The Reader as Peeping Tom

Exploring the theme of voyeurism, this book delves into the dynamics of nonreciprocal relationships in narrative fiction and film. Jeremy Hawthorn analyzes the works of notable authors and filmmakers, including Hawthorne, Dickens, Melville, Henry James, Hitchcock, Michael Powell, and Francis Ford Coppola, highlighting how their narratives reflect the act of observing characters who remain oblivious to the audience. The examination reveals deeper implications of surveillance and the nature of gazing within storytelling.