"The Hellbound Heart" is twisted fun

It's like a twisted fairy tale...or a Grimm tale...

"The Hellbound Heart" from Clive Barker is a story about desire and links to which people will go to in order to achieve this desire. There once was a toymaker named Lemarchand who made a box. This wasn't just any box. Rather, it was a puzzle that when solved opened a gateway to another dimension that held promises of the most wonderful wishes and desires coming true. Of course, these promises aren't at all what they seem. Something else exists beyond that gateway...it's the Order of the Gash better known as the Cenobites.

The Cenobites are bizarre, damned creatures. They are neither male nor female. Their gender doesn't matter where they come from. Their descriptions and appearances are very unlike that in the subsequent Barker movie entitled simply "Hellraiser." When the twisted and hateful Frank solves the puzzle, he finds himself in the presence of these Cenobites and finds that his soul is damned just as theirs once was. The apparent leader of this group of Cenobites is described by Barker as follows:

It's voice, unline that of its companion, was light and breathy--the voice of any excited girl. Every inch of its head had been tattooed with an intricate grid, and at every intersection of horizontal and vertical axes a jeweled pin driven through to the bone. Its tongue was similarly decorated."

This above description is much more terrifying than the actual pictoral representation in the movie. This creature, this Cenobite is ironically unsexual. There are no indications about it's intent...just pleasure. Well, anyway...Frank is gone. He's died a horrific death. A few years after his disappearance, his brother Rory, sister in law Julia, and niece Kirsty move into the home he died in. Julia is just as twisted as he. She senses his presence and manages to resurrect her former lover (yes, former lover) in a fit of passion. Frank is able to drain Julia's murder victims of their blood leaving just dry husks of the men.

Of course, there is much more to this story. But, since Barker's novel is just 164 pages I don't want to give too much away. Needless to say, "The Hellbound Heart" is not for the weak of heart. It's scary, bloody, twisted, and infused with religious elements. If you are easily offended, stay clear of this Barker book and any of his other stories. This is what is known as "splatterpunk." Barker writes with an ease and bluntness that not all horror authors can manage.

"The Hellbound Heart" is a good book. It's a good introduction to Barker and his style. Like I said...it's not for everybody...the books (including this one) ARE bloody and very sexual. Be forewarned...you could be offended. Anyway, I enjoyed this book. "Hellraiser" was simply a reinterpretation of this book...the movie took some liberties and made some additions to the story.

I am giving this book a solid 4/5 stars.