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dboorn23 's review for:
Books of Blood, Volumes 1-3
by Ramsey Campbell, Clive Barker
Clive Barker has gained a new fan.
I really enjoyed the majority of these short stories. I usually go for lengthier storytelling as I think short stories often struggle to convey enough detail. Somehow Clive Barker can put more detail and humanity into 30 pages than most authors can over 300.
My main issue is that some of the stories didn't go the way I'd hoped. Some just go plain batshit for no reason when they could've been genuinely scary. I'll rate them individually below:
1.1 - The Book of Blood - More of an into to the other 15 but sets the scene well enough 3.5/5
1.2 - Midnight Meat Train - Didn't realise this was a Clive Barker creation. My dad has been banging on about the film for years. I've never seen it but will definitely track in down now. The book is very good 4.5/5
1.3 - The Yattering And Jack - Very funny. Probably the only story in the books that's supposed to be funny. 5/5
1.4 - Pig Blood Blues - General consensus is that people like this one. Didn't click with me, was just a bit of a mess imo. Worth noting however, that the writing style throughout is impeccable and would stop me rating any of these lower than 2. 2/5
1.5 - Sex, Death and Starshine - Again, well written but was a pretty simple zombie/ghost story. Nothing wrong with it, nothing earth-shattering either. 2.5/5
1.6 - In The Hills, The Cities - My favourite of all the stories in the book. Such a bleak but cool, imaginative story. 5/5
2.1 - Dread - Really liked this one. One of those stories that's creepy because it's pretty well grounded in reality. Be interested in watching the movie for this one. 4/5.
2.2 - Hell's Event - Another one that didn't go in the direction that I'd hoped. But a decent enough story. 3/5
2.3 - Jacqueline Ess: Her Will And Testament - Creepy as fuck. The imagery in this one is awesome. 5/5
2.4 - The Skins of the Fathers - Gotta give this one a high score again for the imagery. 4.5/5.
2.5 - New Murders in the Rue Morgue - This is a play on an Edgar Allen Poe story so I''m told. Not familiar with his work apart from the Raven (thanks, The Simpsons) but pretty cool story nonetheless. 3/5
3.1 - Son of Celluloid - Seems to click with others but didn't work for me. Just wanted it to end. 2/5
3.2 - Rawhead Rex - Really liked this one. Creepy, unique monster story. Again, would like to see the film if only to find out why even Clive Barker thinks it's a load of shit. 4/5
3.3 - Confessions of a (Pornographers) Shroud - Liked this one. Didn't love it. A small twist on a standard ghost story. 3.5/5
3.4 - Scape -Goats - This starts pretty good but quickly goes downhill. Quite creepy I guess. Could have done with another ten pages to bulk it out a bit. 3/5.
3.5 - Human Remains - Well written but didn't go in the direction I'd hoped. Just a bit of an odd premise and didn't work for me entirely. 2.5/5
A quick calculation gives me an average rating of 3.59, which I don't believe reflects my overall feeling of the book. I loved it as a whole even when I didn't love the stories because Barkers writing here is just incredible. If anything brings it down slightly, it's book three and I wonder how long these stories were written over because if he bashed 16 out over a short period he may have been low on ideas at that point.
Pick this up, highly recommended.
I really enjoyed the majority of these short stories. I usually go for lengthier storytelling as I think short stories often struggle to convey enough detail. Somehow Clive Barker can put more detail and humanity into 30 pages than most authors can over 300.
My main issue is that some of the stories didn't go the way I'd hoped. Some just go plain batshit for no reason when they could've been genuinely scary. I'll rate them individually below:
1.1 - The Book of Blood - More of an into to the other 15 but sets the scene well enough 3.5/5
1.2 - Midnight Meat Train - Didn't realise this was a Clive Barker creation. My dad has been banging on about the film for years. I've never seen it but will definitely track in down now. The book is very good 4.5/5
1.3 - The Yattering And Jack - Very funny. Probably the only story in the books that's supposed to be funny. 5/5
1.4 - Pig Blood Blues - General consensus is that people like this one. Didn't click with me, was just a bit of a mess imo. Worth noting however, that the writing style throughout is impeccable and would stop me rating any of these lower than 2. 2/5
1.5 - Sex, Death and Starshine - Again, well written but was a pretty simple zombie/ghost story. Nothing wrong with it, nothing earth-shattering either. 2.5/5
1.6 - In The Hills, The Cities - My favourite of all the stories in the book. Such a bleak but cool, imaginative story. 5/5
2.1 - Dread - Really liked this one. One of those stories that's creepy because it's pretty well grounded in reality. Be interested in watching the movie for this one. 4/5.
2.2 - Hell's Event - Another one that didn't go in the direction that I'd hoped. But a decent enough story. 3/5
2.3 - Jacqueline Ess: Her Will And Testament - Creepy as fuck. The imagery in this one is awesome. 5/5
2.4 - The Skins of the Fathers - Gotta give this one a high score again for the imagery. 4.5/5.
2.5 - New Murders in the Rue Morgue - This is a play on an Edgar Allen Poe story so I''m told. Not familiar with his work apart from the Raven (thanks, The Simpsons) but pretty cool story nonetheless. 3/5
3.1 - Son of Celluloid - Seems to click with others but didn't work for me. Just wanted it to end. 2/5
3.2 - Rawhead Rex - Really liked this one. Creepy, unique monster story. Again, would like to see the film if only to find out why even Clive Barker thinks it's a load of shit. 4/5
3.3 - Confessions of a (Pornographers) Shroud - Liked this one. Didn't love it. A small twist on a standard ghost story. 3.5/5
3.4 - Scape -Goats - This starts pretty good but quickly goes downhill. Quite creepy I guess. Could have done with another ten pages to bulk it out a bit. 3/5.
3.5 - Human Remains - Well written but didn't go in the direction I'd hoped. Just a bit of an odd premise and didn't work for me entirely. 2.5/5
A quick calculation gives me an average rating of 3.59, which I don't believe reflects my overall feeling of the book. I loved it as a whole even when I didn't love the stories because Barkers writing here is just incredible. If anything brings it down slightly, it's book three and I wonder how long these stories were written over because if he bashed 16 out over a short period he may have been low on ideas at that point.
Pick this up, highly recommended.