The Hellbound Heart

Books | Fiction / Horror

3.9

(717)

Clive Barker

“Barker’s the best thing to happen to horror fiction for many moons. . . [he] never fails to deliver the compelling prose and relentless horror his readers expect.” —Chicago TribuneThe classic tale of supernatural obsession from the critically acclaimed master of darkness—and the inspiration for the cult classic film HellraiserFrom his scores of short stories, bestselling novels, and major motion pictures, no one comes close to the vivid imagination and unique terrors provided by Clive Barker. The Hellbound Heart is one of Barker’s best—a nerve-shattering novella about the human heart and all the great terrors and ecstasies within its endless domain. It is about greed and love, desire and death, life and captivity, bells and blood. It is one of the most frightening stories you are likely to ever read.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 could 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.

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Author

Clive Barker

Pages

176

Publisher

Harper Collins

Published Date

2009-03-17

ISBN

0061760870 9780061760877

Ratings

Google: 4.5

Community ReviewsSee all

"This was good, but I was surprised to find I liked Hellraiser (movie) better than the book. Maybe because it’s a short novella and didn’t really offer more? Regardless, still worthwhile reading. The language and style he uses to write horror is really unique and I love it."

CaitVD

"A disturbing and oddly entrancing read. Definitely stuck with me; it’s a book I will never forget- not only for its macabre story but it’s surreal descriptions of human emotions and desires. Was hoping for more Cenobites lore but I guess that’s what the Hellraiser movies are for. Will be reading the sequel The Scarlet Gospels. "

D �

Dani 🧚

""No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering."<br/><br/>I've seen Hellraiser, but this was my first time reading The Hellbound Heart. This was my second Clive Barker book, and I had a much better experience this time around than with Mister B Gone. This was a short and quick novella, and it's packed with weirdness, broken relationships, and body horror. Although I enjoyed this book, this is one of the odd situations in which I liked the movie more. In my opinion, the movie is so good that it really adds something to see what's happening. I know people are going to disagree with this, and that's fine. I still like the book; I just love Hellraiser."

Emily

"Clive Barker romanticizes horror and wraps it up in visual gore that rolls off the tongue and stays in your brain. Quick read, will read again and again."

J M

Jennifer Miller

"Supernatural psychedelic terror "

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𝓕𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓐𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓵

"Good but it’s not great"

N C

Nathan Chalem-Wallach

"Quick, fun read"

C R

Chris Raines

"Its pretty much the exact same as the movie. I was kinda hoping I'd find something that wasn't in the movie. Still a good read though. The movie and book were equally as good."

D L

Danielle Leonard

"I like the centering question that started this whole series: What would you do to achieve ultimate pleasure? A “What if” story that I very much enjoyed."

LHF0

"A good source for a great movie. The decision to change Kirsty to his daughter really was a good one though. The book does a poor job of explaining her relationship to Rory in this- are they childhood friends? Coworkers? She seems to have a crush on him but it isn't clear, nor the reason they didn't date. If she was his daughter or step daughter in the book that's really not clear because she calls him by his first name and again Barker never explains who she is. A paragraph would have made the whole book much clearer."

L B

Leah Burns

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