I finally got to read the masterpiece that
started it all and well... I was horrified all right to actually admit that I
liked the Hellraiser movies better than this book. I have always loved the
movies but I value books pillars above any video type of celluloid so for me to
enjoy the movie more is abnormal! The writing style is quite gothic and
lyrical, and I was glad to have seen the movies in order to make sure I wasn't
off the wall when it came to understanding the story which was dark, creepy and
haunting but not as scary and sublime as I have imagined it to be. I was
expecting hair rising gore form the Cenobites but come on, so few mentions of
my favorite creepers ... they were a mere shadow of their glorious sanguinary
power, I did love the resounding bell sounds when they were around but the book
skimmed though them and overall was tiny, something you can easily read on the
couch during the afternoon in two hours. I definitely wanted more, I wanted
meat and juice and to be freaked out. The Hellraiser movies which the author
has been involved in have been some of my favorites for years, I love this
stuff in general, it’s definitely worth a read.
The
HELLBOUND HEART
by Clive Barker
BOUND BUT NOT CONTAINED
*** 3 OUT OF 5
The tale starts off with Frank Cotton ( nice
pure name for a dirty bastard hehe) and his bored pursuit of pleasure, we don't
find out much about what moves him and even when he finds the golden
Lemarchand's box it all happens too fast to bring any suspense, he wants sick
and twisted pleasure and he pays the ultimate price but I wanted to experience
it with him and not just read about him being taken by the forces that made the
puzzle and accept it, I wanted to be there front row. Luckily his brother's
wife Julia is a total psycho who has been entranced by Frank and who discovers
that he still exists in a creepy old house except that he's part of it in a
way, so she finds him victims in her love sick way and bleeds them into the
floors for him to absorb. The action in the story is mainly though Julia and
the noisy next door neighbor who gets involved in business that has nothing do
with her. I won't say more for those who want surprises but I expected a bit
more, yes I gave this book four stars because it's Barker but he has much
improved since this book, and the series is quite magnificent and he did come
up with the whole theme which I will always be a huge fan of, I just wanted
more out of the book, I felt like it wet my appetite but never fed me... I read
this book in June of 2012 and now I feel like I want to re-read it, perhaps it
will reveal more on my second trip into some delish Barker darkness.
- Kasia S.
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