Ryan P. Doom is a freelance writer and teacher.

"This study of the cinema of Joel and Ethan Coen examines the theme of violence that runs through the brothers’ work via chapters that scrutinize the motives, thoughts, and actions of the principal characters in each of the Coens’ films. In the world depicted in the films, suggests the author, violence always has devastating, unintended consequences on the characters, both for those who live by violence and those who are just bystanders to the violent acts of others. Covering all of the Coens’ films except the most recent (2009’s A Serious Man), this engagingly written book will interest both film scholars and cinema fans." - Reference & Research Book News

• Series ForewordAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Violently Original1 Murder Most Simple: Blood Simple (1985)2 Babies, Bikers, and Buffoons: Raising Arizona (1987)3 The Professional Kill: Miller's Crossing (1990)4 Life of the Imaginary Mind: Barton Fink (1991)5 Reinventing the Circle of Suicide: The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)6 What's the Deal with Greed and Wood Chippers?: Fargo (1996)7 Abiding by Chandler: The Big Lebowski (1998)8 Three Convicts and the KKK: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)9 Cutting Cain's Law: The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)10 Cruel Intentions: Intolerable Cruelty (2003)11 The Killing Joke: The Ladykillers (2004)12 The Unrelenting Country: No Country for Old Men (2007)13 Burning Paranoia: Burn After Reading (2008)NotesFilmographyAcademy Awards and NominationsBibliographyIndex

Ryan P. Doom is a freelance writer and teacher.

"This study of the cinema of Joel and Ethan Coen examines the theme of violence that runs through the brothers’ work via chapters that scrutinize the motives, thoughts, and actions of the principal characters in each of the Coens’ films. In the world depicted in the films, suggests the author, violence always has devastating, unintended consequences on the characters, both for those who live by violence and those who are just bystanders to the violent acts of others. Covering all of the Coens’ films except the most recent (2009’s A Serious Man), this engagingly written book will interest both film scholars and cinema fans." - Reference & Research Book News

• Series ForewordAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Violently Original1 Murder Most Simple: Blood Simple (1985)2 Babies, Bikers, and Buffoons: Raising Arizona (1987)3 The Professional Kill: Miller's Crossing (1990)4 Life of the Imaginary Mind: Barton Fink (1991)5 Reinventing the Circle of Suicide: The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)6 What's the Deal with Greed and Wood Chippers?: Fargo (1996)7 Abiding by Chandler: The Big Lebowski (1998)8 Three Convicts and the KKK: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)9 Cutting Cain's Law: The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)10 Cruel Intentions: Intolerable Cruelty (2003)11 The Killing Joke: The Ladykillers (2004)12 The Unrelenting Country: No Country for Old Men (2007)13 Burning Paranoia: Burn After Reading (2008)NotesFilmographyAcademy Awards and NominationsBibliographyIndex

Ryan P. Doom is a freelance writer and teacher.

"This study of the cinema of Joel and Ethan Coen examines the theme of violence that runs through the brothers’ work via chapters that scrutinize the motives, thoughts, and actions of the principal characters in each of the Coens’ films. In the world depicted in the films, suggests the author, violence always has devastating, unintended consequences on the characters, both for those who live by violence and those who are just bystanders to the violent acts of others. Covering all of the Coens’ films except the most recent (2009’s A Serious Man), this engagingly written book will interest both film scholars and cinema fans." - Reference & Research Book News

• Series ForewordAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Violently Original1 Murder Most Simple: Blood Simple (1985)2 Babies, Bikers, and Buffoons: Raising Arizona (1987)3 The Professional Kill: Miller's Crossing (1990)4 Life of the Imaginary Mind: Barton Fink (1991)5 Reinventing the Circle of Suicide: The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)6 What's the Deal with Greed and Wood Chippers?: Fargo (1996)7 Abiding by Chandler: The Big Lebowski (1998)8 Three Convicts and the KKK: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)9 Cutting Cain's Law: The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)10 Cruel Intentions: Intolerable Cruelty (2003)11 The Killing Joke: The Ladykillers (2004)12 The Unrelenting Country: No Country for Old Men (2007)13 Burning Paranoia: Burn After Reading (2008)NotesFilmographyAcademy Awards and NominationsBibliographyIndex