Auliya B. (auliya) reviewed on + 141 more book reviews
Involving, good suspense, magical, epic, a little slow.
I didn't meet Clive Barker as an author of the "horror" genre. I read Imajica first, and then The Great and Secret Show, and Everville. None of these were "horror" books the way I have ever considered the genre, although I've seen some people call these books "gorefests" (which I don't quite get - I thought horror was gratuitous violence, not meaningful blood). My point is that I was not disappointed that this book fell short of "horror" (as so many people have mentioned). I wasn't expecting horror, I was expecting magical realism, epic-style. And I got just that.
This book reminds me a little of 'The Prince of Tides' (don't laugh - I'm serious!). It's epic length, follows a family closely, looks inside of them and then *features* their dysfunction. That's what fascinates the reader. And in this book, magic, not just politics, saturates the family history.
Don't go into this book expecting gross/horror/sex/blood. It's not that kind of book. It's a detailed novel of magical realism with a long, stylized, constructed plot. And Clive Barker has something to say while he entertains you. His message, which I won't give away, is probably the most frightening part of the book.
I didn't meet Clive Barker as an author of the "horror" genre. I read Imajica first, and then The Great and Secret Show, and Everville. None of these were "horror" books the way I have ever considered the genre, although I've seen some people call these books "gorefests" (which I don't quite get - I thought horror was gratuitous violence, not meaningful blood). My point is that I was not disappointed that this book fell short of "horror" (as so many people have mentioned). I wasn't expecting horror, I was expecting magical realism, epic-style. And I got just that.
This book reminds me a little of 'The Prince of Tides' (don't laugh - I'm serious!). It's epic length, follows a family closely, looks inside of them and then *features* their dysfunction. That's what fascinates the reader. And in this book, magic, not just politics, saturates the family history.
Don't go into this book expecting gross/horror/sex/blood. It's not that kind of book. It's a detailed novel of magical realism with a long, stylized, constructed plot. And Clive Barker has something to say while he entertains you. His message, which I won't give away, is probably the most frightening part of the book.
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