i've read all of Barkers books except for Galilee, Sacrament and Coldheart Canyon, i like to know how they compare to his other work.

At one time i started to read Sacrament but just couldn't get into it, i don't even remember what it was about except that it was nothing like the others, i think.

So, should i give them a try or not waste my time?

I had the same problem with Galilee.

Bought it in 1998 and it's still got the bookmark on page 144, just couldn't get into it.

Might give it another try after i've read The Hobbit.

Haven't read the others.

I haven't rated his work much since Damnation Game - but then I though Damnation Game was horror prose at its finest - sheer poetry at times... After that his work turned more to fantasy and I've never found fantasy to hold my attention... I ploughed through Imajica but that was more because by the time I realised I really wasn't enjoying it I'd already sacrificed too much of my time to just give up!

 

Gon't get me wrong, he's a fine writer but as his style has evolved it's moved out of my range of readability... To horror fans I say read his Books of Blood and definitely Damnation Game, to fantasy fans read the rest... And stick with them, he has a habit of perverting the genre he's writing in and as exercises in the form they're worth it for that if nothing else...

I agree with you Phil, he does jump from real horror to real fantasy but i enjoyed both, but when i tried sacrament he seem to be going in a different direction, and like i said, i could not get into it.

 

any more opinions?

Really like the books of the Art but never really tried any of his others.

 

I personally couldn't give an informed opinion but my friend who is a really big Barker fan always tells me to stay clear of his newer stuff as it seems to remind him of Jackie Collins books and gay porn, and I'll be honest and say that really isn't my thing and so have genrally shied away from Barker books.

I read Coldheart Canyon not that long ago and actually quite enjoyed it.

I enjoyed most everything up to the point of the three in question. I read all three and wished I hadn't, especially in the case of Sacrament.

 

They're all three decent books for what they are, just not even close to my expectations of Clive Barker. He's become the literary Metallica for me... he releases something and I think, "okay, this is it, we're gonna get back to the Barker of old!"

 

So then I'm shot down and out like the fat kid in dodge-ball.

 

 

The ones Phil mentioned are my own favorites as well, with the inclusion of The Great and Secret Show.

 

Sure wish Everville would've been better!

Helm, i thought the same thing when i tried sacrament... gay porn, just wanted to see if anyone else thought the same.

 

reread everville afew month back and it wasn't as good as i thought i remembered, i would like to try The G&S show again.

 

N8, did your daughter ever read abarat?

 

maybe i'll try Cold Heart Canyon

Nope, I've sworn off doing cruel things like that to kids like my dad did to me...

 

Nuttin' worse than getting started on something that ain't finished yet! When I heard there would be one, maybe two or three more books, I decided to wait and read them all at once...

 

She's already having trouble waiting for all the Harry Potter books... and losing interest quickly.

Although I enjoyed Coldheart Canyon, it's more fantasy/Hollywood/porn than horror... not a horror book at all really.

 

Galilee I enjoyed too, but again not a horror book, just a slightly odd feuding families story.

 

Sacrament I have read but as I left it on a train somewhere (by accident!) I can't remember much about it, other than I thought it was Barker's weakest work I'd read.

 

I'm re-reading Books of Blood at the mo... some of Barker's greatest writings imho

That what i do N8, i wait until all book are out,

thats why i'm still reading Dark Tower and the second book of Abarat is sitting on my shelf unread

I have the second book of Arabat unread still...

 

I've read most of barkers books now, but not the 3 "gay" ones. I did rad Imajica and thought it was about 400 pages too long. Weaveworld was far superior, and in my opinion probably his best work.

 

SDKDMD... question Saying you wait for the whole series to come out before reading them (this I'll enjoy), isn't it going to break you to know there's going to be a third book of the art? Although probably not for a long time to come!

weaveworld was one of my most enjoyable books also Tops.

what do you mean "break me"?

if there is a third book of the arts then i'll reread the first two over with the new one ...stright through

with Arabat i read the first one then learn that there will be three? more, i enjoy reading them this way because everything is fresh in my mine, the only problem i see doing it this way is...if i die first.

heh heh

 

Nah, arabat is 4 books... which should make you happy. The only problem I forsee with the way you read em, is that if you haven't read any of them, and have bought the rather splendid HC copies, and then you read 2 of 'em and hate them.... hmmm...

 

As for you being broken, that was a figure of speech, although after last night, I feel very broken.

 

As for weaveworld - I'll have to go back to that as it's one of the best books I've read/

I've been wanting to try some Barker, but havn't known where I should start. Would weaveworld be a good place to start the ball rolling?

Weaveworld is a great place to start.

I think everything that needs to be said, is in the posts above.

you can also try Book of blood [short stories]

 

Tops, i see what your saying........i can afford it

i come all the way to London to see you, don't i

damn you you've ruined my plans again... my plot of evil just doesn't work with you.

 

OH, and Hubris, Weaveworld is a great place to start, as is the Books of Blood - which I might add are fantastic. And like my friend here, this whole thread is a good one for advice on where to start. I also liked Cabal and the Hellbound Heart, great stories, but unfortunately way too short to have great characterisation, which are a fault of those books!

Wasnt the film Nightbreed adapted from a Clive Barker book? I always enjoyed that film even though it caused me to be thrown out of Tower records at Picadilly Circus!

Based on his short novel Cabal, a great read...

Definately. The real monsters were the ones that were normal on the outside not the so called monsters!

Thanks guys...gonna pick up both this week hopefully.

Rixy why were you thrown out of tower records because of Nightbreed??

 

Sophie *who's completely baffled*

Let's just hope it wasn't because he got carried away and tried to start dining on the other customers, otherwise I'm not so sure it was really red wine in his glass at KC4 anymore