The book I chose to write about this week, is a collection of short stories compiled by Alfred Hitchcock, “Portraits of Murder”. As I thoroughly enjoy anything to do with Hitchcock, when I saw this book on Amazon for three dollars I jumped at the chance to add it to my collection. Along with this edition I also have “Tales of Terror”, another compilation of stories chosen by Hitchcock himself. “Tales of Terror” was a gift given to me by my brother, as he knew of my love for Hitchcock. I’ve never shuddered so much, while reading a work of fiction as when reading “Tales of Terror”. Each story is wickedly crafted, as the authors spin tales of mysterious people, who at first glance could be the person next door. And, as most of these stories were written in the 60’s, you get a glimpse into the everyday life during that time period. Another cool aspect to these collections. Needless to say, my expectations for this book were high. And, it most definitely did not disappoint.
This particular edition I have of “Portraits of Murder” has a copyright date of 1988 under the publishing company, Galahad Books in New York. I couldn’t find much on Galahad books, besides that it’s based in New York. However I would guess it was probably named for Sir Galahad, a Knight of King Arthur’s round table. Although the book was published in the 80’s the stories were written between the mid-50’s ad the late 70’s. The stories are from various authors, who gave Hitchcock permission to publish their stories once again. Originally these stories were featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, which through research, I discovered is still being published. The magazine was founded in 1956 and is based in New York, although the magazine has changed hands over the years. The premise of the magazine is to share original short stories that discuss crime or mystery fiction. The stories that Hitchcock chose for each of these collections, were some of his favorites from the magazine over the years. The magazine itself has won many awards for mystery, including the “Edgar Award” for best short story.
The book contains 47 short stories spanning over 503 pages. As given away in the title, all the stories are enveloped in murder. When I purchased this book, and took it out of the amazon box, there was a black sleeve. Although at present it seems I’ve misplaced it. At the center of the sleeve is the classic silhouette of Hitchcock he used on his show. The title is printed in white lettering on the top, although the word “murder” is capitalized in green lettering. Without the sleeve, the book has block coloring of black while the spine is a light gray. On the front cover, there are dents in the book. I can’t tell if they’re a fault of my own or whether it came like that. If I had to guess, it was probably me. On the spine in shiny green letters, it reads Alfred Hitchcock, “Portraits of Murder”, with Galahad books written on the very bottom. The bottom edges of the cover are a little tattered. Probably due to the fact that when reading large books, the bottom is usually resting on my stomach or a table. Inside the book, the off-white pages look very new. There are no tatters or folds. I can’t remember if I bought this book used or not, but from the looks of it I’m the first owner. Although it seems like an odd observation, the pages seem thicker than some of the other books I own. Perhaps it speaks to the quality of the materials used to make them. As is my way, I tend not to alter the books I own. I rarely fold over the tops of the page or write along the margins. Although as I’m always drinking coffee, more often than not, there are brown stains covering most ever paper in my possession. This book has evaded by clumsy coffee drinking habits, and is in fairly good condition.
There isn’t much to the book as far as alterations go. Just the occasional tattered edge and the dents on the front cover. But the contents of these pages are haunting and a rather exciting read. It’s also cool for me, to read these stories that Hitchcock hand picked. I may be a little biased, based off of my love for his work, but if the Master of Suspense deems these as worthy, I’ll take his word for it.
The Materials of History, Thought, and Art 
Sam, thanks so much for doing all of this awesome research into the literary realm of Hitchcock’s legacy. A couple semesters ago I took a film studies class which looked at Hitchcock as the “master of terror”, and I find it incredibly interesting to find out that Hitchcock the filmmaker was very much reliant on Hitchcock the reader. I think that the book your brother gave you is a pretty cool object in and of itself. It’s as if reading all of the stories that Hitchcock hand picked himself gives you the privilege of adopting his point of view. The book seems to allow for a deeper understanding of the influences that were important to Hitchcock, and perhaps the individual stories have helped you interpret some of his films a little differently.
I am also pleasantly surprised to know that the magazine Hitchcock started in 1956 is still up and running. I feel as though the publication is a testament to the significance of text in film, or moreover, the capacity for text to directly affect the makers of modern day films.
Your post reminded me of my experience of studying in France in a strange way; I vividly remember visiting the homes and studios of my favorite French artists and looking at their crafted environments as individual reflections of them. Looking at their bookshelves, their kitchenware, their wallpaper, it all seemed to let me get a little bit deeper into the minds of these artists. I feel as if these collections of stories you’ve discussed are also indicative of Hitchcock’s aesthetic interests. If we are to consider Hitchcock as an artist of film momentarily, I believe it’s also important to consider ALL of his artistic influences. I loved your post because it reminds us that “the greats” of art, film, literature, etc. are often borrowing or drawing upon other disciplines for inspiration.