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Summary: Best thing out there.
Review: I used to love Stephen King novels until I ran into Barker's Books of Blood. For me, it raised the bar for horror fiction world-wide. While authors other authors, such as King, depend on gore and entrails smeared scenes, Barker's prose is elegant without being arrogant; intelligent but not verbose. Each word is placed in architectonic order to enhance the reader's literary aesthetic experience of horror at its best. Simply breathtaking.
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Summary: Damn Good Starter Text
Review: I was looking up this book on Amazon.com to recommend it to a friend who is suddenly interested in Mr. Barker's work. Admittedly, I'm a huge fan, have first edition hardbacks of all his books, and have his autograph on all sorts of crazy stuff. If you want to see why so many people like this guy and want to really get into what makes Clive Barker such a fascinating writer, then read this book. His short stories are all based on the most incredibly original ideas, so that's what you get here - idea after idea after idea before delving into "Weaveworld" or "Imajica" and really getting swept into a completely other world. Stephen King tells a story, often a very compelling one, but it's never exactly the best written one. Clive Barker, because he's such a damn good writer, not only creates an entire world, but also is talented enough to completely immerse you in it. A hundred years from now, Clive Barker will still be read and studied as an example of Post-Modern Lit from the end of the 20th Century. Stephen King, well, he will have a place in popular culture history, but not in the literary canon the way Barker will.
Rating: 
Summary: Overrated
Review: I'm not big horror reader these days, but I used to read Stephen King, and always liked the darker fantasy stuff, not to mention all the splatter movies we used to watch in high school, so I wouldn't say I'm adverse to it. Barker has been widely hailed as "the future of horror," so I figured I'd take a gander at this collection of 16 stories originally published in 1984, to see what all the fuss what about. Well, maybe I'm just jaded or am too grounded to reality, but I found the seven stories I read to be fairly boring. There's plenty of blood, but nothing I found particularly shocking or scary. There are good premises here and there, but somewhat haphazard execution--which Barker himself obliquely acknowledges in his introduction.
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Summary: THE BEST HORROR FICTION COLLECTION THERE IS.
Review: I'M SURE MOST OF THE PUBLIC IS AWARE OF CLIE BARKER BECAUSE OF THE HELLRAISER MOVIES. WELL LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, IF YOU FOUND ANY PARTS OF THAT SERIES FRIGHTENING OR DISTURBING, YOU WILL LOVE "BOOKS OF BLOOD". I READ THEM WHEN THEY WERE FIRST RELEASED IN THE U.S. ABOUT 11 YEARS AGO AND EVERY STORY STILL STANDS UP AGAINST ANY HORROR FICTION, OR ANY FICTION FOR THAT MATTER, THATS ON THE MARKET TODAY. "MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN" IS MY FAVORITE. BUY IT AS A GIFT FOR SOMEONE WHO NEEDS A GOOD FRIGHT!
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Summary: Move over Stephen King, here comes Clive Barker!
Review: Ok, all horror/gore readers haven't read anything until they've read the Books of Blood. The story that sticks out most is "The Midnight Meat Train". God, who knew that murder, death, and gore could be described so well that you can actually see what is happening. You can almost feel the pain described in the stories. I know one thing this book is better than Stephen King. If you haven't read it then what the heck are you waiting for buy this book and read it. Just don't attempt to read it when you are all alone at about midnight inside a haunted house on Halloween. Trust me, I tried it and I didn't fall asleep until the next morning at about 9 AM.
Rating: 
Summary: Good prose, graphiclly frightening
Review: Sometimes I wonder why I read Barker's work. It is just too heavy for me at times, and often after reading a story or two I feel physically ill. Barker's prose is very good, more artistic poetry than real poetry, and his scenes are so close to home they are graphically frightening. In my opinion, he is the best, bar none, for stimulating horror fiction.
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Summary: Terrific short stories.
Review: Terrific short stories.
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Summary: As close to literary genius as you can get.
Review: The Books of Blood were my introduction to the works of Clive Barker, and I can only bow to his genius. The collection of stories in the Books of Blood demonstrate the depth of his imagination that is rivalled by none in his field, and the fantastic merging of (get ready for the cliche) reality and fantasy. Tales like 'In the Hills - the cities' antaognise deeply buried primal fears, and drag them kicking and screaming into consciousness. By these volumes, your literary life won't be the same without them. Pity he has to make the films though. Candyman ? Hellraiser 4 ? Give me a break.
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Summary: Clive Barker's Auspicious Short Story Collection...
Review: THE BOOKS OF BLOOD: VOLUMES ONE TO THREE is a collection of short horror stories that introduced the world to one of the most creative writers of his generation. Although Clive Barker would go on to write epic works of dark fantasy, he is best known for these sixteen grisly tales of terror. "The Book of Blood" is the first story that kicks off THE BOOKS OF BLOOD: VOLUME ONE and basically sets up the premise for all the stories that will follow... it's an intriguing haunted house premise that gives new meaning to the title of this anthology. The first official story is "The Midnight Meat Train," which is a wonderful blood-splattered tale that initially starts off with a serial killer in the New York City subway system and eventually moves into more disturbing grounds. That excessively gory tale leads into "The Yattering and Jack," which is just about one of the most hilarious short stories that I've ever read in this genre. "Pig Blood Blues" is a creepy little story that's often reminiscent of THE LORD OF THE FLIES while "Sex, Death and Starshine" is a witty take on the cutthroat world of the theater. THE BOOKS OF BLOOD: VOLUME ONE ends with a bizarre story called "In the Hills, and Cities" concerning two isolated villages in the European countryside. THE BOOKS OF BLOOD: VOLUME TWO starts off with a darkly psychological story called "Dread," which spends most of the time being an involving study of human fear, but soon descends into a rather unsettling climax. "Hell's Event" is a funny short story that involves the supernatural events that occur during a charity race. "Jaqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament" is a dreamlike story concerning a young woman with extraordinary powers... the story switches back and forth between narrators, and ends with an almost beautiful and fitting conclusion. "The Skins of the Fathers" is an excellent story that evokes surrealistic images that are often reminiscent of the surrealistic works of Salvador Dali. "New Murders in the Rue Morgue" is an odd twist on a classic story that mostly pays homage to its source material, but also hides a sinister and revolting climax. "Son of Celluloid" is a clever tale that takes place in a movie theater and marks the start of THE BOOKS OF BLOOD: VOLUME THREE. Clive Barker does an excellent job with his short story "Rawhead Rex," a fun and unashamed monster tale that's both shocking and very enjoyable. "Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud" is a strange story about a possessed shroud that exacts violent revenge. Barker delves into more traditional grounds with his wonderful ghost/zombie story "Scape-Goats," and digs far into his imagination to give readers the unique tale of "Human Remains." Second only to the brilliant works of H.P. Lovecraft, Clive Barker creates a delirious combination of literate prose and morbid detail. The stories in this collection range from dreamlike fables to all-out splatter nightmares, with Barker always being at the top of his craft. It's so uncommon to find a horror author that can successfully work with such a wide range of styles and do them all so seamlessly. I can't think of a single story in this collection that wasn't at all impressive or memorable in any way. And unlike other horror anthologies, Clive Barker finds a way to give each and every story it's own distinctions, almost guaranteeing readers that there will always be something fresh and exciting around the corner. Clive Barker's THE BOOKS OF BLOOD: VOLUMES ONE TO THREE is an essential addition to your horror library.
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Summary: This author brings discomfort into horror in a whole new way
Review: The first time I picked up these stories, I found that I was no longer reading the quick read of Stephen King. I was stopping to consider the images created by Barker, and taking a minute to digest them. Barker maintains a writing style that paints a very Greco-like painting, with images shifting in the background like a bad nightmare. His stories are never dull, but sometimes leaves you wanting more. Barker tries to disturb, and often succeeds, with stories like "Pig Blood Blues" and "Scapegoat". He also entertains with stories like "The Yattering and Jack". He also falls far short of expectations with stories like "Confessions of a Pornographer's Shroud". It's an interesting journey to take with Barker, but understand that his best works lie ahead.
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