Short, Satisfying Example of Barker's Work

Not just for completists, Tortured Spuls isna beautiful example of the kind of 'dark fantasy' that Clive Barker is famous for. Highly recommended.

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It's shortness was it's only failing.

a macabre and mildly disturbing tale. short, but consistent. excellent read if you enjoy hellraiseresque tales.

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Imaginative Short Story from the Master

Clive Barker is one of the greatest horror writers of all time. While this story is quite short it still has an epic feel in a similar vein to Weaveworld and Imajica.
It was my first time listening to a Peter Bishop narration and I enjoyed it immensely. He has a natural reading style and does a very good job with different character voices.
A quality presentation from Crossroad Press.
Highly recommended.

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1 person found this helpful

Pernicious exploitationof loyal fans Lazy Cashgrab

Excuse the missed space in the title. Had to fit it in.
This is the biggest disappointment I've had since maybe, the Dark Tower film, Disney Star Wars? I dunno the list of 80s born kids's loved culture being dug up and ruined and milked for cash by a creatively bankrupt media mill machine seems endless.
I am so fond of many of Clive Barker's works.
This is not a story. This is not an example of Barker's impressive storytelling talent (The Great and Secret Show, The Scarlet Gospels, Cabal). This is a bizarre and lazy waste of 45 minutes. It's listed as 1hr 23 (woefully short in my opinion) but you soon find out that that's largely as the narrator is reading through treacle to stretch the time out. One can speed this title to 1.25 speed and it sounds normal.
Now on the description this title sounds like an exciting and fresh invention, involving the First City Primordium and a supernatural demon character Antagonistes. It is so inviting in advertising and promises a fertile field for Barker's astonishing imagination to grow an incredible involving supernatural "epic horror".
Unfortunately this story is paper thin. The First City is invisible it seems because it is never described. We are told there are gruesome murders going on but we never experience them through the characters' eyes. In fact the whole "story" feels like it is being told to us by some inept amateur who read the original story and is now recounting it to us. Badly.
But what can you expect at 14 minutes a chapter. And don't expect to linger anywhere for long because each chapter is then split into 3 or 4 segments.
I don't think I heard a character speak until three chapters in. And then when a really grotesque frightening creature is introduced the narrative immediately skips over his dialogue and has another character relay for him. Way to dissolve the suspense and tension there Clive. Oh and the actual HORROR!
Come on, he's been doing this for years. Should know his craft. This was a horribly underwhelming and lazy title, pushed at you like a gem that's worth your monthly credit. Unfortunately the only exciting thing about this book is the blurb. Don't expect to learn anything about any of the characters, explore any of the world or Primordium, or experience erotic and arousing sexual electricity. More accurately expect to be disappointed and frustrated and laying in a depressing wet patch of lazy, rushed, superficial, and most of all uninspired dross. It is a shame Barker clearly cared so little for his fans, and his craft.
Run like the Cenobites are after you. I'm requesting a refund!

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