Need A Rug?

I read Clive Barker’s "Weaveworld" for the first time when I was fifteen, and I kept coming back to it. It was my first Clive Barker book, and I fell in love with the guy. I had read most of his books and I loved them, but "Weaveworld" remained my favorite Barker.

It’s a story about Seers (humanoid folk who posses magical abilities), Cuckoos (that’s what they call us, ordinary people; and we are, of course, usually unaware of their existence) and some other forces, best not tampered with. At the beginning of the novel, Seers are hiding in a magic carpet – they had woven themselves in it, thus the title – from a terrible creature which had almost exterminated them eighty years ago. A young man, grandson of an unknown but likable poet, happens to see the carpet and to glimpse its true nature – an entire world hidden in a rug – and the adventure begins...

Mostly, this book is fantasy. Low Fantasy, as purists might call it (fantastical elements in our own world, opposed to High Fantasy like "Lord of the Rings" which is situated in a completely different world). Occasionally, it switches to horror. Be warned, if you don’t have a stomach for scenes that are as appealing as a car crash, and I mean a car crash where you can smell the burnt flesh and see every horrible detail, skip these scenes. If you can. The book is very involving, you get to really care for the characters quite soon (even the evil ones), so it’s hard to look away. And the horror scenes are at the same time terrifying and fascinating. Guess I’ll be re-reading the book soon.

If you don’t have time to read and you choose to read this one, you’ll feel frustrated; though, if you are a quick reader, it’s not impossible to read it in one night (don’t forget to shave before you go to work after that, or, if you’re a lady, put some extra make-up and try not to look for a handsome Seer everywhere you go). Also, if you hate everything that is out of the ordinary, "Weaveworld" is not for you. Finally, the book contains a few sex scenes and a brief homosexual scene, so it’s definitely not a suitable Christmas present for your nine-year-old kid.

Other than that, a great book. Most definitely recommended!