Reviews with content warning for Gore - The Hellbound Heart

I loved the hellraiser movies and I was very excited to finally read the book it was based on. I really love the details on the cenobites and kirsty’s character, she’s such a bad ass in the book compared to the movie. I also found the differences the movie made to the story interesting though they aren’t very big. Definitely recommend.

Content Warnings

jblago's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Very engaging for how short it is and dripping in macabre style. The creativity on display is also compelling and commendable even through the sort of morbid parts, of which there are plenty.
The plot does feel somewhat predictable even if you haven’t seen the film adaptation but admittedly the general premise is just… cool. The sort of subtle suggestion that there is a larger “lore” is also very tantalizing. The writing is detailed enough and focuses on what I would consider the more interesting parts of a gruesome and uncomfortable story.
Although, as not a big fan of sort of “erotic horror”, and the many possibilities that sub genre can lead to, there were some parts I liked less than other.

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theevictor13's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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saemiligr's review against another edition

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dark tense

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was an amazing read, dark read.

Content Warnings

howaverage's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

blotchedspots's review

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dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I was excited to read this book since it's written by a queer icon and a horror icon, but it's really just disappointing. It's not consistent and the writing is like someone's first attempt to sound unique and *so* good.

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wellreadsquid's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is my first Clive Barker Read. I am a huge fan of the Hellraiser series and I can say with very real honesty, the book is much better.

It will definitely not be for everyone as it deals with very intense subject matters alongside the horror aspect. But I would invite anyone to give it a try!

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