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sienna_stories's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
prodelgado's review against another edition
2.0
Very disappointing, let's hope Clive Barker pulls his finger out soon.
primalmusic's review against another edition
1.0
I like Clive Barker's work with film and saw this book mentioned on a list of good books about unreliable narrators. How funny then that the recommendation was unreliable. This is simply rubbish.
I can see how this would work better in a cinematic sense. A demon pleads to have his book burnt between the takes of plot. On screen, it would be decent. Here it gets downright obnoxious, made worse by the fact that I read this on a Kindle, thus ruining the conceit. What started out as interesting very quickly became tedious and boring.
I can see how this would work better in a cinematic sense. A demon pleads to have his book burnt between the takes of plot. On screen, it would be decent. Here it gets downright obnoxious, made worse by the fact that I read this on a Kindle, thus ruining the conceit. What started out as interesting very quickly became tedious and boring.
cbrunner11's review against another edition
2.0
Reviewed first at Brunner's Bookshelf
I am always looking for a good Horror novel so i check out my library's online section from time to time to see if there is anything new. I came across this book and though it would be worth a read. As cheesy and gory as they are I love all of the Hellraiser Movies and I enjoyed Barker's Hellbound Heart which is the book those movies are based off.
I grabbed the audio book and was really excited to see it is read by Doug Bradley. Pinhead himself from the Hellraiser movies. I really liked his voice reading this and I am going to look to see if he reads any other audio books.
Well, here is where the excitement ended. I began reading the book knowing very little about the story so I didn't really have any preconceived ideas going into this. The first few chapters are nothing but the Demon who lives in the pages of the book begging, coaxing, and ordering the reader to stop reading right now and burn this book. It got old really fast. When the reader refuses to stop reading we get little bits of Mister B.'s history.
This book is basically a narrative of how this demon was raised through the 9 circles of Hell to our world. How he was a calm curious demon and slowly changed to an angry hateful demon. In between all of these little stories of Mister B's history he yet again orders the reader to stop reading to the point of even threatening to kill the reader if he finishes. As I have written this review it is safe to say that was a veiled threat. When we finally get to the point of how the demon came to be living in these pages I thought it was just a goofy explanation.
I am giving this book 2 out of 5 stars. It wasn't scary or heart pounding at all. It wasn't even as gory and over the top like Hellraiser. I was expecting at least a little creepy facotr considering it is labled as a horror novel and there was none of that. The only thing that keeps this from being a 1 star review for me is the fact that I really enjoyed Doug Bradley's reading of the book. Since I have only read two books by Clive Barker I will safely say this is my least favorite of his books that I have read. This hasn't put me off his work and I will look forward to the next book of his I decide to read.
I am always looking for a good Horror novel so i check out my library's online section from time to time to see if there is anything new. I came across this book and though it would be worth a read. As cheesy and gory as they are I love all of the Hellraiser Movies and I enjoyed Barker's Hellbound Heart which is the book those movies are based off.
I grabbed the audio book and was really excited to see it is read by Doug Bradley. Pinhead himself from the Hellraiser movies. I really liked his voice reading this and I am going to look to see if he reads any other audio books.
Well, here is where the excitement ended. I began reading the book knowing very little about the story so I didn't really have any preconceived ideas going into this. The first few chapters are nothing but the Demon who lives in the pages of the book begging, coaxing, and ordering the reader to stop reading right now and burn this book. It got old really fast. When the reader refuses to stop reading we get little bits of Mister B.'s history.
This book is basically a narrative of how this demon was raised through the 9 circles of Hell to our world. How he was a calm curious demon and slowly changed to an angry hateful demon. In between all of these little stories of Mister B's history he yet again orders the reader to stop reading to the point of even threatening to kill the reader if he finishes. As I have written this review it is safe to say that was a veiled threat. When we finally get to the point of how the demon came to be living in these pages I thought it was just a goofy explanation.
I am giving this book 2 out of 5 stars. It wasn't scary or heart pounding at all. It wasn't even as gory and over the top like Hellraiser. I was expecting at least a little creepy facotr considering it is labled as a horror novel and there was none of that. The only thing that keeps this from being a 1 star review for me is the fact that I really enjoyed Doug Bradley's reading of the book. Since I have only read two books by Clive Barker I will safely say this is my least favorite of his books that I have read. This hasn't put me off his work and I will look forward to the next book of his I decide to read.
judasjake's review against another edition
4.0
Decent. I had read some of the criticism about the narrator's incessant pleas to "burn the book," but I've concluded for myself that the absence of such pleas wouldn't keep continuity with one of the narrator's motivations. Those pleas constitute a meta-plot between the narrator and reader, and then there's the story as it is told. That story is serviceable but seems to take a backseat to the narrator's (and presumably author's) commentary on good, evil, human nature, relationships, psychology, power dynamics, the church, and a number of other things.
I appreciate the unique (at least for me) way the book was written and some of the commentary woven into the story. It wasn't the most engaging read for me, and it definitely isn't for everyone.
I appreciate the unique (at least for me) way the book was written and some of the commentary woven into the story. It wasn't the most engaging read for me, and it definitely isn't for everyone.
blackcatbinx29's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Funny!
motherhorror's review against another edition
DNF
Oh no! *covers my face with my hands* I'm sorry Clive Barker! This just was the wrong book to start with. Someone on bookstagram listed all the books I *should* read of his and then told me "Mister B. Gone is for the birds."
He was right.
UGH.
I just can't with this book anymore. Especially when there are countless books I really wanted to read in October. This was a buddy read with my dear friend, Emily. (book.happy) she managed to finish and I believe she rated it 2 stars. If I were to rate, it would be the same, maybe 1.5
There are no characters to relate to or invest in, there is no plot, really...it's just a discombobulated journey of a demon told in first person narrative and it gets old pretty fast.
Oh no! *covers my face with my hands* I'm sorry Clive Barker! This just was the wrong book to start with. Someone on bookstagram listed all the books I *should* read of his and then told me "Mister B. Gone is for the birds."
He was right.
UGH.
I just can't with this book anymore. Especially when there are countless books I really wanted to read in October. This was a buddy read with my dear friend, Emily. (book.happy) she managed to finish and I believe she rated it 2 stars. If I were to rate, it would be the same, maybe 1.5
There are no characters to relate to or invest in, there is no plot, really...it's just a discombobulated journey of a demon told in first person narrative and it gets old pretty fast.
virgilsinferno's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Fun metafiction in a Good Omens meets Hellraiser way