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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This is my first time reading Clive Barker and looking at other reviews it may not be the best work to judge him on.
There is a lot of gore which doesn't bother me but also doesn't entertain and I feel most of the stories switched too quickly to the absurd. I have always preferred realism so I think maybe this just isn't for me.
I won't be rushing to pick up the next volume but there were aspects that I enjoyed. I liked Barkers writing style and there was a diverse mix of main characters.
There is a lot of gore which doesn't bother me but also doesn't entertain and I feel most of the stories switched too quickly to the absurd. I have always preferred realism so I think maybe this just isn't for me.
I won't be rushing to pick up the next volume but there were aspects that I enjoyed. I liked Barkers writing style and there was a diverse mix of main characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
fast-paced
Wooooh this sat on my book shelf for far too long. After a thorough reading I gotta say that this might be one of the best used bookstore finds ever, with a meager price of $4.50 CAD. Still, it took me almost 6 years to get to it. I read The Thief of Always and loved it; The Hellbound Heart was killer; and theeeen I read Mister B. Gone and was convinced Barker was garbage. Every time I tried to pick up the Books of Blood I'd just keep seeing what I didn't like from Barker's failed foray into hell. It took some time to divest myself of this (that time including a bus crash while reading "The Midnight Meat Train", which didn't help).
But man, what an awesome collection. Each story oozes with sex and violence and dynamics of power, person over person or entity over humanity. It's great. You should definitely read it. I can't wait to read the other three books. Here's my breakdown.
BOOK 1
Probably the most coherent and accessible stories. All of these are good, but not all go the the same extremes that Books 2 and 3 do. Here are my ratings, with an asterisk denoting my favourites.
THE BOOK OF BLOOD 3.5/5
(forgettable but worthy introduction)
THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN 4/5
(CLASSIC)
*THE YATTERING AND JACK 4.5/5
(funny as hell)
PIG BLOOD BLUES 4/5
(kids are spooky)
SEX, DEATH, AND STARSHINE 3.5/5
(mmmmm okay)
*IN THE HILLS, THE CITIES 4/5
(when humanity turns Lovecraftian)
BOOK 2
OooooOoooOooo Book 2 is good baby, definitely my favourite. This is Barker's writing at its best. I think I'm particularly proud of the characters my man created. Ratings follow, asterisk for fav.
DREAD 4/5
(people are evil)
HELL'S EVENT 4/5
(hell is cool)
***JACQUELINE ESS: HER LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT 5/5
(K. I can't do a blurb for all of them, but this is by FAR my favourite story in the collection. It slaps. Please read.)
*THE SKINS OF THE FATHERS 4/5
(Feast, anyone?)
*NEW MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE 4.5/5
(oddly good; strays from the supernatural and moves more to the bizarre and melancholic)
BOOK 3
Ehhhh probably the worst. The stories all start strong but a lot of them fall apart. Still worth a read though; not even close to Mister B. Gone quality. Definitely enjoyable.
SON OF CELLULOID 3.5/5
(starts soooo strong and then exposes far too much)
RAWHEAD REX 3.5/5
(ditto)
CONFESSION OF A (PORNOGRAPHER'S) SHROUD 2.5/5
(written well but the characters and the decision making just don't make sense)
SCAPE-GOATS 3/5
(solid meh)
*HUMAN REMAINS 4/5
(I think one of the best in the whole collection and by far the strongest in Book 3)
Thanks for reading. Let me know what stories you like and I'd love to chat.
But man, what an awesome collection. Each story oozes with sex and violence and dynamics of power, person over person or entity over humanity. It's great. You should definitely read it. I can't wait to read the other three books. Here's my breakdown.
BOOK 1
Probably the most coherent and accessible stories. All of these are good, but not all go the the same extremes that Books 2 and 3 do. Here are my ratings, with an asterisk denoting my favourites.
THE BOOK OF BLOOD 3.5/5
(forgettable but worthy introduction)
THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN 4/5
(CLASSIC)
*THE YATTERING AND JACK 4.5/5
(funny as hell)
PIG BLOOD BLUES 4/5
(kids are spooky)
SEX, DEATH, AND STARSHINE 3.5/5
(mmmmm okay)
*IN THE HILLS, THE CITIES 4/5
(when humanity turns Lovecraftian)
BOOK 2
OooooOoooOooo Book 2 is good baby, definitely my favourite. This is Barker's writing at its best. I think I'm particularly proud of the characters my man created. Ratings follow, asterisk for fav.
DREAD 4/5
(people are evil)
HELL'S EVENT 4/5
(hell is cool)
***JACQUELINE ESS: HER LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT 5/5
(K. I can't do a blurb for all of them, but this is by FAR my favourite story in the collection. It slaps. Please read.)
*THE SKINS OF THE FATHERS 4/5
(Feast, anyone?)
*NEW MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE 4.5/5
(oddly good; strays from the supernatural and moves more to the bizarre and melancholic)
BOOK 3
Ehhhh probably the worst. The stories all start strong but a lot of them fall apart. Still worth a read though; not even close to Mister B. Gone quality. Definitely enjoyable.
SON OF CELLULOID 3.5/5
(starts soooo strong and then exposes far too much)
RAWHEAD REX 3.5/5
(ditto)
CONFESSION OF A (PORNOGRAPHER'S) SHROUD 2.5/5
(written well but the characters and the decision making just don't make sense)
SCAPE-GOATS 3/5
(solid meh)
*HUMAN REMAINS 4/5
(I think one of the best in the whole collection and by far the strongest in Book 3)
Thanks for reading. Let me know what stories you like and I'd love to chat.
I started reading Barker in the hopes of being inspired for my Dark Fantasy WIP. He skillfully leads a reader along his stories by virtue of precise language alone, and the general mood is, well, horrific.
But I just had to accept I’m not a fan of horror as a genre. I’m sure lovers of horror will find some great stories here, but most of it just breaks my suspension of disbelief.
But I just had to accept I’m not a fan of horror as a genre. I’m sure lovers of horror will find some great stories here, but most of it just breaks my suspension of disbelief.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Wow! Barker is the real deal. His horror writings have a realism to them even with the supernatural elements. He takes real human emotions and desires and places them in these terrifying settings. Unsettling and fantastic!
I must say that I was more than excited to read this book. I had been eyeing the book for many years. One, because it was Clive Barker…duh, and two, because it had a creepy, yet extremely cool, cover. I began to get serious about my relationship with this book when I read a review about it on Amazon.com. The review talked about how scary the book was and gave the first story “Midnight Meat Train” a stellar appraisal. I mentioned on my myspace page that I was beginning the book and received numerous exaltations from friends claiming it was a fantastic and terrorizing read.
I began my journey into the Books of Blood in early October, thinking that October was the perfect month for such a frightful endeavor. I read the introduction and was thrilled to learn that Clive Barker is gay. I also learned that this was his initial foray into published writing. Barker was quite young when he wrote these short stories and the book was a risky undertaking for the publishing company.
The three volume set of short stories opens with a somewhat cheesy line about people being books of blood because we are red when we are opened. The first story “Book of Blood” was a clever introduction to the book. This is the story that explains the title and the concept of the books of blood. Okay…I was intrigued and very eager to move on…
“Midnight Meat Train” was next on the agenda. Unfortunately, to my disappointment, I thought the story was…cute. Maybe it is my numbness to horror stories and the fact that everything is so overexposed now. I had to remember that these stories were old. These stories predate pretty much all horror stories out there today. So, I moved on…
It was when I reached the third story “The Yattering and Jack” that I began to lose heart. This story was also…cute. Though it was a little more fun than “Midnight Meat Train” what with the attack turkey and all, it still left me craving scariness and fright. “Pig Blood Blues” was kind of dorky…I mean, a flesh eating pig? Come on…that’s as bad as attack sheep. “Sex, Death, and Starshine” deserves a good nod though. This story was actually fairly interesting and maybe slightly eerie. The last book of volume one “In the Hills, the Cities” was difficult for me to grasp. This story was pretty much strictly blood and gore. Maybe I just have trouble figuring out the mechanics of, and imagining, hundreds of people tying themselves together to create one moving giant. Maybe it’s just me…
The second volume did improve. Maybe Barker began to find his voice and talent with this set of stories. Of course, it did help that the volume started out with “Dread” my absolutely favorite story in the entire book. Though, not a horror story per se, it was definitely psychologically chilling. The entire book is worth owning for this story alone.
We move on to “Hell’s Event” where the characters are literally running for their lives…in a race no less. “Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament” was basically about a woman scorned. However, having the ability to make a man fold in on himself would be a nifty talent to have. “The Skins of the Fathers” makes a person think twice about child abuse. And “New Murders in the Rue Morgue” deserves a read for naught but the remembrance of our beloved Mr. Poe.
Volume three was definitely full of more goodies than the first two. “Son of Celluloid” was a treat to read. Film lovers would enjoy this tale of a haunted movie theater that begins killing its employees. “Rawhead Rex” was delightfully gruesome, neither priest nor child was safe from being ripped to shreds in this account of a nine-foot monster released from its imprisonment by an idiotic farmer. “Confessions of a (Pornographer’s) Shroud” is another story that is a little far fetched for my taste. Can you really take a killer sheet seriously? I sure couldn’t. “Scape-Goats” is certainly worth perusing. Who can pass up a story about fools on a haunted island that leaves you feeling giddy because there is really no hope for any of them? The final story, “Human Remains” brings the book full circle. The first story in these books of blood was about human sacrifice and we end in a similar fashion.
All in all I thought the book was…cute. No other word really describes my take on these stories. But again, maybe I am just numbed to the culture and society in which I have been raised. Not much can scare me any more. Though, when reading these stories (my first venture into short story collections) I tried to remember that these were written before the true horror genre exploded. Clive Barker was one of the innovator’s of the field of terror and these stories were written prior to the publication “Hellbound Heart” and the production of “Hellraiser.” Therefore, I believe that this book is a must read for any lovers of the art of fright if only to pay homage to one of its masterminds.
I began my journey into the Books of Blood in early October, thinking that October was the perfect month for such a frightful endeavor. I read the introduction and was thrilled to learn that Clive Barker is gay. I also learned that this was his initial foray into published writing. Barker was quite young when he wrote these short stories and the book was a risky undertaking for the publishing company.
The three volume set of short stories opens with a somewhat cheesy line about people being books of blood because we are red when we are opened. The first story “Book of Blood” was a clever introduction to the book. This is the story that explains the title and the concept of the books of blood. Okay…I was intrigued and very eager to move on…
“Midnight Meat Train” was next on the agenda. Unfortunately, to my disappointment, I thought the story was…cute. Maybe it is my numbness to horror stories and the fact that everything is so overexposed now. I had to remember that these stories were old. These stories predate pretty much all horror stories out there today. So, I moved on…
It was when I reached the third story “The Yattering and Jack” that I began to lose heart. This story was also…cute. Though it was a little more fun than “Midnight Meat Train” what with the attack turkey and all, it still left me craving scariness and fright. “Pig Blood Blues” was kind of dorky…I mean, a flesh eating pig? Come on…that’s as bad as attack sheep. “Sex, Death, and Starshine” deserves a good nod though. This story was actually fairly interesting and maybe slightly eerie. The last book of volume one “In the Hills, the Cities” was difficult for me to grasp. This story was pretty much strictly blood and gore. Maybe I just have trouble figuring out the mechanics of, and imagining, hundreds of people tying themselves together to create one moving giant. Maybe it’s just me…
The second volume did improve. Maybe Barker began to find his voice and talent with this set of stories. Of course, it did help that the volume started out with “Dread” my absolutely favorite story in the entire book. Though, not a horror story per se, it was definitely psychologically chilling. The entire book is worth owning for this story alone.
We move on to “Hell’s Event” where the characters are literally running for their lives…in a race no less. “Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament” was basically about a woman scorned. However, having the ability to make a man fold in on himself would be a nifty talent to have. “The Skins of the Fathers” makes a person think twice about child abuse. And “New Murders in the Rue Morgue” deserves a read for naught but the remembrance of our beloved Mr. Poe.
Volume three was definitely full of more goodies than the first two. “Son of Celluloid” was a treat to read. Film lovers would enjoy this tale of a haunted movie theater that begins killing its employees. “Rawhead Rex” was delightfully gruesome, neither priest nor child was safe from being ripped to shreds in this account of a nine-foot monster released from its imprisonment by an idiotic farmer. “Confessions of a (Pornographer’s) Shroud” is another story that is a little far fetched for my taste. Can you really take a killer sheet seriously? I sure couldn’t. “Scape-Goats” is certainly worth perusing. Who can pass up a story about fools on a haunted island that leaves you feeling giddy because there is really no hope for any of them? The final story, “Human Remains” brings the book full circle. The first story in these books of blood was about human sacrifice and we end in a similar fashion.
All in all I thought the book was…cute. No other word really describes my take on these stories. But again, maybe I am just numbed to the culture and society in which I have been raised. Not much can scare me any more. Though, when reading these stories (my first venture into short story collections) I tried to remember that these were written before the true horror genre exploded. Clive Barker was one of the innovator’s of the field of terror and these stories were written prior to the publication “Hellbound Heart” and the production of “Hellraiser.” Therefore, I believe that this book is a must read for any lovers of the art of fright if only to pay homage to one of its masterminds.
I only liked half of the short stories. The rest was very lukewarm for me. I was expecting blood and gore and terror but all I got was fake blood and some trick of lights.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced