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Books of Blood #3
Sudario
Cinque agghiaccianti racconti. Un cinema infestato da una disgustosa entità tumorale capace di ricreare l'illusione del grande schermo; un mostro cannibalico rimasto prigioniero per secoli che si libera e cerca vendetta; il sudario di un uomo morto ingiustamente che si anima di spirito di rivincita; un'isola dove morire è più facile che vivere; un reperto archeologico assetato di sangue.
- Figlio di celluloide (Racconto lungo, Son of Celluloid)
- Testacruda Rex (Romanzo breve, Rawhead Rex)
- Confessioni di un sudario (di pornografo) (Racconto lungo, Confession of a (Pornographer's) Shroud)
- Capri espiatori (Racconto lungo, Scapegoats)
- Spoglie umane (Romanzo breve, Human Remains)
- Figlio di celluloide (Racconto lungo, Son of Celluloid)
- Testacruda Rex (Romanzo breve, Rawhead Rex)
- Confessioni di un sudario (di pornografo) (Racconto lungo, Confession of a (Pornographer's) Shroud)
- Capri espiatori (Racconto lungo, Scapegoats)
- Spoglie umane (Romanzo breve, Human Remains)
226 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
263 people are currently reading
5005 people want to read
About the author
Clive Barker
733 books14.9k followersClive Barker was born in Liverpool, England, the son of Joan Rubie (née Revill), a painter and school welfare officer, and Leonard Barker, a personnel director for an industrial relations firm. Educated at Dovedale Primary School and Quarry Bank High School, he studied English and Philosophy at Liverpool University and his picture now hangs in the entrance hallway to the Philosophy Department. It was in Liverpool in 1975 that he met his first partner, John Gregson, with whom he lived until 1986. Barker's second long-term relationship, with photographer David Armstrong, ended in 2009.
In 2003, Clive Barker received The Davidson/Valentini Award at the 15th GLAAD Media Awards. This award is presented "to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for any of those communities". While Barker is critical of organized religion, he has stated that he is a believer in both God and the afterlife, and that the Bible influences his work.
Fans have noticed of late that Barker's voice has become gravelly and coarse. He says in a December 2008 online interview that this is due to polyps in his throat which were so severe that a doctor told him he was taking in ten percent of the air he was supposed to have been getting. He has had two surgeries to remove them and believes his resultant voice is an improvement over how it was prior to the surgeries. He said he did not have cancer and has given up cigars. On August 27, 2010, Barker underwent surgery yet again to remove new polyp growths from his throat. In early February 2012 Barker fell into a coma after a dentist visit led to blood poisoning. Barker remained in a coma for eleven days but eventually came out of it. Fans were notified on his Twitter page about some of the experience and that Barker was recovering after the ordeal, but left with many strange visions.
Barker is one of the leading authors of contemporary horror/fantasy, writing in the horror genre early in his career, mostly in the form of short stories (collected in Books of Blood 1 – 6), and the Faustian novel The Damnation Game (1985). Later he moved towards modern-day fantasy and urban fantasy with horror elements in Weaveworld (1987), The Great and Secret Show (1989), the world-spanning Imajica (1991) and Sacrament (1996), bringing in the deeper, richer concepts of reality, the nature of the mind and dreams, and the power of words and memories.
Barker has a keen interest in movie production, although his films have received mixed receptions. He wrote the screenplays for Underworld (aka Transmutations – 1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), both directed by George Pavlou. Displeased by how his material was handled, he moved to directing with Hellraiser (1987), based on his novella The Hellbound Heart. His early movies, the shorts The Forbidden and Salome, are experimental art movies with surrealist elements, which have been re-released together to moderate critical acclaim. After his film Nightbreed (Cabal), which was widely considered to be a flop, Barker returned to write and direct Lord of Illusions. Barker was an executive producer of the film Gods and Monsters, which received major critical acclaim.
Barker is a prolific visual artist working in a variety of media, often illustrating his own books. His paintings have been seen first on the covers of his official fan club magazine, Dread, published by Fantaco in the early Nineties, as well on the covers of the collections of his plays, Incarnations (1995) and Forms of Heaven (1996), as well as on the second printing of the original UK publications of his Books of Blood series.
A longtime comics fan, Barker achieved his dream of publishing his own superhero books when Marvel Comics launched the Razorline imprint in 1993. Based on detailed premises, titles and lead characters he created specifically for this, the four interrelated titles — set outside the Marvel universe — were Ectokid,
In 2003, Clive Barker received The Davidson/Valentini Award at the 15th GLAAD Media Awards. This award is presented "to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for any of those communities". While Barker is critical of organized religion, he has stated that he is a believer in both God and the afterlife, and that the Bible influences his work.
Fans have noticed of late that Barker's voice has become gravelly and coarse. He says in a December 2008 online interview that this is due to polyps in his throat which were so severe that a doctor told him he was taking in ten percent of the air he was supposed to have been getting. He has had two surgeries to remove them and believes his resultant voice is an improvement over how it was prior to the surgeries. He said he did not have cancer and has given up cigars. On August 27, 2010, Barker underwent surgery yet again to remove new polyp growths from his throat. In early February 2012 Barker fell into a coma after a dentist visit led to blood poisoning. Barker remained in a coma for eleven days but eventually came out of it. Fans were notified on his Twitter page about some of the experience and that Barker was recovering after the ordeal, but left with many strange visions.
Barker is one of the leading authors of contemporary horror/fantasy, writing in the horror genre early in his career, mostly in the form of short stories (collected in Books of Blood 1 – 6), and the Faustian novel The Damnation Game (1985). Later he moved towards modern-day fantasy and urban fantasy with horror elements in Weaveworld (1987), The Great and Secret Show (1989), the world-spanning Imajica (1991) and Sacrament (1996), bringing in the deeper, richer concepts of reality, the nature of the mind and dreams, and the power of words and memories.
Barker has a keen interest in movie production, although his films have received mixed receptions. He wrote the screenplays for Underworld (aka Transmutations – 1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), both directed by George Pavlou. Displeased by how his material was handled, he moved to directing with Hellraiser (1987), based on his novella The Hellbound Heart. His early movies, the shorts The Forbidden and Salome, are experimental art movies with surrealist elements, which have been re-released together to moderate critical acclaim. After his film Nightbreed (Cabal), which was widely considered to be a flop, Barker returned to write and direct Lord of Illusions. Barker was an executive producer of the film Gods and Monsters, which received major critical acclaim.
Barker is a prolific visual artist working in a variety of media, often illustrating his own books. His paintings have been seen first on the covers of his official fan club magazine, Dread, published by Fantaco in the early Nineties, as well on the covers of the collections of his plays, Incarnations (1995) and Forms of Heaven (1996), as well as on the second printing of the original UK publications of his Books of Blood series.
A longtime comics fan, Barker achieved his dream of publishing his own superhero books when Marvel Comics launched the Razorline imprint in 1993. Based on detailed premises, titles and lead characters he created specifically for this, the four interrelated titles — set outside the Marvel universe — were Ectokid,
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 308 reviews
May 8, 2023
Otra vez retomo mi cariño por los relatos de este autor.
Evidentemente regresó la calidad en este tercer volumen ya que siento que Barker ha sabido cuajar mejor las historias en general, aunque también es verdad que para quién no es fan de los finales abiertos varios de los siguientes cuentos resultarán un poco insatisfactorios. A mí personalmente me gustaron mucho casi todos.
🩸Promedio general: 3.5★
🩸La política del cuerpo 3.5/5★
Al principio pensé que estaba ante una comedia o una sátira pero ya luego toma algo de seriedad sin perder el sentido del humor y la verdad es que me gustó mucho. Propone algo escalofriante con su toque de ironía. ¿Qué pasaría si las extremidades de tu cuerpo tomarán vida propia y te traicionaron? Para eso hay que leerlo.
🩸La condición inhumana 4/5★
Al principio tiene el típico plot de misterio anudado a ciertos monstruos que dan miedo. Creo que lo más sorprendente es sin duda la revelación al final de la identidad de "ellos" pero aún así sentí que le faltó un poquito más de fuerza en el impacto que supone desvelar la verdad de los nudos.
🩸Revelaciones 3.5/5
No es lo mejor. Me gusta la intención que hay por detrás de tratar de construir personajes femeninos pero aún así se torna bastante predecible hacia donde va desde que inserta a la pareja de fantasmas que murieron en el pasado en un hotel y a la pareja del presente que está allí, en el lugar del crimen.
🩸¡Quieto, Satán! 1/5★
No se puede decir mucho de algo sin sustancia.
🩸La edad del deseo 4.5/5★
A mí me encantó. Es muy bueno ver cómo cierto químico y los experimentos científicos afectan a un ser humano y este recorre la ciudad forjando el caos y haciendo cosas muy cuestionables hasta que luego de una u otra forma tiene que llegar a la (auto)destrucción. No sé, hay escenas bastante peliagudas y momentos donde a través de la perspectiva del protagonista se siente como si estuvieras en un sueño febril.
🩸Lo prohibido 4.5/5★
Te va construyendo todo un panorama tensionante desde que la chica universitaria llega y comienza a ver situaciones misteriosas que apuntan siempre al mismo sujeto, el cual protagoniza cierta espeluznante leyenda urbana. Y cuando todo cobra realidad y se vuelve palpable se siente la miel y la muerte en los labios. No sé cómo, pero ha logrado que en mi mente se vea deseable y a la vez terrorífico y asqueroso la figura de este ser.
🩸La Madona 4/5
A mí me ha gustado pero no es el mejor, ya que el final resulta muy abierto pero el ambiente, el misterio, la carga de erotismo, la piscina y la espiral, las criaturas que aparecen, todo eso me suma muchísimo de alguna forma. Pero eso, que siento que le faltó exponer quizás un poco más el porqué del castigo y las consecuencias que quedan allí subyacentes.
Evidentemente regresó la calidad en este tercer volumen ya que siento que Barker ha sabido cuajar mejor las historias en general, aunque también es verdad que para quién no es fan de los finales abiertos varios de los siguientes cuentos resultarán un poco insatisfactorios. A mí personalmente me gustaron mucho casi todos.
🩸Promedio general: 3.5★
🩸La política del cuerpo 3.5/5★
Al principio pensé que estaba ante una comedia o una sátira pero ya luego toma algo de seriedad sin perder el sentido del humor y la verdad es que me gustó mucho. Propone algo escalofriante con su toque de ironía. ¿Qué pasaría si las extremidades de tu cuerpo tomarán vida propia y te traicionaron? Para eso hay que leerlo.
🩸La condición inhumana 4/5★
Al principio tiene el típico plot de misterio anudado a ciertos monstruos que dan miedo. Creo que lo más sorprendente es sin duda la revelación al final de la identidad de "ellos" pero aún así sentí que le faltó un poquito más de fuerza en el impacto que supone desvelar la verdad de los nudos.
🩸Revelaciones 3.5/5
No es lo mejor. Me gusta la intención que hay por detrás de tratar de construir personajes femeninos pero aún así se torna bastante predecible hacia donde va desde que inserta a la pareja de fantasmas que murieron en el pasado en un hotel y a la pareja del presente que está allí, en el lugar del crimen.
🩸¡Quieto, Satán! 1/5★
No se puede decir mucho de algo sin sustancia.
🩸La edad del deseo 4.5/5★
A mí me encantó. Es muy bueno ver cómo cierto químico y los experimentos científicos afectan a un ser humano y este recorre la ciudad forjando el caos y haciendo cosas muy cuestionables hasta que luego de una u otra forma tiene que llegar a la (auto)destrucción. No sé, hay escenas bastante peliagudas y momentos donde a través de la perspectiva del protagonista se siente como si estuvieras en un sueño febril.
🩸Lo prohibido 4.5/5★
Te va construyendo todo un panorama tensionante desde que la chica universitaria llega y comienza a ver situaciones misteriosas que apuntan siempre al mismo sujeto, el cual protagoniza cierta espeluznante leyenda urbana. Y cuando todo cobra realidad y se vuelve palpable se siente la miel y la muerte en los labios. No sé cómo, pero ha logrado que en mi mente se vea deseable y a la vez terrorífico y asqueroso la figura de este ser.
🩸La Madona 4/5
A mí me ha gustado pero no es el mejor, ya que el final resulta muy abierto pero el ambiente, el misterio, la carga de erotismo, la piscina y la espiral, las criaturas que aparecen, todo eso me suma muchísimo de alguna forma. Pero eso, que siento que le faltó exponer quizás un poco más el porqué del castigo y las consecuencias que quedan allí subyacentes.
May 1, 2021
"Incluso a la penumbra del interior de la iglesia estaba radiante y conmovido por tanta belleza, no le importó abandonar su reencarnación. Sin confesarse, pero sin temer el juicio final, su alma se separó de su cuerpo"
"El mundo es monocromo. Sol y sombra. Los lomos de las piedras blancos y sus vientres negros. La vida por encima, la muerte por debajo"
"—Soy lo que soy. No conozco a nadie de mi especie, aunque, ¿por qué habría de ser el único? Tal vez haya más, muchos más: sencillamente, todavía no sé nada de ellos. Así que vivo, muero y vuelvo a vivir, sin aprender nada... —dijo con amargura-... acerca de mí mismo. ¿Comprendes? Tú sabes lo que eres porque ves a otros como tú. Si estuvieras solo en la Tierra, ¿qué sabrías? Lo que te dijera el espejo, eso es todo. Lo demás no serían más que mitos y conjeturas"
12- Hijo Del Celuloide / Son of Celluloid *3.5
13- Rex, El Hombre Lobo / Rawhead Rex *2.5
14-Confesiondes del sudario (de un pornógrafo) / Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud *2.5
15- Victimas Propiciatorias / Scape-Goats *2.5
16- Restos Humanos / Human Remains *3
Lejos del impacto e ingenio de los relatos mas significativos e inolvidables a lo largo de esta mítica antología...La cual ya esta por cumplir 40 años . Y justamente De los cinco relatos que comprenden este volumen algunos no envejecieron tan bien y otros no son los mas inspirados,sólidos o contundentes.
El mas destacable a mi parecer, el mas cercano a la mejor versión de este Barker primerizo es: "Hijo Del Celuloide" . https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... (reseña completa "Hijo Del Celuloide")
"El mundo es monocromo. Sol y sombra. Los lomos de las piedras blancos y sus vientres negros. La vida por encima, la muerte por debajo"
"—Soy lo que soy. No conozco a nadie de mi especie, aunque, ¿por qué habría de ser el único? Tal vez haya más, muchos más: sencillamente, todavía no sé nada de ellos. Así que vivo, muero y vuelvo a vivir, sin aprender nada... —dijo con amargura-... acerca de mí mismo. ¿Comprendes? Tú sabes lo que eres porque ves a otros como tú. Si estuvieras solo en la Tierra, ¿qué sabrías? Lo que te dijera el espejo, eso es todo. Lo demás no serían más que mitos y conjeturas"
12- Hijo Del Celuloide / Son of Celluloid *3.5
13- Rex, El Hombre Lobo / Rawhead Rex *2.5
14-Confesiondes del sudario (de un pornógrafo) / Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud *2.5
15- Victimas Propiciatorias / Scape-Goats *2.5
16- Restos Humanos / Human Remains *3
Lejos del impacto e ingenio de los relatos mas significativos e inolvidables a lo largo de esta mítica antología...La cual ya esta por cumplir 40 años . Y justamente De los cinco relatos que comprenden este volumen algunos no envejecieron tan bien y otros no son los mas inspirados,sólidos o contundentes.
El mas destacable a mi parecer, el mas cercano a la mejor versión de este Barker primerizo es: "Hijo Del Celuloide" . https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... (reseña completa "Hijo Del Celuloide")
April 25, 2023
"Everybody is a book of blood, whenever we're opened, we're red."
Initial Thoughts
Clive Barker's infamous "Books of Blood." I first tried reading them when I was in my early twenties. Jesus, that was almost twenty years ago! I remember trying the first two stories and really enjoying them. But back then reading just wasn't my thing. Not like it is now. And I quit it in favour of the playstation.
First published in 1984, they were written by Barker in his spare time, who had some serious doubts about wether they would actually sell or not. Little did he know that these stories would kickstart his career and go down in horror folklore after receiving worldwide acclaim, bagging a World Fantasy Award and leading Stephen King to describe the young author as "the future of horror."
So what took me so long to get back into Barker? Well other than the fact that I gave up on reading them back when I was a complete pussy who had the attention span of a fly, I can't really come up with one. So just for the hell of it I decided to do things in reverse and begin with volume three and work my way back. I'm crazy like that! Let's see how I got on...
The Stories
So this particular collection contains five stories and they are all top quality. All fantastically written and dripping with blood. As always I'm going to rank them from best to worst, in my opinion of course.
Rawhead Rex - 5🌟's
Definitely the most violent story to feature in this collection and also my favourite. Its brutal, action packed and contains one of the most memorable villains I've come across in a short story. That's why Barker named the story after him.
This one begins when a farmer stumbles upon a seal found in the land he's plowing and unwittingly breaks it. Turns out it was the only thing containing an ancient and destructive creature that had been imprisoned eons ago. And you can guess what's in store for that unlucky farmer and anyone else who crosses Rawhead's path.
Son of Celluloid - 4.5🌟's
A bizarre but brilliant story that serves as a homage to the legends of the big screen with a horrifying twist. When a convict who's on the run expires in a cinema, something within him remains and feeds of the emotions of customers to produce something that's both fascinating and terrifying.
This one showcases the authors imagination fantastically and it's a very visual experience that feels like a bad trip from hell. But if you always wanted to meet your favourite movie star then this could be the story for you. It's an experience you'll never forget. That's all I'm saying.
"He used his last breath to ask: "What the fuck is going on?" and died.
As last words went, it lacked style, but it was deeply felt."
Confessions of a (Pornographers) Shroud - 4.25🌟's
Ronnie Glass is a nice, god-fearing guy who unknowingly gets in with the wrong crowd. When he finds out he's doing the accounts for a pornography cartel things head south pretty quickly. Let's just say things can always get worse and after his reputation is ruined and Ronnie is left with nothing, literally, he has one thing on his mind. That dish that's best served cold.
This one gets pretty brutal, particularly toward the end, but it was loaded with elements of dark humour. It's very different in tone and for that reason it stands out. I had a great time with it and I'm confident you will to!
"Something new every day. Mysteries on the doorstep, on the altar-step. Crimes so numerous they would need an ocean of holy water to wash them out."
Scape-Goats-4.25🌟's
This one has some serious Lovecraft vibes and I'm confident that Barker took inspiration from the great man while writing this one. When a group of some of the most unlikeable people get stranded on a remote island they soon discover a horrifying secret. It's a pretty inhospitable place and things go from weird to terrifying quickly as the tension is ramped up in expert fashion. I just had a feeling that things were going to go very badly and I wasn't disappointed.
"I saw the heart of nothing, and survived."
Human Remains 4🌟's
The last in the collection and probably my least favourite due to its slower pace. That's not to say it's not worth it and it's still an interesting read with an unique take on the doppelganger trope. A good-looking male prostitute gets involved with a darkly mysterious punter who holds a sinister secret. Despite its more subdued pace it contains some scenes of extreme violence. Enjoy!
The Writing
This collection is a perfect showcase of what Barker is capable of. Yes I've read him before but I didn't pick up on how talented a writer he is. As my man Peter Straub stated:
"Barker has been an amazing writer from his first appearance, with a great gift of invention and commitment that stands on every page."
He has a fantastically dark imagination and doesn't have any problems in translating this to the written page. Its stylish, it's creative and oozes class. It really took a hold of my mind and drew me into the stories, that had an almost addictive quality. I certainly found myself missing it when I'd finished and it won't be long before I dive back into his terrifying but wonderful world.
What is clear, through the sheer variety of what's on offer in these five stories, is that few authors can match Barker when it comes to imagination. He has some wild and crazy concepts but he delivers them in a way that really works for me. It's certainly not for the feint hearted and Barker doesn't shy away from the brutal or erotic side of horror fiction, going where most other authors fear to tread. And he paints it all in such vivid colour. I hope I'm getting across how much I enjoyed it.
Final Thoughts
I've read a number of outstanding collections from some of the finest authors in horror fiction. There's Night Shift by Stephen King, Blue World by Robert McCammon and High Cotton by Joe Lansdale. This is right up there with those and has the potential to be better. These five stories certainly push the boundaries and at the time they were written I can imagine they caused a real stir amongst the horror community.
So I'm already anticipating diving into the next volume of Books of Blood. I'm ashamed it's took me this long to get back into them and I'm now thinking Clive Barker could be my type of author. Particularly in the short story format.
Five bloody stars and worth every penny.
Thanks for reading and...cheers!
July 24, 2019
I have mixed feelings about Clive Barker. At his best, he’s one of the finest writers of horror stories, and I consider his first Book of Blood a collection of small masterpieces. He almost always writes well, constructs his plots with skill, but in his conceptions he is extremely uneven. He is not always at his best, and when he is is bad, he is bad indeed.
There are three kinds of Clive Barker stories. The first sort—the worst—are misanthropic black comedies, in which Barker delights in subjecting his characters’ bodies to every conceivable torture, all forms of flesh-rending and bodily distortion. The people in the stories are thoroughly selfish and morally base, and therefore the reader is invited to savor their inevitable destruction. The second sort involves—as do most Barker stories—the limits of physical pain and human terror, but in the service of a a plot that cannot decide whether it is myth or Grand Guignol. The third sort—the best—unites the myth-making process to a setting precisely realized, a setting into which the monstrous erupts as a force both demonic and godly, a force which leaves in its wake not only pain and destruction but awe and an uneasy reverence too.
There are five stories in this collection. There is only one bad story: “Confessions of a Pornographer’s Shroud,” about a the spirit of a dead accountant who, animating the white sheet which covers his body at the morgue, seeks revenge on the gangsters who murdered him. It is occasionally amusing, but it will leave you feeling icky. I’d advise you to skip it.
There are two of his mediocre stories: “Son of Celluloid” (a monster grows in the back of an old movie theater, generated when the rotting cancer of a dead murderer is fueled by generations of gazing movie-goers, filled with twisted longings and desires), and “Scape-Goats” (the pointless murder of an animal left as a sacrifice unmoors an angry, vengeful fleet, the bodies of the drowned dead). The first story is a fine conception almost ruined, the second a modest conception effectively realized. Both are worth their your time.
Only two of Bloods of Blood: Volume 3 are worthy of Barker at his best. “Human Remains” show us a street hustler harried and hounded by a spirit inhabiting an ancient artifact, a spirit who wishes to take him over in bodily completeness—every gesture, every movement, every curve and rise of the flesh. It’s about possession of course, but it’s also about something even more frightening: the complete absorption of bodily identity. “Rawhead Rex” is about an ancient deity/monster long ago confined, a being dug up from under a sacred stone in a small English Village, who then proceeds to go on a rampage of child-devouring and fiery destruction. “Remains” is a disturbing, low key story, and I recommend it highly. “Rawhead Rex” is simply one of the best, most exciting horror stories I have read, and I advise you not to miss it.
May 3, 2024
After reading Books of Blood volumes 1 & 2, you might be thinking, why read even more short stories by Clive Barker?
Someone with more knowledge than me decided to group these three volumes into a 'best of collection' and this is the third instalment, but is it worth your time for yet more churned out horror? The answer is yes, brilliant in places, but not quite as consistent as vols. 2 & 3.
Two of the stories are absolutely stellar and two are really good.
Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud is about an accountant who works above a sex shop in Soho, London, who has no idea who he is doing the books for, the local mafia, until it all goes remarkably wrong. The best part is the humor as he goes through his discovery and revenge evolution. It works really well because it's like being in Clive Barker's backyard with all the seedy sex working and petty crime.
Best of all is the final short story, Human-Remains, in my opinion one of Clive Barker's best tales and a little bit longer than normal. I raced through it. Again, more sex and criminal activities, but this time involving a male bumboy (his words, not mine) who sweeps the local hotels and bars at night to render his 'services' for payment, but with a really strange and clever twist. It's very atmospheric and a little bit sad.
Son of Celluloid is really good as well with its inventive concept, borrowing ideas from favorite movies to dovetail our collective fear of confronting the grim reaper but not getting away with it. It's a pacey and bizarre story that goes full circle and could easily have been made into a full book.
And there's Rawhead Rex with its intriguing buildup and sudden violence, including a particular scene of priesthood worship to the nine-foot urinating devil. Maybe I was having a bad day, but the ending left me blank.
The only story I didn't enjoy was Scape-Goats, with too much sexing, not enough depth and no real logic or palpable tension. It has elements of Lord of the Flies to it, cruelty for the sake of it and a rather disappointing conclusion.
Overall, another great volume for Clive Barker fans and newcomers alike. I recommend it.
Someone with more knowledge than me decided to group these three volumes into a 'best of collection' and this is the third instalment, but is it worth your time for yet more churned out horror? The answer is yes, brilliant in places, but not quite as consistent as vols. 2 & 3.
Two of the stories are absolutely stellar and two are really good.
Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud is about an accountant who works above a sex shop in Soho, London, who has no idea who he is doing the books for, the local mafia, until it all goes remarkably wrong. The best part is the humor as he goes through his discovery and revenge evolution. It works really well because it's like being in Clive Barker's backyard with all the seedy sex working and petty crime.
Best of all is the final short story, Human-Remains, in my opinion one of Clive Barker's best tales and a little bit longer than normal. I raced through it. Again, more sex and criminal activities, but this time involving a male bumboy (his words, not mine) who sweeps the local hotels and bars at night to render his 'services' for payment, but with a really strange and clever twist. It's very atmospheric and a little bit sad.
Son of Celluloid is really good as well with its inventive concept, borrowing ideas from favorite movies to dovetail our collective fear of confronting the grim reaper but not getting away with it. It's a pacey and bizarre story that goes full circle and could easily have been made into a full book.
And there's Rawhead Rex with its intriguing buildup and sudden violence, including a particular scene of priesthood worship to the nine-foot urinating devil. Maybe I was having a bad day, but the ending left me blank.
The only story I didn't enjoy was Scape-Goats, with too much sexing, not enough depth and no real logic or palpable tension. It has elements of Lord of the Flies to it, cruelty for the sake of it and a rather disappointing conclusion.
Overall, another great volume for Clive Barker fans and newcomers alike. I recommend it.
December 28, 2015
Volume Three of Clive Barkers Books of Blood kicks off with Son of Celluloid and an escaped convict who dies in the building housing a movie theatre. His cancer evolves into a physical mass feeding on the strong emotions present and we witness all the fuckery that prevails.
Rawhead Rex sees a farmer inadvertently awaken an ancient monster that happens to be nine feet tall and quite ferocious with hobbies including killing and eating folk. All taking place in a rather sweet rural setting.
Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud is the quaint revenge story of straight-laced Ronnie who is setup to look like the king of a pornography network. His revenge quest is cut short by his untimely death but that minor detail doesn't curtail his activities with ghosts and shrouds prominent.
Scape-Goats get stranded on the beach of a deserted Island where converging undersea currents accumulate masses of dead bodies on the sea bed. These dead bodies become fairly mobile when it comes to preventing their escape.
Finally Human Remains sees a young gay prostitute hired by an archaeologist for some action, get a little bit more than he bargained for when he stumbles upon a statute in the man's bathroom. Over the next few weeks his condition deteriorates, he's being followed, haunted and the cause is disturbingly unreal.
For straight out there horror Rawhead Rex ticks all the boxes and probably shaded it as my favourite, simple in its brutality and sometimes that's what I like.
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
Rawhead Rex sees a farmer inadvertently awaken an ancient monster that happens to be nine feet tall and quite ferocious with hobbies including killing and eating folk. All taking place in a rather sweet rural setting.
Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud is the quaint revenge story of straight-laced Ronnie who is setup to look like the king of a pornography network. His revenge quest is cut short by his untimely death but that minor detail doesn't curtail his activities with ghosts and shrouds prominent.
Scape-Goats get stranded on the beach of a deserted Island where converging undersea currents accumulate masses of dead bodies on the sea bed. These dead bodies become fairly mobile when it comes to preventing their escape.
Finally Human Remains sees a young gay prostitute hired by an archaeologist for some action, get a little bit more than he bargained for when he stumbles upon a statute in the man's bathroom. Over the next few weeks his condition deteriorates, he's being followed, haunted and the cause is disturbingly unreal.
For straight out there horror Rawhead Rex ticks all the boxes and probably shaded it as my favourite, simple in its brutality and sometimes that's what I like.
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
November 7, 2024
"Its teeth were spilling into view, widening that smile into an obscene laugh. Ropes of saliva hung from its jaw as it clawed the air, like a cat after a mouse in a cage, pressing further and further in, each swipe closer to the morsel." - Rawhead Rex
4.19🩸
Son of Celluloid - 5🩸
Rawhead Rex - 5🩸
Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud - 2.95🩸
Scape-Goats - 5🩸
Human Remains -3🩸
4.19🩸
Son of Celluloid - 5🩸
Rawhead Rex - 5🩸
Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud - 2.95🩸
Scape-Goats - 5🩸
Human Remains -3🩸
October 13, 2020
وهكذا أكون قد تناولت آخر "قرص" من حبوب الرعب التي دأبت على تناولها من علبة كلايف باركر لتنشيط غدد الخوف بين الفينة والأخرى. كتب الدم وعددها 6، كل كتاب يحتوي على مجموعة من قصص الرعب المتنوعة. الكتب صغيرة الحجم فغالبًا نجد كل ثلاثة في مجلد.
هذه السلسلة –برأيي- من أفضل ما كُتب في أدب الرعب من حيث التنوع والأفكار المبتكرة واللغة المتألقة والأجواء المقبضة. يختلف باركر عن كنج بأنه يكتب رعباً صافياً لا يخففه بالدراما والنقد الاجتماعي والصراعات الذاتية للشخصيات.
بعض قصص هذه السلسلة تحول إلى أفلام ناجحة مثل "قطار لحوم منتصف الليل"، "رجل الحلوى" و "الفزغ". هناك بعض الأفكار المبتكرة مثل "في التلال والجبال" حيث يتجمع أهالي قريتين لتشكيل عملاقيّن من البشر ثم الصراع حتى الموت، وهناك "سياسة الجسد" حيث تثور الأيدي وتنفصل عن الأجساد في ثورة عنيفة لتحقق استقلالها، إلى جانب "عصر الرغبة" والتي تتحدث عن تجربة لعقار يسبب اشتعال الشهوة في الجسد بشكل لا يمكن التحكم به.
أما بعض قصصي المفضلة في السلسلة: "السيدة"، "دماء الخنزير"، "في الجسد" و "حياة الفناء". استمتعت بالمجلد الثاني (الكتب 3-6) أكثر من المجلد الأول. للأسف باركر ليس غزير الإنتاج مثل كنج لذا لا أعرف الخيارات المتبقية لي بعد هذه السلسلة وكتاب سجين الجحيم.
يجب أن تكون هذه السلسلة في مكتبة أي قارئ من هواة أدب الرعب. ليست لدي معلومات كافية عن الترجمات المتوفرة، غير أنني متيقن أنني قرأت قصة أو اثنتيّن بترجمة د.أحمد خالد توفيق، وهي كالعادة تشكو من الاختصار المخل.
هذه السلسلة –برأيي- من أفضل ما كُتب في أدب الرعب من حيث التنوع والأفكار المبتكرة واللغة المتألقة والأجواء المقبضة. يختلف باركر عن كنج بأنه يكتب رعباً صافياً لا يخففه بالدراما والنقد الاجتماعي والصراعات الذاتية للشخصيات.
بعض قصص هذه السلسلة تحول إلى أفلام ناجحة مثل "قطار لحوم منتصف الليل"، "رجل الحلوى" و "الفزغ". هناك بعض الأفكار المبتكرة مثل "في التلال والجبال" حيث يتجمع أهالي قريتين لتشكيل عملاقيّن من البشر ثم الصراع حتى الموت، وهناك "سياسة الجسد" حيث تثور الأيدي وتنفصل عن الأجساد في ثورة عنيفة لتحقق استقلالها، إلى جانب "عصر الرغبة" والتي تتحدث عن تجربة لعقار يسبب اشتعال الشهوة في الجسد بشكل لا يمكن التحكم به.
أما بعض قصصي المفضلة في السلسلة: "السيدة"، "دماء الخنزير"، "في الجسد" و "حياة الفناء". استمتعت بالمجلد الثاني (الكتب 3-6) أكثر من المجلد الأول. للأسف باركر ليس غزير الإنتاج مثل كنج لذا لا أعرف الخيارات المتبقية لي بعد هذه السلسلة وكتاب سجين الجحيم.
يجب أن تكون هذه السلسلة في مكتبة أي قارئ من هواة أدب الرعب. ليست لدي معلومات كافية عن الترجمات المتوفرة، غير أنني متيقن أنني قرأت قصة أو اثنتيّن بترجمة د.أحمد خالد توفيق، وهي كالعادة تشكو من الاختصار المخل.
December 14, 2020
Clive Barker's third book of short horror stories is not quite as good as the prior two volumes, but still continues to show astonishing range and depth of imagination along with very good prose and pacing. This collection includes the following stories, as usual accompanied by a rating and song lyrics which you may find interesting or useful, or not:
Son of Celluloid - 4/5 - let's go to the movies
Rawhead Rex - 5/5 - it was a one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater
Confessions of a Pornographer's Shroud - 3/5 - I see your face every time I dream
Scape-Goats - 3/5 - rock rock 'til you drop
Human Remains -3/5 - you're lookin' good, just like a snake in the grass
Son of Celluloid - 4/5 - let's go to the movies
Rawhead Rex - 5/5 - it was a one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater
Confessions of a Pornographer's Shroud - 3/5 - I see your face every time I dream
Scape-Goats - 3/5 - rock rock 'til you drop
Human Remains -3/5 - you're lookin' good, just like a snake in the grass
March 27, 2019
Το τρίτο βιβλίο συνεχίζεται στα ίδια επίπεδα με το δεύτερο της σειράς. Κάθε ιστορία δίνει το δικό της στίγμα και σε βάζει με τον δικό της τρόπο μέσα στο σκοτεινό μυαλό του barker. Δεν ξεχώρισα κάποιο συγκεκριμένο διήγημα. Ήξερα από πριν ότι όλα έχουν κάτι να μου δώσουν, πράγμα το οποίο και έγινε. Απολαυστικό μέχρι τέλους. Αναμονή τώρα για το τέταρτο...
February 4, 2023
Another great short story collection by Clive Barker. Books of Blood has some of the most unique and memorable horror stories I've read thus far.
May 5, 2024
BOOKS OF BLOOD (Volume 3) [2013] By Clive Barker
My Review 4.2 Stars
“I have seen the future of horror and his name is Clive Barker.”- Stephen King
Barker’s “Books of Blood” comprised a series of six horror anthologies which were written in 1984 and 1985. The series was originally published as six volumes, but the anthologies were later released as two omnibus editions containing three volumes each. I found it interesting that it was only the first omnibus that was given the title “Books of Blood”.
I have been reading the Crossroad Digital Edition(s), Volume 3 released by Crossroad Press in 2013. I finished this third volume of the “Books of Blood” which is contained in the first of the two omnibus editions. I can now declare that Volume 2 was my favorite volume of the first three I have read at this point.
First, “New Blood in Old Bottles” was an informative and entertaining introduction to Volume 3 which was contributed by Chet Williamson. Many of the observations by Williamson were energetically on target about this “young Brit” who “come out of nowhere” in 1984/85 and (paraphrased) was not only very good but also original. While Williamson acknowledges that sex and violence were always an integral component of horror fiction, he reminds readers that in those “quiet days before Splatterpunk” horror fans had never read the works of any writer who treated the taboo topics of sex and violence so “graphically and unflinchingly”. “Brilliant images depicted harrowing moments, and always with a poet’s eye, proving that one can write about anything if one writes about it well.” He accurately points out that the “power, terror, and beauty” of Barker’s stories first penned 40 years ago have lost nothing of their mesmerizing magic as a result of the passage of time. There is no question that Clive Barker steered horror fiction into a bold new future as Williamson proclaims. I found Williamson’s comparisons between horror classics and Barker’s stories in this collection fascinating.
This third volume contains five short stories: "Son of Celluloid," "Rawhead Rex," "Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud," "Scape-Goats," and "Human Remains".
“Son of Celluloid” is the story of a criminal named Barberio who was both injured and running from his pursuers when he struck upon a most unusual hide out within the interior of the Movie Palace. He was hidden within a space about four foot wide but tall, and with flickering light penetrating the cracks of the inner wall. It was within this space between the back of the building and back wall of the cinema that the man bled to death from his wounds. It was such a secret nook that his remains may never see the light of day. Barberio perished without knowledge that he was suffering from a cancer that would have proved life-threating had he lived. The Movie Palace had sold tickets to the moviegoers for half a century and these patrons had lived their lives vicariously through the silver screen of Hollywood, the energy of these tides of emotion gathering strength in that passage of air, but with no release valve for that powerful charge of energy created by the sympathies and passions of thousands. It was without a catalyst before Barberio’s cancer. It became “a ghost in the machine of cinema”. The image of Marilyn Monroe in her heigh day is not one I would have associated with extreme horror, but the carnage of “The Son of Celluloid” is graphic and explicit.
“The Son of Celluloid” is perhaps the most bizarre horror story I have ever read. It is certainly bold and imaginative with the narrative never shying away from extreme horror and all its trappings in its story telling. It is a plot not founded in rationality or reason but the elusive seduction of the big screen cinema and its power to stir our hearts and capture our love and imagination. Its birth to be from an invasive cancer in the first flesh and blood victim the cinema claimed that did not succumb to her magic and sensual seduction is part of the enigmatic coupling. I rated this first story in the collection 3.5 Stars.
“Rawhead Rex” is the story of an ancient god who was feared and worshipped in the time before Christ. Rawhead was humanoid but more animal than man but was a fearsome giant 9 feet tall who exhibited a ravenous appetite and ate children. He was imprisoned under the earth by a tablet of stone which symbolizes his greatest fear. The townspeople of old had not killed him but only contained him. That proved to be quite unfortunate since an ambitious and tiresome farmer made it his life’s work to dig up the stone that sat on his 3-acre parcel of land. There are a number of brutal, violent, and descriptive kills in this story which constitute well-written horror at an admirably skilled level. Rawhead was not too bright and very impetuous, liked immediate gratification in the form of child flesh but also enjoyed crushing and mutilating the pathetic human race under his feet. His downfall was jumping to conclusions about new-fangled gadgets and fire sources in particular. He figured that “cars” were thinking entities that were intelligent enemies. Their fuel and its flammability fascinated him, and he immediately sought to use that beautiful source of fire to burn his opposition. Rawhead also was remarkably intimidated by the stone (which had carvings that symbolized the only nemesis he feared). In short, Rawhead was:
“…nine feet tall, covered in blood, and it looked like Hell on legs.”
Great gore in this story and described by a master writing stunning poetic prose to describe the horrors. I rated the story 3.5 Stars. “Rawhead Rex” enjoyed a film adaptation in 1986 (I did not see it), and evidently the screenplay was written by the author but Barker “disowned” the movie after voicing dissatisfaction with the Director and overall production. Kinda makes me want to see the movie after reading the story and knowing that Barker had a fit over the handling of his screenplay for the film.
The third story in this Volume 3 is "Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud" and I thought it was a hoot. It is about a rule-abiding Catholic accountant who does the books but asks no questions. Subsequent to his blinders being removed he runs, doesn’t walk but runs to the nearest Confessional Box. First on his agenda is to obtain absolution due to the notion of him being involved with pornographers. Following his gesture of remorse, he sits down and plans cold-blooded murder. The gist of this tale is an honest man gets flimflammed by a trio of unscrupulous criminals who run a pornography ring. They find it amusing to frame their innocent bookkeeper, Glass. Maguire, and his two cohorts Dork and Henry, do not find it as funny when Glass sets out to carry out some bloody retribution. Glass is tortured and killed by the Mafia boss, but manages to return as a vengeful ghost who despite some funny limitations gets the job done in a really horrible bit of retribution to the mob moss. Glass inhabits a shroud and his machinations to scare the heck out of some hardened criminals is funny, but then this story was written as black humor. This story delivers some really graphic and satisfying extreme horror. I really liked it and awarded it 4 Stars.
The fourth and fifth stories are both outstanding and were awarded 5 Stars. In “Scape-Goats”, it is about a quartet of young people becoming stranded during the night on a small island. This is explained to be off the west coast of mainland Scotland, an archipelago, Inner Hebrides. The narrator Frankie, the handsome navigator Jonathan, the sexy Angela whose sole assets are below her nose, and Ray who is evidently her sexual companion on the yacht, in the darkness of night and the blinding mist find themselves “beached” on a small piece of land that cannot be located on a map. Their boat Emmanuelle is stranded. This story disturbed me on several levels almost from the first page. The detritus, flies, and stasis of the slimy ground with its putrid odors worse than that of an abattoir seemingly was detectable as I read. The shock and horror of finding the three emaciated slowly dying sheep, the fragility of the young cocky navigator’s mind and his mindless slaying of the meek and innocent. Frankie’s slowly rising fear was palpable, and then it was the arrival of an unknown fear that was almost subliminal that made my own discomfort rise exponentially. It was all downhill from there figuratively speaking. This was a genuinely frightening ghost story, a burial mound on an unmarked tiny island in the sea. No more narrative about what happened in the tale, because this one will scare you more if you do not know what is going on until it happens. Rating 5 Stars.
“Human Remains” was the final story in the volume, and it was my favorite tale. It was initially about a gorgeous hunk of male flesh whose goal in life was simple, to move from hustler to gigolo to kept boy, to married man. Gavin was a 24-year-old male hustler with a face like a movie star and a body like a chiseled real-life Adonis. His preferences are not significant to him, but his youth was yesterday, and he is failing to achieve the lofty goals he set for himself. He is exceedingly vain about his face, body, clothes, and feeds on adoration, admiring looks, and loving glances from his satisfied male and female customers. One evening he goes out to find a mark, this time to be told how handsome and magnificent he is more than anything else. He has some money ahead, so it was not about sex. He draws the eye of one Ken Reynolds, a decently dressed, polite, but nervous older gentleman while trolling in front of the cinema. Gavin accompanies him back to his apartment for whatever, and the pair have drinks. That is before there are noises in the apartment signifying that someone else is in the house. Gavin works up the courage to check the house when Ken does not return. While Gavin had been searching the rooms he pulls the shower curtain in the bathroom and sees something lying still on the bottom of the tub. He also finds Ken beaten and bleeding and offers to help him. Kenneth tries to make him leave the house as in “Right Now! But of course, Gavin thrives on the word “No”. This was a terrific tale that included extreme horror but additionally a truly frightening plot which I found refreshingly original but also disquieting and disturbing. I loved this story. An easy 5 Stars.
I calculated the average rating to be 4.4 Stars which is what I allotted for this satisfying quintet of tales from the mind of Classic Horror Icon Clive Barker.
My Review 4.2 Stars
“I have seen the future of horror and his name is Clive Barker.”- Stephen King
Barker’s “Books of Blood” comprised a series of six horror anthologies which were written in 1984 and 1985. The series was originally published as six volumes, but the anthologies were later released as two omnibus editions containing three volumes each. I found it interesting that it was only the first omnibus that was given the title “Books of Blood”.
I have been reading the Crossroad Digital Edition(s), Volume 3 released by Crossroad Press in 2013. I finished this third volume of the “Books of Blood” which is contained in the first of the two omnibus editions. I can now declare that Volume 2 was my favorite volume of the first three I have read at this point.
First, “New Blood in Old Bottles” was an informative and entertaining introduction to Volume 3 which was contributed by Chet Williamson. Many of the observations by Williamson were energetically on target about this “young Brit” who “come out of nowhere” in 1984/85 and (paraphrased) was not only very good but also original. While Williamson acknowledges that sex and violence were always an integral component of horror fiction, he reminds readers that in those “quiet days before Splatterpunk” horror fans had never read the works of any writer who treated the taboo topics of sex and violence so “graphically and unflinchingly”. “Brilliant images depicted harrowing moments, and always with a poet’s eye, proving that one can write about anything if one writes about it well.” He accurately points out that the “power, terror, and beauty” of Barker’s stories first penned 40 years ago have lost nothing of their mesmerizing magic as a result of the passage of time. There is no question that Clive Barker steered horror fiction into a bold new future as Williamson proclaims. I found Williamson’s comparisons between horror classics and Barker’s stories in this collection fascinating.
This third volume contains five short stories: "Son of Celluloid," "Rawhead Rex," "Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud," "Scape-Goats," and "Human Remains".
“Son of Celluloid” is the story of a criminal named Barberio who was both injured and running from his pursuers when he struck upon a most unusual hide out within the interior of the Movie Palace. He was hidden within a space about four foot wide but tall, and with flickering light penetrating the cracks of the inner wall. It was within this space between the back of the building and back wall of the cinema that the man bled to death from his wounds. It was such a secret nook that his remains may never see the light of day. Barberio perished without knowledge that he was suffering from a cancer that would have proved life-threating had he lived. The Movie Palace had sold tickets to the moviegoers for half a century and these patrons had lived their lives vicariously through the silver screen of Hollywood, the energy of these tides of emotion gathering strength in that passage of air, but with no release valve for that powerful charge of energy created by the sympathies and passions of thousands. It was without a catalyst before Barberio’s cancer. It became “a ghost in the machine of cinema”. The image of Marilyn Monroe in her heigh day is not one I would have associated with extreme horror, but the carnage of “The Son of Celluloid” is graphic and explicit.
“The Son of Celluloid” is perhaps the most bizarre horror story I have ever read. It is certainly bold and imaginative with the narrative never shying away from extreme horror and all its trappings in its story telling. It is a plot not founded in rationality or reason but the elusive seduction of the big screen cinema and its power to stir our hearts and capture our love and imagination. Its birth to be from an invasive cancer in the first flesh and blood victim the cinema claimed that did not succumb to her magic and sensual seduction is part of the enigmatic coupling. I rated this first story in the collection 3.5 Stars.
“Rawhead Rex” is the story of an ancient god who was feared and worshipped in the time before Christ. Rawhead was humanoid but more animal than man but was a fearsome giant 9 feet tall who exhibited a ravenous appetite and ate children. He was imprisoned under the earth by a tablet of stone which symbolizes his greatest fear. The townspeople of old had not killed him but only contained him. That proved to be quite unfortunate since an ambitious and tiresome farmer made it his life’s work to dig up the stone that sat on his 3-acre parcel of land. There are a number of brutal, violent, and descriptive kills in this story which constitute well-written horror at an admirably skilled level. Rawhead was not too bright and very impetuous, liked immediate gratification in the form of child flesh but also enjoyed crushing and mutilating the pathetic human race under his feet. His downfall was jumping to conclusions about new-fangled gadgets and fire sources in particular. He figured that “cars” were thinking entities that were intelligent enemies. Their fuel and its flammability fascinated him, and he immediately sought to use that beautiful source of fire to burn his opposition. Rawhead also was remarkably intimidated by the stone (which had carvings that symbolized the only nemesis he feared). In short, Rawhead was:
“…nine feet tall, covered in blood, and it looked like Hell on legs.”
Great gore in this story and described by a master writing stunning poetic prose to describe the horrors. I rated the story 3.5 Stars. “Rawhead Rex” enjoyed a film adaptation in 1986 (I did not see it), and evidently the screenplay was written by the author but Barker “disowned” the movie after voicing dissatisfaction with the Director and overall production. Kinda makes me want to see the movie after reading the story and knowing that Barker had a fit over the handling of his screenplay for the film.
The third story in this Volume 3 is "Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud" and I thought it was a hoot. It is about a rule-abiding Catholic accountant who does the books but asks no questions. Subsequent to his blinders being removed he runs, doesn’t walk but runs to the nearest Confessional Box. First on his agenda is to obtain absolution due to the notion of him being involved with pornographers. Following his gesture of remorse, he sits down and plans cold-blooded murder. The gist of this tale is an honest man gets flimflammed by a trio of unscrupulous criminals who run a pornography ring. They find it amusing to frame their innocent bookkeeper, Glass. Maguire, and his two cohorts Dork and Henry, do not find it as funny when Glass sets out to carry out some bloody retribution. Glass is tortured and killed by the Mafia boss, but manages to return as a vengeful ghost who despite some funny limitations gets the job done in a really horrible bit of retribution to the mob moss. Glass inhabits a shroud and his machinations to scare the heck out of some hardened criminals is funny, but then this story was written as black humor. This story delivers some really graphic and satisfying extreme horror. I really liked it and awarded it 4 Stars.
The fourth and fifth stories are both outstanding and were awarded 5 Stars. In “Scape-Goats”, it is about a quartet of young people becoming stranded during the night on a small island. This is explained to be off the west coast of mainland Scotland, an archipelago, Inner Hebrides. The narrator Frankie, the handsome navigator Jonathan, the sexy Angela whose sole assets are below her nose, and Ray who is evidently her sexual companion on the yacht, in the darkness of night and the blinding mist find themselves “beached” on a small piece of land that cannot be located on a map. Their boat Emmanuelle is stranded. This story disturbed me on several levels almost from the first page. The detritus, flies, and stasis of the slimy ground with its putrid odors worse than that of an abattoir seemingly was detectable as I read. The shock and horror of finding the three emaciated slowly dying sheep, the fragility of the young cocky navigator’s mind and his mindless slaying of the meek and innocent. Frankie’s slowly rising fear was palpable, and then it was the arrival of an unknown fear that was almost subliminal that made my own discomfort rise exponentially. It was all downhill from there figuratively speaking. This was a genuinely frightening ghost story, a burial mound on an unmarked tiny island in the sea. No more narrative about what happened in the tale, because this one will scare you more if you do not know what is going on until it happens. Rating 5 Stars.
“Human Remains” was the final story in the volume, and it was my favorite tale. It was initially about a gorgeous hunk of male flesh whose goal in life was simple, to move from hustler to gigolo to kept boy, to married man. Gavin was a 24-year-old male hustler with a face like a movie star and a body like a chiseled real-life Adonis. His preferences are not significant to him, but his youth was yesterday, and he is failing to achieve the lofty goals he set for himself. He is exceedingly vain about his face, body, clothes, and feeds on adoration, admiring looks, and loving glances from his satisfied male and female customers. One evening he goes out to find a mark, this time to be told how handsome and magnificent he is more than anything else. He has some money ahead, so it was not about sex. He draws the eye of one Ken Reynolds, a decently dressed, polite, but nervous older gentleman while trolling in front of the cinema. Gavin accompanies him back to his apartment for whatever, and the pair have drinks. That is before there are noises in the apartment signifying that someone else is in the house. Gavin works up the courage to check the house when Ken does not return. While Gavin had been searching the rooms he pulls the shower curtain in the bathroom and sees something lying still on the bottom of the tub. He also finds Ken beaten and bleeding and offers to help him. Kenneth tries to make him leave the house as in “Right Now! But of course, Gavin thrives on the word “No”. This was a terrific tale that included extreme horror but additionally a truly frightening plot which I found refreshingly original but also disquieting and disturbing. I loved this story. An easy 5 Stars.
I calculated the average rating to be 4.4 Stars which is what I allotted for this satisfying quintet of tales from the mind of Classic Horror Icon Clive Barker.
October 30, 2017
Still flawless. I liked this one more than the second volume, and it turns out I had already read "Human Remains" in another story collection (Fangs: The Vampire Archives, Volume 2. I hadn't even added it to my bookshelves).
My favourite story was probably "Rawhead Rex" (because D A M N), and my least favourite "Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud". "Scape-Goats"'s ending was REALLY good, too; I felt it needed a special mention.
My favourite story was probably "Rawhead Rex" (because D A M N), and my least favourite "Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud". "Scape-Goats"'s ending was REALLY good, too; I felt it needed a special mention.
August 8, 2023
3 for the 3rd entry. The main story didn't quite grab me, but still good overall.
December 14, 2021
No matter how many times I read The Books of Blood, I fall in love all over again.
There is no one like Clive Barker! No one!!
He is the master of mystery & the macabre. A wizard of words. A sorcerer of storytelling.
He is THE GREAT IMAGINER!!
He is my most favorite author, forever and always!
#AllTheBarker
There is no one like Clive Barker! No one!!
He is the master of mystery & the macabre. A wizard of words. A sorcerer of storytelling.
He is THE GREAT IMAGINER!!
He is my most favorite author, forever and always!
#AllTheBarker
May 14, 2023
“Fear was for those who still had a chance for life: he had none” Rawhead Rex
The best story in the book is about the terrifying ma eating monster Rawhead Rex who is unwittingly released from his prison underground.
The other story of note is Scape-Goats about four shipwrecked people on a deserted island of doom.
The best story in the book is about the terrifying ma eating monster Rawhead Rex who is unwittingly released from his prison underground.
The other story of note is Scape-Goats about four shipwrecked people on a deserted island of doom.
February 5, 2017
Определено най-добрата част до тук!
April 7, 2022
La Política del Cuerpo: 5/5.
Al principio pareciera ser un relato en tono jocoso, pero cuando luego detectas la seriedad de la narración, lo empiezas a mirar con otros ojos. Dudo mucho este relato pueda ser adaptado a la pantalla, no por lo difícil que pudiera ser la presentación sino porque no creo que un ejército de manos asesinas pueda llamar la atención del público. Sin embargo, creo que la manera con la que Barker presentó el relato fue sencillamente formidable, haciéndote reflexionar por un milisegundo que pasaría si alguna parte de tu cuerpo se revelara en tu contra jajaja.
La Condición Inhumana: 4.5/5.
Buena historia corta, cantidad de sangre bastante adecuada, en términos generales me ha gustado, sin embargo, la explicación del origen de los nudos me ha dejado un poco insatisfecho ya que le falto algo más de soporte, unos cuantos párrafos más narrando esa parte.
Revelaciones: 5/5.
Excelente relato, el mejor hasta los momentos, los personajes principales son un pastor fanático religioso, su esposa, su empleado de confianza y unos personajes bien particulares en el hotel donde se hospedaron una noche donde hubo un asesinato varios años atrás.
Quieto Satán: 3/5.
Es el relato más corto y más flojo del libro, sentí que fue como un relleno para completar el libro.
La Edad del Deseo: 5/5.
Buena historia, al principio me tener la sensación de leer la película "28 Days Later", la cual me gustó muchísimo, pero luego toma otro camino que la distancia bastante, basado en una especie de virus bastante particular. Muy bueno.
Lo Prohibido: 4.5/5.
El autor describe un ambiente que si genera miedo, sin embargo, al aparecer el antagonista pareciera quedarse un poco corto con respecto a lo que podría ser capaz de hacer.
La Madona: 4.5/5
Propuesta interesante, cargada del erotismo que caracteriza a muchas de sus historias. Buena descripción del escenario y de las criaturas, pero creo que le faltó un poco a la trama de "por qué" o "para qué".
Al principio pareciera ser un relato en tono jocoso, pero cuando luego detectas la seriedad de la narración, lo empiezas a mirar con otros ojos. Dudo mucho este relato pueda ser adaptado a la pantalla, no por lo difícil que pudiera ser la presentación sino porque no creo que un ejército de manos asesinas pueda llamar la atención del público. Sin embargo, creo que la manera con la que Barker presentó el relato fue sencillamente formidable, haciéndote reflexionar por un milisegundo que pasaría si alguna parte de tu cuerpo se revelara en tu contra jajaja.
La Condición Inhumana: 4.5/5.
Buena historia corta, cantidad de sangre bastante adecuada, en términos generales me ha gustado, sin embargo, la explicación del origen de los nudos me ha dejado un poco insatisfecho ya que le falto algo más de soporte, unos cuantos párrafos más narrando esa parte.
Revelaciones: 5/5.
Excelente relato, el mejor hasta los momentos, los personajes principales son un pastor fanático religioso, su esposa, su empleado de confianza y unos personajes bien particulares en el hotel donde se hospedaron una noche donde hubo un asesinato varios años atrás.
Quieto Satán: 3/5.
Es el relato más corto y más flojo del libro, sentí que fue como un relleno para completar el libro.
La Edad del Deseo: 5/5.
Buena historia, al principio me tener la sensación de leer la película "28 Days Later", la cual me gustó muchísimo, pero luego toma otro camino que la distancia bastante, basado en una especie de virus bastante particular. Muy bueno.
Lo Prohibido: 4.5/5.
El autor describe un ambiente que si genera miedo, sin embargo, al aparecer el antagonista pareciera quedarse un poco corto con respecto a lo que podría ser capaz de hacer.
La Madona: 4.5/5
Propuesta interesante, cargada del erotismo que caracteriza a muchas de sus historias. Buena descripción del escenario y de las criaturas, pero creo que le faltó un poco a la trama de "por qué" o "para qué".
October 24, 2016
Третият том от „Кървави книги” не би трябвало да ме изненада със съдържанието си. Да, ама не. Толкова по-различен е от предходните, колкото те един от друг. Тук имаме вече един натурален, груб, мръсен Баркър, разказващ кървавите си истории, без алюзии и препратки. Може би само последното произведение се разграничава от цялостната структора на сборника, но следва основната му идея.
Рожба на киното – Един болен и прострелян затворник се стаява да умре в тавана на едно стаео кино, събрало в себе си емоциите на хилядите преминали по седалките му зрители - нещо много гнусно ще оживее от тази комбинация.
Негово величество Ролхед – Трябва да изгледам филма. В едно селце, случайно освобождават вековно зло, което залива улиците му с кръв и насилие.
Изповедта на савана – Несправедливо набеден и убит счетоводител намира начин да отмъсти на мъчителите си след смъртта си.
Изкупителни жертви – Яхта с няколок не особено симпатични образа случайно попада на привидно изоставен остров. Оказва се, че там се е приютило... четете и ще разберете какво.
Човешки останки – Мъжка проститутка се забърква с древни тайни. Окаяният му живот ще бъде откраднат от нещо. Дали ще има против или е забравил вече какво е да си жив?
Безмилостна, кървава и много, много добра подборка, идеална добавка към октомврийското ми четене.
Рожба на киното – Един болен и прострелян затворник се стаява да умре в тавана на едно стаео кино, събрало в себе си емоциите на хилядите преминали по седалките му зрители - нещо много гнусно ще оживее от тази комбинация.
Негово величество Ролхед – Трябва да изгледам филма. В едно селце, случайно освобождават вековно зло, което залива улиците му с кръв и насилие.
Изповедта на савана – Несправедливо набеден и убит счетоводител намира начин да отмъсти на мъчителите си след смъртта си.
Изкупителни жертви – Яхта с няколок не особено симпатични образа случайно попада на привидно изоставен остров. Оказва се, че там се е приютило... четете и ще разберете какво.
Човешки останки – Мъжка проститутка се забърква с древни тайни. Окаяният му живот ще бъде откраднат от нещо. Дали ще има против или е забравил вече какво е да си жив?
Безмилостна, кървава и много, много добра подборка, идеална добавка към октомврийското ми четене.
December 14, 2021
Una delicia leer este libro en la edición gótica de Valdemar, que preciosidad. Se que la edición de Valdemar agrupa los volúmenes 3 y 4 de Libros de Sangre y que a lo mejor
hago un poquito de trampa puntuándolos por separado (es un secretino, no se lo digáis a nadie xD). Me gusta racionarme estos libros para que duren más.
Sigo pensando que Clive Barker es un genio, tiene una imaginación desmesurada y una capacidad increíble para hacer que lo tremendamente surrealista parezca cotidiano. Peeero, en este libro me he encontrado alguna cosilla que me ha hecho aburrirme un poco: historias demasiado largas que empiezan a mostrarnos lo realmente interesante cuando quedan pocas páginas para terminarlas; monstruos "luminosos" por todos lados (como si no hubiera otra clase de monstruos).
Aún así, este es otro libro de terror para recomendar, con historias diversas, buenos personajes y alguna que otra reflexión interesante.
Y con este libro cierro el año. Por las fecha en las que estamos y lo que voy a empezar ahora, no creo que me pase por aquí para más reseñas hasta después de Año Nuevo. Así que, felices fiestas a todos y pasadlo/descansad lo mejor posible.
PD + SOPILER
No sabía que Candyman era invención de este mozo
PD + SOPILER
hago un poquito de trampa puntuándolos por separado (es un secretino, no se lo digáis a nadie xD). Me gusta racionarme estos libros para que duren más.
Sigo pensando que Clive Barker es un genio, tiene una imaginación desmesurada y una capacidad increíble para hacer que lo tremendamente surrealista parezca cotidiano. Peeero, en este libro me he encontrado alguna cosilla que me ha hecho aburrirme un poco: historias demasiado largas que empiezan a mostrarnos lo realmente interesante cuando quedan pocas páginas para terminarlas; monstruos "luminosos" por todos lados (como si no hubiera otra clase de monstruos).
Aún así, este es otro libro de terror para recomendar, con historias diversas, buenos personajes y alguna que otra reflexión interesante.
Y con este libro cierro el año. Por las fecha en las que estamos y lo que voy a empezar ahora, no creo que me pase por aquí para más reseñas hasta después de Año Nuevo. Así que, felices fiestas a todos y pasadlo/descansad lo mejor posible.
PD + SOPILER
No sabía que Candyman era invención de este mozo
PD + SOPILER
February 21, 2018
While not as startlingly original as the first volume, the five tales of Barker's third Books of Blood are a welcome improvement over the uneven and underwhelming fair found in the previous collection. My personal favorite features an excavated faerie king going to war with a sleepy village by dueling its vehicles, converting the clergy with his piss, eating children and fleeing from menstrual blood. Barker is at his most campy with a hallucinatory story of a cineplex haunted by a shape-shifting predator, using the familiar beats of the drive-in creature feature to send-up silver screen icons John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe. Also a delight is his tale of a possessed funereal shroud snuffing out a gang of pornographers. Even the weakest entry, a short and cynical dispatch of two bourgeois couples stranded on a malignant isle in the south pacific, is executed with confidence and pointed irony. The final story of a rent boy with a primeval doppelganger is arguably the most accomplished of the quintet, showcasing Barker giving it his all to be poetically existential. Come for the scary stories and stay for Barker's punchy writing and arresting sense of wonder for a modern world that is only as bland as an imagination lets it be.
October 23, 2019
Another great set of five stories! Not the best out of the three i’ve read though. Full review soon
November 4, 2017
3.5
All stories in this volume have one thing in common - they are all about ordinary people who found themselves in some strange and sometimes terrifying, occasionally disgusting, situations. People are dismembered, kids eaten, animals killed, diseases and statues become alive and ghosts come back for more.
In Son of Celluloid, moving pictures become exactly that. The ending is pretty satisfying.
Rawhead Rex is my favourite of the five and it shows the dangers of ignoring or forgetting the past. The folklore of an area doesn't just appeared out of nowhere. There are lessons to be learned from the old stories.
Confessions of a Pornographer's Shroud features an ordinary, honest accountant who finds out that one of his clients is a criminal. He ends up dead, of course. This isn't a spoiler - read the title. This is a story of revenge.
Scape-Goats has an awesome idea, but didn't do much for me. I guess I need to feel something for the characters (it doesn't matter what). All four who appear in this story are colourless. Still, the idea of an uncharted island in the middle of nowhere with weird atmosphere is really good.
Human Remains is about obsession mostly. The main character is a prostitute who is obsessed with his looks and youth. Then, someone else (or rather something else) becomes obsessed with it too.
All stories in this volume have one thing in common - they are all about ordinary people who found themselves in some strange and sometimes terrifying, occasionally disgusting, situations. People are dismembered, kids eaten, animals killed, diseases and statues become alive and ghosts come back for more.
In Son of Celluloid, moving pictures become exactly that. The ending is pretty satisfying.
Rawhead Rex is my favourite of the five and it shows the dangers of ignoring or forgetting the past. The folklore of an area doesn't just appeared out of nowhere. There are lessons to be learned from the old stories.
Confessions of a Pornographer's Shroud features an ordinary, honest accountant who finds out that one of his clients is a criminal. He ends up dead, of course. This isn't a spoiler - read the title. This is a story of revenge.
Scape-Goats has an awesome idea, but didn't do much for me. I guess I need to feel something for the characters (it doesn't matter what). All four who appear in this story are colourless. Still, the idea of an uncharted island in the middle of nowhere with weird atmosphere is really good.
Human Remains is about obsession mostly. The main character is a prostitute who is obsessed with his looks and youth. Then, someone else (or rather something else) becomes obsessed with it too.
March 31, 2021
Of the first three volumes, I thought this was the strongest.
July 7, 2022
Μου άρεσε πολύ και αυτό το βιβλίο του αίματος. Ξεχώρισα τις ιστορίες Ρωουχεντ Ρεξ, Εξομολογήσεις ενός Σάβανου (ενός πορνογράφου) και το Ανθρώπινο Λείψανο.
Συνεχίζω ακάθεκτη με το 4ο.
Συνεχίζω ακάθεκτη με το 4ο.
November 9, 2022
In order from most liked to least liked:
Rawhead Rex
Human Remains
Scape-Goats
Son of Celluloid
Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud
Rawhead Rex is sublime; no-nonsense primal and ferocious horror. Its only crime is that it's not longer.
Human Remains: American Gigolo meets Possession (1981)
Scape-Goats feels almost incomplete. There's a horror-sized hole missing. Great care was taken on the haunting imagery of the finale but could have used more of the malice of the mound.
Son of Celluloid didn't exactly thrill me the way I would have liked with such an interesting concept, though there are a few novel scenes and an satisfying conclusion.
(Pornographer's) Shroud has that very same appeal found in the conceit of Peter Strickland's 2018 film, In Fabric, but is propped up on one of the most unbelievable crises of sudden morality for who is, effectively, a criminal, that I've ever read. There is one particularly effective kill scene though, with an ironic closer.
Rawhead Rex
Human Remains
Scape-Goats
Son of Celluloid
Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud
Rawhead Rex is sublime; no-nonsense primal and ferocious horror. Its only crime is that it's not longer.
Human Remains: American Gigolo meets Possession (1981)
Scape-Goats feels almost incomplete. There's a horror-sized hole missing. Great care was taken on the haunting imagery of the finale but could have used more of the malice of the mound.
Son of Celluloid didn't exactly thrill me the way I would have liked with such an interesting concept, though there are a few novel scenes and an satisfying conclusion.
(Pornographer's) Shroud has that very same appeal found in the conceit of Peter Strickland's 2018 film, In Fabric, but is propped up on one of the most unbelievable crises of sudden morality for who is, effectively, a criminal, that I've ever read. There is one particularly effective kill scene though, with an ironic closer.
February 6, 2014
И ето, че дойде време и за третия том от Кървавите Книги на Клайв Баркър! Много съм доволен да съобщя и нахално да заявя, че този том е най-добрият досега, прочее ми хареса най-много. Но, да не избързваме.
Както може би знаете, Кървавите Книги не са точно сборници разкази, а по-скоро новели. Новелите в трети том са следните:
1. Рожба на киното - дребен престъпник е преследван от ченгетата, понеже се е чупил от пандиза. Сериозно ранен с куршум в тялото, той стига до едно кино, където успява да полегне... и издъхне. Но, напълно ли е мъртъв?
2. Негово Величество Роухед - фаворитът ми в сборника. Невнимателен фермер събужда без да иска древно същество - бог, демон, изчадие и детски кошмар в едно, който от векове е гнил под земята и сега гори от нетърпение да тръгне отново по света. Тук го чакат толкова хора за убиване, обладаване, изяждане... и не само.
3. Изповедта на савана (На един порнограф) - господин Глас е съвестен счетоводител и добър католик, но за нещастие се замесва с грешните хора. Мафията успява първо да съсипе живота му, а после и да му го отнеме. Болката на Глас обаче е така силна, че гробът не може да я удържи...
4. Изкупителни жертви - малък кораб с екипаж от шепа хора попада в мъгла и се забива в купчина неотбелязани на картата скали, които е малко трудно да се нарекат остров. Остров, който не е обикновен.
5. Човешки останки - Гевин е елитно жиголо, което не се свени да спи както с жени, така и с мъже. Един от клиентите му обаче се оказва археолог, който ще обърка що-годе приятния му живот. Само финалът на разказа ми беше някакси... странен.
Чудесно разказани истории по един увлекателен начин, посвоему красив като окъпана в кръв гола жена, стискаща острие. Баркър притежава оригинален стил, не копира и не подражава на никого - просто няма нужда. Описаните свръхестествени събития и същества звучат и изглеждат така логично и достоверно, че след прочитането на книгата не се опасяваш, че ще те споходят кошмари - по-скоро те е шубе да не се появи наяве някое от чудовищата.
Заслужава си отново да се спомене чудесният превод на Иван Атанасов - превод направен не само с професионализъм, но и със страст. Да не забравяме корицата и цялостното оформление на поредицата, адмирации за Колибри. А, да - и похвалното писмо на Стивън Кинг, служещо вместо предговор в този том.
Кървави книги - за всеки уважаващ себе си читател с изтънчен вкус.
Както може би знаете, Кървавите Книги не са точно сборници разкази, а по-скоро новели. Новелите в трети том са следните:
1. Рожба на киното - дребен престъпник е преследван от ченгетата, понеже се е чупил от пандиза. Сериозно ранен с куршум в тялото, той стига до едно кино, където успява да полегне... и издъхне. Но, напълно ли е мъртъв?
2. Негово Величество Роухед - фаворитът ми в сборника. Невнимателен фермер събужда без да иска древно същество - бог, демон, изчадие и детски кошмар в едно, който от векове е гнил под земята и сега гори от нетърпение да тръгне отново по света. Тук го чакат толкова хора за убиване, обладаване, изяждане... и не само.
3. Изповедта на савана (На един порнограф) - господин Глас е съвестен счетоводител и добър католик, но за нещастие се замесва с грешните хора. Мафията успява първо да съсипе живота му, а после и да му го отнеме. Болката на Глас обаче е така силна, че гробът не може да я удържи...
4. Изкупителни жертви - малък кораб с екипаж от шепа хора попада в мъгла и се забива в купчина неотбелязани на картата скали, които е малко трудно да се нарекат остров. Остров, който не е обикновен.
5. Човешки останки - Гевин е елитно жиголо, което не се свени да спи както с жени, така и с мъже. Един от клиентите му обаче се оказва археолог, който ще обърка що-годе приятния му живот. Само финалът на разказа ми беше някакси... странен.
Чудесно разказани истории по един увлекателен начин, посвоему красив като окъпана в кръв гола жена, стискаща острие. Баркър притежава оригинален стил, не копира и не подражава на никого - просто няма нужда. Описаните свръхестествени събития и същества звучат и изглеждат така логично и достоверно, че след прочитането на книгата не се опасяваш, че ще те споходят кошмари - по-скоро те е шубе да не се появи наяве някое от чудовищата.
Заслужава си отново да се спомене чудесният превод на Иван Атанасов - превод направен не само с професионализъм, но и със страст. Да не забравяме корицата и цялостното оформление на поредицата, адмирации за Колибри. А, да - и похвалното писмо на Стивън Кинг, служещо вместо предговор в този том.
Кървави книги - за всеки уважаващ себе си читател с изтънчен вкус.
November 4, 2021
EVERYBODY IS A BOOK OF BLOOD:With this, Barker, though childless, proves himself the master of horrifying dad jokes.
WHEREVER WE’RE OPENED, WE’RE RED.
In my days I have read a lot of Stephen King, starting in my teens, and his short story collections (Skeleton Crew, Night Shift) were among my favorites.
Clive Barker's stories put Uncle Steve's to shame.
Here we have another collection of captivating, meaty, lustful, almost artistic stories that, thirty-five years after initial publication, still manage to thrill and impress with their originality. Throughout each tale, you're never quite sure what to expect. My favorite was Rawhead Rex, a tale of an ancient primal figure, one-time ruler and devourer of humankind, now released into a world that has forgotten him and is woefully unprepared. Fortunately I have never seen the film adaptation:
...because that would have ruined the reading experience. The other four stories are equally haunting and memorable, with an undercurrent of sadness, loneliness, and loss of past glory.
April 21, 2013
A special book with a lot of history and personal significance for me. It shattered my book world and I never forgot it. I still refer to many of these stories in conversation.
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