The Hellbound Heart (1986)

The first half is a bit too paranormal romance for my liking, which is made even more extreme by listening to the audiobook and hearing Barker repeatedly and intensely say the word "pleasure." The cool monsters and insane scenarios of the second half were much more entertaining because apparently I'm 12. ( )

I will feature a full review on my blog later, but here are some quick impressions. If you have seen the film it is based on, then you may want to forget it a bit as the original book is different in some very significant ways. If you read the book first and by some miracle you have not seen the film, then I'd say lucky you.

This is a novella/short novel, and you can read it in one sitting with a bit of time. It is well done, tight, good element of horror, and it develops just enough of the mythology to leave things open for future possibilities. It could have ended there, but the option was there (and as we know, Barker and others ran with it). A lot of people speak how this book was great for its time when compared to the other horror that was more "schlocky" at the time. However, I want to look at it as a work on its own, and based on that, it really holds well and it is well worth reading. Whether you like Barker's later works or not (for instance, I read his -Great and Secret Show-, which I did not really like), this by now is a classic of horror, and to be honest, the movie (good as it is for some people), does not do it justice.
( )

I really enjoyed this book. I do wonder if it would have been a bit creepier if I hadn't been familiar with the movie.

Also, now I will always feel slightly unsettled whenever I hear church bells. ( )

I got to listen to an interesting full-cast version that totally and utterly makes me realize that the movie is just as good. Or better.

Isn't that odd? Ah, but watching Hellraiser also gives me the chance to revel in Doug Bradley's awesome performance as Pinhead.

Ah, but the rest of the movies after? Such suffering. Such beautiful suffering. Hold back your tears, they are a waste of such wonderful suffering.

On the bright side, this little story is a pretty great romance! I think I'll re-read it for Valentine's Day!

We always need to repurpose stories. Never let any of it go to waste. Right, Julia? Right, Frank? Now let's give this story a little skin, shall we? ( )

My first Barker story, not a huge fan of Hellraiser but adored this. ( )