Have you ever wished they were some great novels in existence so that you can again experience the atmosphere or tropes of your favourite films in a literary form? Below are lists of novels that display Hitchcockian, Lynchian and Burtonian trademarks, conveying these directors’ spirit and unique vision. To make these lists more interesting, I have decided not to include novels that became these directors’ films, but highlight others with a similar ambiance or elements.
Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) 🔪
- A great British film director and a true “master of suspense” who built tension in his films through numerous innovative cinematic techniques; notable films include: The Birds, Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, Dial M for Murder, Rope, Spellbound, & Rebecca; some of his cinematic “trademarks” include:
- Ordinary people thrust into mysterious or dangerous situations
- Voyeurism and surveillance
- An innocent man accused
- Characters ending up switching sides
- Mistaken identity
- Single-location settings that increase tension
- A climatic plot twist, etc.
