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The Hellbound Heart Clive Barker 9780061002823 Books

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The Hellbound Heart Clive Barker 9780061002823 Books

In his arrogance Frank Cotton opened a door to another world, and became a prisoner of the horrors that ruled there. He watches from his cell as his brother, Rory, moves into the very house where Frank met his end. He has but one chance, Julia, Rory’s wife. With frantic words he reveals how Julia can bring him back, without sparing a thought to the price, or what might follow him.

The opening is one of the strongest I have ever read. Audiences are quickly ushered into a story of addiction, desire, and otherworldly mystery. The writing is incredibly sharp, as artful details paint a picture of horror which could easily invoke disgust, but instead paints a portrait of dark beauty that’s enough to take your breath away.

Then, in the tradition of classic horror, the story shifts to an everyday scene, leaving audiences to wonder when the otherworldly horror will return, and pounce upon these unsuspecting characters. Audiences are treated to a variety of perspectives, including those who will ultimately become the villains of the narrative.

Through their journey the story explores issues of addiction and inurement, echoing that classic quote, “when you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back.” It’s a slow narrative, and at times audiences may grow tired of the repetitive nature of some of the later scenes, but strong writing manages to carry the day, building up tension as the stage is set for a strong, if somewhat abrupt conclusion. All the right questions are left unanswered, giving audiences a good framework from which to imagine their own personal ending to a suspenseful and very well written story.

+Strong Writing
+Strong Scenes
+Strong Perspectives
*Slow, minimalist plot
*Simple Characters

4/5


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The Hellbound Heart Clive Barker 9780061002823 Books Reviews

I wasn't sure what to expect with a Clive Barker novella, to be honest I had seen movies with his name attached and had more often than not been let down. I picked this book up from a paperback swap site and was surprised at how short it was. Although and avid horror fan, I love the Hellraiser film series!

I was pleasantly surprised. Although it is obvious that the original Hellraiser film follows this story almost exactly, the daytime soap opera acting kept the movie from realizing the horror of this book. I found "Hellbound Heart" to be a surprisingly quick read, easy to follow and descriptive enough to see what is being said without being overly wordy. I would have to agree with the other readers that the concept is very Lovecraftian, the style however is very different.

The story follows Frank, a disturbing man who has sought out pleasure of the senses his entire life. Viewed by others as a wastrel, he spends his time committing petty crimes and seeking to fill his lustful desires. He learns of a special puzzle box, which is supposed to open a door to the Cenobites who will show him a new realm of pleasure. Our journey starts as Frank opens the box, meeting the Cenobites and discovering the reality of their being.

What follows is a tale of lust, pain and pleasure. To what lengths will someone to go fulfill their fantasy? What are they willing to believe, to do, and to suffer through? The book is well written and can be taken at just face value as a horror tale. However it also begs to discuss the reality and strength of ones desire and fantasy. With this being one of his first novels, there are some writing flaws to be found throughout the book, but none are distracting enough to jump out at you. My main irritant was not having any background or understanding of the relationship Kristy had with the rest of the characters. At first I assumed her to be a sister, I recalled from the movie she was a daughter, and then finally settled on the idea that she was an old friend of Rory's. Her relationship is never laid out for us. I think knowing that bond would have strengthened her position in the story since she is so vital to the finale. All in all this is a wonderful quick read for any horror fan.
Like many people, I got "The Hellbound Heart" because I was already a fan of "Hellraiser" and wanted to see what Clive Barker's original literary draft was like. If you've seen the movie, you'll already be familiar with what goes on in the book, as the two are surprisingly similar to each other. Libertine Frank obtains a mysterious puzzle box (although here it's in Germany, rather than some nameless Asian country), and unlocks it to open the world of the Cenobites, strange demons who intermingle pain and pleasure together. Frank is trapped in the dark world of the Cenobites, somewhere in his former home. In comes Rory and Julia, Frank's brother and his new wife (whom Frank had engaged in a brief affair with), as they move into Frank's place. Rory spills some of his blood in Frank's room, which gives him an edge away from the Cenobite world. Contacting Julia, Frank convinces her to bring men back to the house for him to kill. Kirstie (who is here Rory's friend, rather than his daughter) is sent to see if Julia is up to something, and encounters not only Frank but his box. If you've seen the movie, you know where it goes from here. If you haven't, going any further would only lead into spoilers. Some of the lines from the movie will be recognized by die-hard fans, including Pinhead's famous "No tears, please - it's a waste of good suffering."

As a work in and of itself, "The Hellbound Heart" is a decent read. It's definitely not like a lot of horror literature despite the violent subject matter, it certainly doesn't read like a lot of the "splatterpunk" you see today, and the demonology is, like in the movie (at least the first one), focused more on reflecting the human characters than having scary monsters running around screaming "BOO!" Much of the detail seems surprisingly limited in the world, especially the world of the Cenobites. What does get shared is interesting, mind you, but how the various parts of it functions (for example, with the Engineer) seem to be told with scanty details. One almost thinks that Clive Barker could have expanded on the world of the Cenobites far more than he did, as the movie's sequels ended up doing (with varying degrees of success). One thing I will say is that the effects of the cube on Kirstie are actually better realized in the story than in the movie in the story, it describes how the Cenobites remain around her, even if only in the shadows, or in her subconscious. She could literally feel the madness surrounding her, even as she left the hospital and was walking around. It was a nice touch that I actually wish had been better captured in the movie. (Before anyone comments... yes, I'm well aware of the limitations of various mediums, I'm not saying this somehow ruins the opinion of the movie for me.) I will admit that Kirstie being Rory's daughter in the movie made her feel more connected to the chain of events, whereas in this story she's literally just a close friend who ends up getting caught up between Frank's little love triangle.

If you're a big "Hellraiser" fan, by all means pick this up. If you want to read horror, but something a little on the lighter side, this will definitely please you as well. I recommend it.
In his arrogance Frank Cotton opened a door to another world, and became a prisoner of the horrors that ruled there. He watches from his cell as his brother, Rory, moves into the very house where Frank met his end. He has but one chance, Julia, Rory’s wife. With frantic words he reveals how Julia can bring him back, without sparing a thought to the price, or what might follow him.

The opening is one of the strongest I have ever read. Audiences are quickly ushered into a story of addiction, desire, and otherworldly mystery. The writing is incredibly sharp, as artful details paint a picture of horror which could easily invoke disgust, but instead paints a portrait of dark beauty that’s enough to take your breath away.

Then, in the tradition of classic horror, the story shifts to an everyday scene, leaving audiences to wonder when the otherworldly horror will return, and pounce upon these unsuspecting characters. Audiences are treated to a variety of perspectives, including those who will ultimately become the villains of the narrative.

Through their journey the story explores issues of addiction and inurement, echoing that classic quote, “when you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back.” It’s a slow narrative, and at times audiences may grow tired of the repetitive nature of some of the later scenes, but strong writing manages to carry the day, building up tension as the stage is set for a strong, if somewhat abrupt conclusion. All the right questions are left unanswered, giving audiences a good framework from which to imagine their own personal ending to a suspenseful and very well written story.

+Strong Writing
+Strong Scenes
+Strong Perspectives
*Slow, minimalist plot
*Simple Characters

4/5