The Hellbound Heart
Clive Barker

Frank Cotton's insatiable appetite for the dark pleasures of pain led him to the puzzle of Lemarchand's box, and from there, to a death only a sick-minded soul count invent. But his brother's love-crazed wife, Julia, has discovered a way to bring Frank back - though the price will be bloody and terrible... and there will certainly be hell to pay.

The vast majority of you will, know this take under it's movie name - Hellraiser. However, while the film loosely follows the story line, there are important differences between the novel and the movie. And it's these little differences that set the novel above the movie. While I quite enjoyed the movie (and many of its sequels), I prefer the book. Not only does one's imagination provide more horror than the cinema possibly can, but the differences just pull the story together in a better way. Especially the differences in the ending.

As with many of Barker's books, this one does cross the line, but not so much as you would expect. There is graphic violence and gore and there is unusual sex, but if you've read other books by Barker, this one is actually somewhat tame in the sexual area... and even the graphic violence area. Which is odd given what this novel and series of films are known for..

This is the quintessential Clive Barker. For an adult who has never read him before, I would recommend this as the gateway book into his adult works. It's a quick read and also a very intriguing read. It can easily be read in a night or two, and you really won't want to put it down.

Both seasoned Barker fans and those who just want to get a taste of what this author is capable should read this novel. I would not recommend it for anyone under the age of 17 or so. Let's just call it a R rated novel.

My rating: Five out of five snails.