does not write like one. For me, that made this scholarly work all the more readable and enjoyable. (I am a King fan, so my opinion is biased). The stated goal of the book is cover Horror from 1950 to 1980. However, he cannot do this without turning to the horror "heavy-hitters" of literature - Dracula, Frankenstein, and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. According to King, these books define the three archetypes (he calls them "Tarot Cards") of horror - the Vampire, the Thing with No Name, and the Werewolf, respectively. (There is a fourth card for the Ghost or the Bad Place, but that can't be narrowed down to one book.) He discusses movies, books, and television. What is refreshing is how critical King is - even about his own novels. He has bad things to say about a lot of popular works - he will annoy fans of The Exorcist, The Twilight Zone, and other popular books. But, as any lover of horror movies must admit, King opens up about his love of bad movies and even finds nice things to say about the movies, The Amityville Horror and The Prophecy. (I am also shocked about how many nice things he has to say about Stanley Kubrick and The Shining - a film he supposedly doesn't like.) Fortunately, I had read most of the books and seen most of the movies that King discusses. He also provides invaluable appendices for further reading and viewing. What is of tremendous interest is King's analysis of his contemporary writers, who have been so gracious as to discuss their own works with him. Here we find the best commentary ANYWHERE on Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, and Richard Matheson. King also tackles the questions of why we read horror and if it has a deleterious effect on society. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR ANY HORROR/FANTASY/SCI-FI GEEK!!!
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