Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - The Hellbound Heart

This book was just meh, wasn’t bad in a way and I’ll probably read the second but I didn’t find it particularly spectacular either. A good read if you’re into body horror but wasn’t particularly scary. Also a good read I think if you have watched or plan to watch the movies as it could be fun to compare the two.

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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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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.

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hearth_hobbit's review

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Rating: 4 Stars - I liked it

Summary: A man named Frank summons sex demons called cenobites to show him the epitome of sadomasochism only to find out he’s bitten off more than he can chew. Frank’s brother, Rory, and his wife Julia move into the house where Frank first summoned the cenobites and accidently summon Frank’s spirit. Before his spiritual banishment, Frank and Julia carried on an affair under Rory’s nose. To become human again, Frank needs humans to feed on and calls on Julia to lure men to him so they can be together again.

What I Liked: For such troubling subject matter, the writing was actually very beautiful. Barker paints a very messed up picture well. The cenobites are such interesting creatures. I want to read the rest of the series just to learn more about them.

What I Didn’t Like: I did not like the characters but they’re definitely not written to be likable, so that is more a point in favor of the story.

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