The Hellbound Heart

I figured it was about time I read this. I have read Barker before, but it was years ago and I honestly can't remember much. I did really enjoy a graphic novel of one of his stories, about some monster or other. Anyway, I didn't really care for this one that much. What was there was good, but it was too short for my liking. There was so much more to be had! I felt cheated. Granted, it's only the first installment, but still ... Too short and lacking.

Always loved the Hellraiser movie and wanted to see how the book compared. It's pretty close with the major difference being the relationships (ie the daughter in the movie is a friend in the book) but I would absolutely read this novella again. It's dark and bloody and good.

Every once in a while I give Barker a try again, but it never works out for me. But two stars for creation of the iconic Cenobites, but otherwise left me cold.

I was already a big fan of the first Hellraiser movie, which is why I picked this up. Reading through it I found that the movie didn't stray too far from the book as far as narrative, but though the text is never overly descriptive or flowery, it adds greatly to the story. Barker here uses just enough description for the reader to know (basically) what is going on, to let them glimpse otherwordly beings and sights, but leaves it to them to fill in the gaps - to let the mind wander as far in to the Lovecraftian dreamscape as it may please.

The book is rather short and as previously mentioned, the narrative doesn't drag it's feet much; I read this in a single sitting, though having the movie in mind as a mental backdrop may have sped things up.

Highly recommended for any horror fan.

Familiarization with the far more popular movie version may make this a weak read for some, but The Hellbound Heart is still a well-written, sexual romp with unique imagery.

The book that Hellraiser was based on, loved the movie, not so much the book. the only good thing about the book is the characters come across as being far nastier than in the movie (I'm talking about the humans here not the Cenobites). A lot of the background story is missing from the movie too and that does make some interesting reading. Maybe I would have given this a higher rating if the book hadn't been so short.

Fantastic, imaginative horror from a master storyteller. I wished there was more time spent with the Cenobites, though :P

For the first three quarters, the story is almost identical to the Hellraiser movie, but at that point, some subtle differences make this a very satisfying read even if the movie is known beforehand.

The writing is, once again, highly stylised and wide awake, and still warm enough to elicit care for the characters.

Ross recommends