I think that it is about bloody time that this happened…I have finally gotten around to reading The Hellbound Heart! I think that everyone who loves horror knows Pinhead and has seen Hellraiser, but I wanted to go back to where it all began.
Clive Barker has masterfully pulled me into the world he has created from the deep, dark recesses of his mind. The star of Hellraiser is only a subsidiary character in The Hellbound Heart; the story is more about the depravity of the human soul than the tortures of hell.
The lives of Rory Cotton, his wife, Julia, and his brother, Frank are woven together into a completely dysfunctional family dynamic. I couldn’t help but be disgusted by the lack of loyalty and the selfishness demonstrated by all three of these characters. None of them appeared to know where and when to draw the line. I think it is the sign of a great book when the author creates a cast of characters that are so despicable, yet I cannot pull myself away from them.
I’ll be honest, The Hellbound Heart is on the short side (listed as 176 pages), but it is executed with perfection. A quick paced introduction to Lemarchand’s box and the secrets hidden within, followed by the body of the story that kept me riveted to my Kindle.
Between the action and the detailed description, The Hellbound Heart is a well-balanced tale. It is written for an audience ready for the darker side of life…and what comes next.
*5 Stars
The Hellbound Heart
By Clive Barker
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