Everville

Rating:
Summary: A Sequel to be skipped
Review: First of all, I too was taken by whatever force compells Clive Barker fans to buy this book before The Great and Secret Show. It took me almost 200 pages before I was so hopelessly loss I went looking for help and found it in one of the greatest books ever written. Immediately after reading G&SS I re-read the boring intro and first couple hundred pages of Everville. By the end, Clive had managed to destroy better parts of his first book. Things that made G&SS great were the war between good (Fetcher and Tesla) and evil (The Jaff and Tommy Ray), the human-turned-god Jaff in trying to acquire more power is written to show how he falls prey to human nature and control, and the way Clive describes the dream sea is as a dream sea could possibly be. All three of these are lost in Everville. The war is no longer easily followed, characters are indeterminably sided with and against each other, human nature is ruled out as almost everyone is endowed with immortality and secret powers, and one of the things that really irritated me was Quiddity itself. In G&SS, those touching the dream sea are quickly transformed into a sort of "dream coral" but in Everville 2 characters have enough time to engage in a love tryst while sea creatures watch. I did finish this book, hoping it would answer at least some of my questions about The Art but the descriptions and explainations of this were much poorer than in the original book and I was left with a lot of empty spaces in my mind. Since I loved the first book, and cared little for the second, I guess my count is 1 and 1 and therefore I will wait patiently for the 3rd installment to be my tie-breaker.

Rating:
Summary: Like having root canal..
Review: How can I say this nicely? I know it's fantasy/horror, and maybe I just don't get the genre, but what the hey it's my review, right? I hated this book. It didn't make any kind of sense it's obtuse and it just plain stunk. Clive must have been on a real binge when he thought up this plot (or plod, as I see it). By the time I got 2/3's through it, I was hoping the Iad WOULD wipe everyone out and MY misery attempting to finish it. The best thing I CAN say about this book is, that it's over and on to something I like doing, like having a root canal. I had to give it a "1" because the rating system doesn't seem to have a "zero"

Rating:
Summary: Like having root canal
Review: How can I say this nicely? I know it's fantasy/horror, and maybe I just don't get the genre, but what the hey it's my review, right? I hated this book. It's didn't make any kind of sense. It's very obtuse and disjointed. I guess that was the fantasy part. It plods along for what seems forever. I guess that's the horror part. By the time I got 2/3's through it, I was hoping the Iad WOULD wipe everyone out and end MY misery attempting to finish it. The best thing I CAN say about this book is, that it's over and on to something I like doing. Like having a root canal

Rating:
Summary: What went wrong?
Review: I cant even begin to understand what Clive Barker was thinking whenr he sat down to write this book.Having read the first book I was interested in the way Clive Barker would continue the story so I bought Everville.My mistake.The whole way he goes about describing things in Everville is completely different than from TG&SH.First of all in the first book Quiddity is more less a dream sea,not a literal sea but in Everville Quiddity is a literal sea with boats and sea creatures in it.I just dont understand what hes trying to accomplish in this book.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect blend of the magic and mystery in our lives.
Review: I found this book kept me riveted throughout. the many plot twists and surprise events made the spectacular writing of Clive Barker alive with freshness and vitality that some of the best writers put foward. the many vivid characters that Barker created, such as Tesla Bombeck, a self-made woman, add a whole new dimension to horror/mystery writing. Tesla's wit and inner beauty make you genuinely feel for the problems Tesla faces. Overall, I found this book to be one of my all-time favorites. -Keith Jacobson

Rating:
Summary: Confusing book in confusing series of books
Review: I have no particular love for this book, but I don't really know what to make of it. It seems to contradict many of the things said in The Great and Secret Show, and some of the characters have lost focus(ie..Tommy Ray, Jo Beth, and Howie). However, every time I think Barker's full of it, he throws some twist in the story that pulls me back in. It's a confusing book to say the least, and he doesn't answer much at the end, but this is only the second book in a series, so I'm not sure if Barker's got something up his sleeve...There have been worse "middle of the series" books around that have still ended up good.

Rating:
Summary: Does justice to The Great and Secret Show
Review: I just reviewed The Great and Secret Show and thought I'd come here and speak my peace about this one as well. It is a brilliant continuation of the first book of the art. This novel explores the origins of some of the characters from the first book and goes even farther in it's descriptions of things like the dream sea and the Iad. We learn new things and are given a taste of what is to come in part three (I can't wait). If imaginative literature is your thing, then you'd best read the books of the art.

Rating:
Summary: Second part was just as intriguing read first
Review: I loved this book.. it really got me back into reading after months of taking a break from picking up a book. At first I was daunted by the length. I admit it! But by the end I wished it were double in pages. I hated that the story ended and that is a true mark of an enjoyed story. Now I'm reading the first part and am able to make all these connections with characters referenced before that were never rightfully introduced (ie Jaffe, Fletcher, Kisson). The order hasn't confused me too much. I feel like I know secrets that these characters don't. I know how the story ended before it began. After The G and S Show I know I'll be wishing there was a part 3.. Maybe Barker would consider. There are still a million stories on the story tree..and I for one would love to read another book of the Art.

Rating:
Summary: Full Of wonerful mysterious creatures and stories
Review: I personally loved this book. I read this one first however of the Art series. Its a wonderful book for those who love to read about the mystic, and psychic.

Rating:
Summary: So good I was surprised. Fantasy and philosophy rolled up.
Review: I purchased this book quite by accident in O'Hare airport because I finished another read sooner than anticipated. Clive Barker has become my favorite author...yes, better than King. Everville is intense and surreal. The characters are believable and I hated the book to end. I read Imajica several years ago, and reading Everville has enticed me to read the rest of Barker's books. It's wonderful.