Rating: 
Summary: A Fantastic Journey!
Review: I've never been a fan of fantasy/horror adventures but when my son loaned me his copy of Weaveworld I didn't want to hurt his feelings. Much to my surprise I found this to truly be a must read. I literally couldn't put it down, reading into the wee hours at night then stealing more time over breakfast and lunch until I had devoured the last page.
Rating: 
Summary: An epic fantasy
Review: I picked "Weaveworld" up about five years ago after having just read "The Hellbound Heart." As a fan of fantasy/sci-fi/horror books and movies, this was a pleasure to read. At first, I was lost. I set the book down, rested, and picked it up a few weeks later. This was when I realized the absolute beauty of this epic novel. "Weaveworld" is a sprawling story that weaves (yup, weaves) through fantastic lands and settings with fantastic characters. If you are a fan of Barker or if you happen to like this kind of book, I suggest you pick this up and READ! You won't be disappointed.
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Summary: I wish so much to go there....
Review: Clive, I have been there. Weaveworld HAS to exist, if only as a place where people of a certain mindset escape to or create on a daily basis in the warp and weave of their dreams. If you hate the mechanization and dehumanization of modern living, you will love Weaveworld and you will want to read it again and again as an escape to a place where your mind and your heart don't have to go in different directions. I wish I could find a way to take my true love there and stay. While there are things about Clive Barker that I pity-Weaveworld is as good an example of his creative genius as one could want. I recommend you get two copies. One to keep and one to read the covers off of. Now I just need to get a lead on what the sequel, if it exists, is titled!
Rating: 
Summary: Good but not Barker's best
Review: Weaveworld is a combination of horror and fantasy and is an interesting read (as almost all of Barker's books are) but it's not nearly as good as some of Barker's other works. Imajica is another tale of a fantastic realm (or realms) populated by Barker's rich imagination but it really WORKS. I would suggest Imajica first and foremost before Weaveworld and after reading Imajica, Weaveworld isn't worth reading. I see this book as a stepping stone in Barker's development- but one that might best be skipped by the reader.
Rating:
Summary: A Powerful But Tainted Vision
Review: Weaveworld is a bludgeoning fusion of occult schlock-horror and heroic fantasy and is populated by a motley of vividly depicted characters. Cal and Suzanna's mundane entry on the scene contrasts effectively with the other-worldly horrors than ensue. The intriguing child/man Nimrod provides some humerous tableaux. Immacolata provides us with a deliciously evil villainess, her character made all the more complex by elements of poignancy and reconciliation surrounding her demise, and the chief miscreant - Shadwell is an effective personification of the "all power corrupts..." maxim. The sheer vileness though of some of the apparitions that Barker conjures forth demands the reader possess a strong stomach and reminds us that, first and foremost, this is a horror novel. What else should we expect from the author who gave us the visceral terrors of Hellraiser? The tale is also frequently punctuated by explicit (and some may say unnecessarily gratuitous) sexual imagery, which some may find tasteless. One major problem I had with Weaveworld is that I felt it reached its peak about two thirds of the way through. The most satisfying chapters are undoubtedly Cal and Suzanna's adventures in the Fugue and their heart-stopping flight to keep out of Shadwell and Hobart's clutches. Once the Fugue is unwoven though and the Seerkind scattered, the tale seems to lose direction somewhat. In particular the appearance of the entity calling itself Uriel really doesn't seem to fit comfortably with what has gone before and reads more like a novella in its own right. I'm afraid for me, the conclusion of the Uriel episode reminded me of some of Star Trek's more hackneyed finales, and I must confess to feeling slightly cheated by the rather tame conclusion. Overall though, Weaveworld is undoubtedly a pretty compelling read and reminds one of some of the more macabre paintings of Bosch or Breughal brought to life. Be warned though; it often plumbs the depths of depravity and the aftertaste it leaves may be something less wholesome than the sweet nectar of Jude pears!
Rating: 
Summary: not much here
Review: This is the first Barker that I've bothered to pick up. First, the good points: The original idea is great, and the author is at his best with his excellent phrasing. But, the characters were so shallowly drawn and the plot executed in such a mediocre fashion that I found myself no longer interested _at all_ a little after half way through the book. I was carried through the first half simply by Barker's style. But, truth be told, I really didn't care what happened to any of the characters or whether either of the worlds that Weaveworld "explores" vanished forever with no trace. It's been sitting, unfinished, for a month and will remain so permanently. Forgettable indeed. ;-)
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Summary: Never on my bookshelf
Review: Ten years ago I picked up Weaveworld in a bargain bookshop - one page had been misprinted - just because it looked like it might be something different. Working as an office temporary with nothing to do but answer the occassional phone call, I started to read it at work, and from the moment I opened it, I was transported. It was one of those books that I will always remember, and it is never on my bookself, because I'm always lending it to potentially new Clive Barker fans. Just open your mind to what could be .... you could do a lot worse.
Rating:
Summary: "That which can be imagined need never be lost..."
Review: ...and your imagination will never want to lose the excellence of this book. I have just finished reading Weaveworld for the third time and still find myself at a loss for words to capture its brilliance. Really, it defies explanation. Barker has created what I consider to be one of his greatest novels, heck! it's almost THE greatest novel. Its immensity allows its creator to use every aspect of great story telling to leave you feeling like you've just experienced something divine. It is an epic adventure of monumental proportions into a great secret world called 'The Fugue', that has been hidden away in order to elude its notorious enemies. Following the exploits of the two main characters, Cal and Suzanna, it tells us how they unravel (literally) the secrets behind the Weaveworld. This brings them into contact with some of Barkers most timeless and unforgettable characters, more notably so Immacolata and her side-kick the shifty salesman Shadwell. Mysterious, magical, loveable and terrifying - this book has it all. I particulaly love this book because of 'The Orchard of Lemuel Lo', with its entertaining magic and Jude Pears. A part of the book Clive Barker based on a early personal experience. It's just such a great chapter, magical in its peculiarities and believable by its veracity. There are moments of exquisite tenderness and poetry in this book and moments that will have you practically tearing the page to turn it and find the answers to the many questions Barker poses throughout. The story will take you beyond reality, beyond fiction, beyond poetry and beyond fantasy to deliver you to an ambience that will intice, elate and overwhealm you. You will truly wish the story to never end, which in a way it never does - you have to experience it to understand. Suffice it to say Weaveworld is Heaven of a different form, only read it if you have plenty of breath to catch, tears to cry and imagination to be inspired, stretched and truly amazed.
Rating:
Summary: A tonic for the imagination
Review: This is THE book.... simply reading this rekindled my childhood dream of being a writer and exploring the worlds of fantasy inside my head that I had shut off in the name of being 'practical'. In Immacolata, it also has the single most inspiring 'bad guy' that this villain-groupie has ever come across. I cannot praise this book nearly enough - and yes, I have read 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'. There's no comparison. One is an overbearing children's allegory, the other is a subtle and marvelous display of the full force of a very gifted imagination.
Rating:
Summary: Good...ALMOST great
Review: I'm a fan of Clive Barker even though I've only read "Damnation Game" and "Cabal". By the way, Damnation Game was SUPER! Okay, anywayz, Weaveworld is good, really, it's interesting, packed with action, suspense, a little gore, wonderful poetic writing, etc, everything good, great, whatevers, but there's one thing missing in this epic advanture, and that's character. The characters in this book have NO depth! I seriously didn't care if Cal or Suzannah died or failed or anything, I mean, I had no feelings for them, or any other characters. I often thought Stephen King could get a little boring, spending 3/4th of a book building upon character, but that's all a novel's about, if you don't care for the characters, no matter how tightly packed with action the story is, something is still MISSING. Yup, but this is still a wonderful read, anybody should give it a try. After all, even most of his fans consider this as his best work (reluctant as I am to say that...Damnation Game was so much better). Email me n-e-time, comments or recommendations are always welcome.
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