Galilee

Rating:
Summary: THE BEST YET
Review: This book is Incredible. Barker does it once again. Written beautifully, as always, Barker develops an excellent story. A MUST READ for anyone whether a Barker fan or not.

Rating:
Summary: thumbs up
Review: An interesting page-turner that had me guessing what would happen next. Had to fight myself between this and Craig Furnas's THE SHAPE, since I was reading them both at the same time. That's saying something about GALILEE

Rating:
Summary: A grand story with promise, but doesn't deliver the goods.
Review: Clive has sort of gone out on a limb in creating this novel. He is more than capable of writing a romance book, but I don't get the endearing passion between the two main characters, Galilee and Rachel...I think that its a allusion sort of to the late Princess Diana marrying into the Royal Family and being less enthralled in the rigors of the regal life that was expected of her. The Gearys clan seem to be underdeveloped in that their actions doesn't seem plausible to me, especially Mitchell...Clive needs a greater infusion of horror lurking under the surface of the story also. A nice attempt though Clive

Rating:
Summary: A successful departure for Barker
Review: "Galilee" is a strange one, since it mixes the horrible cliches of romance fiction and celebrity magazines with Barker's visionary and majestic style. Was he winking at us at times, tongue in cheek? I hope so! On a purely aesthetic level, I think this is Barker's best written novel--and yes, I've read everything--with passages of such poetic grace and lyricism I had to put the book down to catch my breath. And the current of eroticism that runs through this book--! Barker, bless him, has always been interested in the power sexuality plays in our lives, more so than any other genre writer; some of the scenes here gave me quite a thrill, even sitting in a coffeeshop filled with people! OK--as for the story, it's obvious Barker's going for the American angle, going after those old warhorses the Kennedys. I loved the fact that Garrison Geary was such a deeply perverted man, and is growing in perversity and power as the novel ends. I think the Civil War stuff was dead brilliant and truly horrifying in places. I do wish some of the characters had been fleshed out. Maddox was an interesting character, despite being somewhat passive. Actually, I think this novel is fun in a way Barker's books never have been. He's playing with all those corny conventions of crappy pop fiction, yet presenting us with fables and visions and ideas about divinity and spirituality you don't find anywhere. That's what makes Barker so unique in contemporary fiction. I find his metaphysics to be really thought-provoking and exciting, and he seems to be growing with every book (and I thought he'd said it all with "Imajica"!) And as a male reader, I love the way he puts women at the forefront--wait till you meet Cesaria, the Mother Goddess! Great descriptions of her. some people disliked the "soft" climax, but I didn't mind it. I don't always like big "slam-bang" endings, and the conflict between the Barbarossas and the Gearys is not over. BUT--what the heck is up with all the typos??? Who does! the proofreading at HarperCollins? Come on! I've never read a book with so many errors. I wish Barker got more attention from so-called "mainstream" press--he is totally underrated as a writer; I know lots of well-read people who still think he's simply a horror writer. Arggh, I hate that! And I've met lots of novelists (I worked in a bookstore that specialized in author readings) who don't have nearly Barker's intelligence, curiosity, orjust simply his talent--what other writer can you name who's an accomplished playwright, painter, sketch artist, short story writer, novelist, and filmmaker? If any of you ever get the chance to hear him lecture--GO! Oh, "Galilee"--just fantastic. Sometimes melodramatic and silly, but always captivating. Great summer read, and one worthy to be put next to "Imajica" and "Weaveworld." I can't wait for the next part.

Rating:
Summary: Great New Book
Review: A great story about creation, life, death, love, hate, murder, ect. Written with a mix of fanatsy, romance, mystery ect. What can I say. It is a Clive Barker book !Although this is not a horror novel, it is a story that grips you till the end. And the end leaves open the possibility of a sequel!

Rating:
Summary: Galilee: Manhattan Gothic. Oh, and those beautiful women!
Review: Dear me, I've lost touch with Barker for a while. Then I run into this and I read the flap. when it happened with Sacrament I hesitated and went "Nah!" and with Everville I waited for the paperback. Not so here. I got swept off my feet and enthralled with the book, which I finished in 2 days. Oh, Rachel Pallenberg! Of thee I sing! And how about Marietta, Zabrina and "Mama"? Hey, I'll bet Clive watched his prime time soaps fine in the 80s; Loretta is a wonderful sendup for Angela Channing (Never Miss Ellie Ewing!) and Margie shines on, to the very last drop. I think that is the secret. After all, Barker women are unforgettable and come to haunt you by... remember Helen Buchanan?(The Forbidden) Just one question, though. There's mention of Karen Geary, who we see in passing... and of Alexia Geary (whom we don't see?) I was intrigued by this little girl, the sole heir to this horror and maddeningly Gothic fortune. Will we see Alexia Geary (Garrison and Margie's offspring) anytime if ever? After all, she is a Geary woman... Come back to Wuthering Heights! You most certainly won't regret it!

Rating:
Summary: Clive Barker in Anne Rice Territory
Review: Sad to say, this one is a clinker. Mr. Barker has taken on a subject that would better suit Anne Rice's prose style and her temperament. This simply is a silly book, inflated, badly structured, and, finally, dull. Clive Barker is a far better writer and a more clever deviser of plots than Ms. Rice, but this reads like one of her lesser efforts. It was a real disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: This book is epic
Review: I have never read anything of his , except The Thief Of Always. I started to read this , and thought"It's kinda cool , but it'd better get better " It did . I was so enthralled by this book .... it was mesmorizing . I loved the Geary Dynasty , and couldn't imagine how the Barbarossas could be intwined with these people. Eddie Maddox was a favorite character of mine , he's the writer of this book, and a Barbarossa . He didn't talk about himself enough , I think . He talked about Chiyojo , and his father , but that's almost all . It wasn't enough , to me . He should be in a sequel .

Rating:
Summary: A Reluctant Barker Fan
Review: Many, many years ago, I reluctantly picked up my first Clive Barker novel. I expected it to be a "classic horror" with a monster, stupid women, lots of blood, etc., etc. However, and much to my delight, I was wrong. Barker's books are wonderful and image provoking tales that can leave a reader breathless and wanting for more. When I read "The Great and Secret Show" I was spellbound by the image of a hole opening up in the space between me and the wall. If you've read the book, you know what I mean. I have also noticed that the hero in a Barker novel is almost always a woman. It is truly a pleasure that a man can see deeper than a woman's good looks to her inner strength. "Galilee" is yet another work of art depicting strong women, a fabulous tale and characters that you'd love to believe are real. A must read....

Rating:
Summary: Galilee is shallowly written
Review: It began so wonderfully. A tale about two families, one human, the other not so human. Like most Barker works, Galilee promises untold wonders with the turn of every page. What we get is a tepid love story that is almost as incomprhensible as the novel's plot. How Galilee and Rachel fell in love is beyond my grasp. They parted company hating each other.

I do not understand why people are raving about this book. The story of the Barbarossas is wonderfully written, but the parts about the Gearys are trite and a little too pat. Plus, the way Barker chose to tell the story (through the eyes of Maddox) ultimately cheats the reader. If that wasn't enough, there are errors in the text as well as a few typos. The book feels rushed and not completed. Barker says there will be a sequel, but that is no excuse to leave a plot line open.

After reading marvelous works like Weaveworld, Imajica and The Thief of Always, I have come to expect a level of challenging fiction from Mr. Barker. The only thing that was challenged was my patience. With such wonderful characters such as Zelim, Cesaria, and Nicodemus, why oh why was the annoying, self-pitying Rachel given so many pages? So many times I wanted her to sit down and shut up. I was hard pressed to find a reason why Galilee (or even Mitch Geary) would ever have fallen in love with her. Judith (Imajica) and Tesla (The Great and Secret Show)were women worthy of a great man's love. More time spent on developing Galilee would't have hurt either. He is shallowly drawn and I wondered why anyone ever cared much about him. He was even more self-pitying than Rachel. How did he survive all of those years?

Great premise, great characters, poor execution. But if you are a Barker fan, it should be read simply for completion's sake. Besides, the first 200 pages are fabulous.