The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker
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Book Reviews of The Hellbound Heart
Book Review: ONE OF THE BEST STORIES EVER TOLD
Summary: 5 Stars
THE HELLBOUND HEART
BY CLIVE BARKER
I have to admit from the jump that I did not read the book before the movie sadly {HELLRASIER for those who don't know}, but I did how ever finally get around to it here lately. The book turned to an excellent read and is now one of my all time favorite books, just like the film is one of my favorite movies. At only 164 pages the book is relatively short and is easy to follow, in fact the casual reader who only reads every once in a while could find this to be a very easy short read and still find it to be a entertaining book. For those who have seen the film there isn't much that you missed, in fact it seems like every page from the book made it into the film. Which is great for fans of the films that have been inspired by this book. Clive Barker did an excellent job on this story; in fact I wish he would right another one since he hasn't been active in the series of films. There is really no need to map out the story for you since most people already know that this book is the basis for the first "Hellrasier" movie, and since it pretty much matches the film word for word almost there is really no point. On that note I recommend this book to everybody, even those who haven't seen the movie.
Book Review: Books are always better than the movies
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember watching the 1st Hellraiser for the very first time not long ago. Now to many of you that seems kind of strange, but I'm only 21 and so I had no clue who Clive Barker was or what this story was all about.
After watching the movie I wasn't all that impressed. But I remember noticing that the film was based on a book called The Hellbound Heart, so I went and bought the book and was surprised to see it's small size. I glanced through the first couple of pages and found myself immediately hooked. I couldn't believe how clean and elicit the prose were in this novella. I couldn't stop reading it.
What I learned while reading this novella was this: It is true, that books are better than movies. This book is not only, at times, sickening to the stomach because of the powerful impact of imagery causing some of the most horrifying moments in any story that I have ever read, but also pleasing to the reader's eye because the writing style is just remarkable!
Barker has become one of my favorite writers. He's witty and descriptive; he's clever and dark; he's just great at what he does.
If you happen to get a chance, grab this novella and read it. You won't regret it.
Book Review: "Julia... It's Frank... Blood"
Summary: 5 Stars
From the twisted imagination of Clive Barker comes the chilling inspiration for his film "Hellraiser." The story goes something like this: a sexual adventurer named Frank, in search of new pleasures, obtains a puzzle box said to give him the kind of experiences he desires in a third-world country. He brings it back to his London home and, after a time, solves it, unleashing sadomasochistic demons from Hell known as the Cenobites.Some time later, Frank's brother Rory and his wife Julia move into the house. When Rory's blood drops onto the floor of the attic where the Cenobites took Frank, Frank manages to escape the Cenobites and come back, albeit as a very weak and fleshless creature. When Julia discovers him, he convinces her to lure men into the house and spill their blood so that he can fully come back as a human before the Cenobites track him down and bring him back for good.
While the book is rather short (I read it it one day, actually, but I'm a fast reader), it's endlessly entertaining - I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended, and then after you've read this, watch Hellraiser (if you have a strong stomach). It's just as good as the book.
Book Review: One of the best pieces of horror I've read in years
Summary: 5 Stars
Clive Barker crafted one of the best pieces of modern horror to come along in quite some time with this shocker novella. The Hellbound Heart tells the tale of the human heart and all of it's pain and ecstasy contained within. When Frank solves the puzzle of the Lemarchand box, he discovers the vastness, and the cost, of pleasure and pain. Upon his encounter with otherworldly creatures called the Cenobites, Frank is left as quite a mess to say the least, and when his ex-lover Julia and her husband Rory move in to Frank's old home, that's when we see Barker at his best. Despite the lack of character development and the novel itself is way too short; The Hellbound Heart is some of the most compelling horror stories I have ever read, and it helped cement Barker as one of the genre's true masters. In 1987 Barker would take this story to the big screen (and would also serve as screen writer and director) re-naming it Hellraiser; which would go down as one of the best horror films in the past few decades. All in all, if your into horror literature but have never entered the world of Clive Barker, this is one of the best places to start.Book Review: True horror at its best
Summary: 5 Stars
Even though I have seen the film based on this book several times, the shock caused by the gory, claustrophobic and irreverent narrative was unavoidable. It catches with such a strong grip that you will feel compelled to read and read and deep yourself in the horrible ways of a group of demons, or at least terrible beings, entrapped themselves in an endless pain and suffering world populated only by them and their victims. And, as narrative it is, it contains at least one scene, missed in the movie, that at first I passed without paying too much attention but, as time went by, began to grow in my imagination with a scary, really chilling, result. If you like horror please read this book. If you are a fan of Hellraiser movies, it is a necessity to do so. And if you like to dabble in Crowleyan Magick without the necessary skills, read it as a warning of what can be stored for you for eternity.