The Architecture of Suspense: The Built World in the Films of Alfred Hitchcock (Midcentury: Architecture, Landscape, Urbanism, and Design) Paperback – Import, 30 September 2022

Love the anecdotes and stories behind the backdrops of the Hitchcock films. North by Northwest is one of my favorite films and I have always thought the Mt Rushmore house to be one of the coolest props ever created. It really should exist in real life.

I really wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered this book, but since it combined two of my favorite things - architecture and film - I thought I would give it a try (and Amazon shipped it way before the pub date so I have had it for a few weeks!). I had seen the author speak at an event and she was fascinating and clearly an expert on the subject - and the book really is incredible at unveiling the layered nature of Hitchcock's films. You really will never look at another movie the same way again - I would think this would be utterly invaluable for set designers and anyone who is making a film - but it also is great for anyone who is interested in how the settings and buildings in a movie create mood and also become characters in their own right. Alfred Hitchcock's films absolutely CREATED the language of our modern cinema and this is an essential book for anyone who wants to understand now. Books like this make you think about how art, architecture, history and genius combined to create the definitive art of the 20th Century - and the entire thing is filled with French's obvious love and reverence for the topic. 100% recommended.

I probably come at this from another angle than other readers of this book: I am an architecture nut and have tons of books on that. But recently I have been going down a rabbit hole watching all the films of Alfred Hitchcock and when I saw this book I just couldn’t resist – and I am so glad I didn’t. This book will open you up to the many layers and decisions that go into building the worlds we see in film – and make you think about how those worlds are created. The book walks through the history of all of this – how Hollywood uses experts and professionals from all fields – including architecture – to create moods, reality and suspense; and it’s not just Hitchcock! You can see these themes in the works of Spielberg, Scorcese, and Jordan Peele. The author seems completely in love with this topic – so if you are a Hitchcock fan, an architecture buff or an aspiring film maker – there is something in here for everyone. Now I’m looking forward to going back and watching the Hitchcock films again – with an entirely new perspective!

In addition to being incredibly well researched with many new finds, the author weaves a tale that is engaging and interesting, a rarity in nonfiction books! A MUST READ!

Fascinating book on the architecture of some of the great places in Alfred Hitchcock films. Especially the great modern house near Mt. Rushmore in North by Northwest. Just when you think there is no more good info on AH a book like this comes along.