Scan barcode
tcgarback's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Critical Score: B-
Personal Score: B
Barker fits a lot in here. My head was spinning at multiple points from the sheer amount of stuff going on.
That’s part of the excitement, part of the messiness. Well, the messiness mostly lies in the often convoluted and contrived fantasy elements. Sometimes it feels like he’s making it up as he’s going along, or establishing to some vague and overly abstract magical element to make the plot work the way he wants it to. And that became draining.
But I pushed through and was rewarded by the epic stakes and impressively persistent pace.
Barker’s writing style can get a little out of hand when he’s talking philosophy. Cue the headaches. Cue the reading fatigue. But again, I pushed through because the plot made the sticky parts worth it.
My main issue with the plot is how much setup was needed to get things going. Providing so much prologue sorta proactively killed the suspense and took away any scariness in the villain. We didn’t need to know quite so much up front—I’d have been fine with some flashbacks if it meant opening up on the small town setting from the start.
Now about the small town setting…
My main issue with the thematic structure is Barker’s clear lack of experience with the American small town. Compare this to a Stephen King book and The Great and Secret Show looks like child’s play. Barker simply hadn’t had enough knowledge of his setting at the time of writing to convince me or illuminate me on the secret lives in suburbia. After all, this book thinks it’s deep when it comes to small town secrets. But Barker doesn’t ever actually give us that much to chew on in the intimate moments. His characters aren’t developed enough, and their secrets aren’t wrought—which is odd when the fantasy elements are so poetically wrought.
What kept me invested was the adventurous and thrilling plot. Barker engages us the whole time, even when the flaws are on display. I read this giant book in a few days. That’s a testament to its entertainment factor.
I’m excited to read the sequel Everville, though it might be a while before I get around to it. I wonder if Barker’s gotten around to writing the long-awaited third book. I hope his health is holding up.
Critical Score: B-
Personal Score: B
Barker fits a lot in here. My head was spinning at multiple points from the sheer amount of stuff going on.
That’s part of the excitement, part of the messiness. Well, the messiness mostly lies in the often convoluted and contrived fantasy elements. Sometimes it feels like he’s making it up as he’s going along, or establishing to some vague and overly abstract magical element to make the plot work the way he wants it to. And that became draining.
But I pushed through and was rewarded by the epic stakes and impressively persistent pace.
Barker’s writing style can get a little out of hand when he’s talking philosophy. Cue the headaches. Cue the reading fatigue. But again, I pushed through because the plot made the sticky parts worth it.
My main issue with the plot is how much setup was needed to get things going. Providing so much prologue sorta proactively killed the suspense and took away any scariness in the villain. We didn’t need to know quite so much up front—I’d have been fine with some flashbacks if it meant opening up on the small town setting from the start.
Now about the small town setting…
My main issue with the thematic structure is Barker’s clear lack of experience with the American small town. Compare this to a Stephen King book and The Great and Secret Show looks like child’s play. Barker simply hadn’t had enough knowledge of his setting at the time of writing to convince me or illuminate me on the secret lives in suburbia. After all, this book thinks it’s deep when it comes to small town secrets. But Barker doesn’t ever actually give us that much to chew on in the intimate moments. His characters aren’t developed enough, and their secrets aren’t wrought—which is odd when the fantasy elements are so poetically wrought.
What kept me invested was the adventurous and thrilling plot. Barker engages us the whole time, even when the flaws are on display. I read this giant book in a few days. That’s a testament to its entertainment factor.
I’m excited to read the sequel Everville, though it might be a while before I get around to it. I wonder if Barker’s gotten around to writing the long-awaited third book. I hope his health is holding up.
kckslider's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sea_caummisar's review against another edition
5.0
I recall a time (pre Kindle and internet days) when seeking out a book, I went by author name and/ or cover. And for whatever reason, id thought I had read most of Barkers stuff. This one fell under my radar. Maybe because it's an unfinished series. Maybe because it's more fantasy than horror. I honestly don't know why I hadn't read this one.
Then a couple weeks back, my local library had a free take home shelf. No way was I going to leave Everville by Clive Barker (the second book of the series) sit on that shelf and go to waste. So I brought it home. Then bought this one to begin the series.
And I'm so glad I did.
This very well could be one of my most fave books of all time. It's excellent. The crisp descriptions, the intricate plot, the realistic characters,etc.. everything makes this book a slam dunk. Highly recommend
Then a couple weeks back, my local library had a free take home shelf. No way was I going to leave Everville by Clive Barker (the second book of the series) sit on that shelf and go to waste. So I brought it home. Then bought this one to begin the series.
And I'm so glad I did.
This very well could be one of my most fave books of all time. It's excellent. The crisp descriptions, the intricate plot, the realistic characters,etc.. everything makes this book a slam dunk. Highly recommend
mamasmrf22's review against another edition
3.0
Loved the story, but found the writing a bit hard to follow at times. A few commas could've helped a lot!
billymac1962's review against another edition
3.0
Very surreal and imaginative. I don't even know how it explain the story, but what a trip. Read it and enjoy your journey.
somanybookstoread's review against another edition
1.0
This is a book a friend leant me years ago, saying it was his "favorite book". Always up for a literary adventure (and not good at giving up on things I start), I took the plunge, even if years after he handed it to me. Different from what I usually read? Absolutely. Off the wall nonsensical? Indeed. Outlandish and hard to follow plot for the sake of weird? Afraid so. Characters that just aren't realistic on any level? Bingo. Super lengthy for no good reason? Unfortunately. Not really my cup of tea, though I did try.
jjordanmagic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
el_viral's review against another edition
5.0
The first full-length novel I'e read of Barker's, and it did not disappoint. An excellent read, full to the top with ideas and drifting dreamscapes that really draw you in. I will definitely be reading Everville to enter back into this amazingly crafted world.
spitzig's review against another edition
3.0
Eh. I guess I was expecting more cosmology. More interesting monsters. Barker can create some interesting monsters.
Horror doesn't really scare me, so I can't judge it on that basis. This novel is a little creepy at times, and I felt that.
A couple characters were ok. One, I thought was pretty well done.
Plot, eh.
Other people talk about it being amazing. Maybe if I'd read it when it was written. I think other authors I've read have done better, though.
Horror doesn't really scare me, so I can't judge it on that basis. This novel is a little creepy at times, and I felt that.
A couple characters were ok. One, I thought was pretty well done.
Plot, eh.
Other people talk about it being amazing. Maybe if I'd read it when it was written. I think other authors I've read have done better, though.