Galilee

Rating:
Summary: Captivating
Review: I have always seen Clive Barker novels sitting alongside novels by Anne Rice and Stephen King at airport bookshops and, as such, have been relatively disinclined to spend my cash and time reading them.

However, during a stop at London's Gatwick airport I was thumbing through the usual selection of Turow, Grisham, and Crichton when I noticed this book sitting out of place next to the aforementioned.

Picking it up, I was first impressed by the size of the book. "Alas", I thought, "This must be some tale". Turning the book over, I read the covernotes and was instantly drawn to the concept of these two warring families. A hinting towards the supernatural intrigued me and I realized that, upon reading this epic, I may not find myself swallowed into some goreish nightmare.

I put the book down and bought a Grisham novel.

A few weeks later, I was back at Gatwick airport and with the repulsive thought of another 6 hours air time ahead of me, I sauntered back into the bookstore. My mental association sprung into action and I picked up Galilee and walked straight for the counter.

Before the aircraft doors had been closed, I had already started reading the tale of the Gearys and the Barbarossas and soon found myself completely immersed in the world that was being weaved around me.

It is plain to see the value of writing a story from a fictional storytellers persepective. With a novel of this size and complexity, it is refreshing for the reader to be taken back into the home of the fictional writer and listen to his ramblings which, as well as being highly entertaining, contain some very significant plot markers.

However, the bulk of the story revolves around the potential battle between the Gearys and the Barbarossas. These two families of who I will say little are linked. This link is obvious from the start but it's nature is not revealed until much much later in the story.

The story is told with so much depth and conviction that I was left wondering why I had never seen the Gearys in the newspapers! Lightly peppered with grotesque eroticism and supernatural violence, this is a story that held me from the first page to the last.

*** Spoilers Ahead ****

As the story ends, I was only slightly disappointed that the violent viscious clash between these two families never emereged and that the promised downfall of the Barbarossa's home L'Enfant never materialized.

My suspicions of a potential sequel have been confirmed on reading Mr. Barkers notes on this novel.

Rating:
Summary: Don't know what readers expect....
Review: What a fabulous tale - endless weaving - great language - fun characters - a gothic Forsythe Saga. I haven't read Barker's other work, but now am anxious to give it a try. Whatever you say, you have to admit he's an entertainer! (He's got the American gossipy style down pat - not unlike Tom Wolfe and Gore Vidal, in a way. I look forward to Galilee #2.)

Rating:
Summary: Cats Don't Know
Review: Clive Barker is totally off the hook. Each Barker book I read succeeds in suprising me with its originality and ability to enchant. Galilee was certainly no exception. I couldn't believe this book as I was reading it. It portrays a facet of Clive Barker that we seldom see. The slow, refreshing pace of this book is like a soft, light rain that comes between thunderstorms. And still, in riding the gentle waves of this beautiful story is the shock that you can expect from Clive. I could not recommend this book more to a Clive Barker fan. If you're not one, though... I can guarantee that you will be after this epic.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing - especially for a Barker book.
Review: The master of horror and oddly fantastic worlds has underdone himself with Galilee. It is a fasinating story of two warring families that leads the reader into thinking that there is going to be a catastrophic battle, all in the name of love. The story drags on and on with promisses of war, death and destruction but to which none ever happens. The book is filled with all sorts of information, past and present, and takes the reader through the ages of time but does little in what we expect to happen. I was hooked for the first half of the book but then I just wanted to finish it. Read it if you are a Barker fan but be forewarned that it is NOT what you are used to. It could have been condensed and made shorter and I think the author ran out of material to work with in the end. I would compare this novel to Rose Madder by Stephen King but Rose Madder is a better read.

Rating:
Summary: Galilee: A Grand Gothic Epic
Review: While different from his horror filled books, Galilee was a nice surprise. It's nice to see authors develop their writing and expand.

It was interesting to say the least. The concept was very unique and different, a nice change, but an interesting read nevertheless.

Perhaps I just wasn't ready or in the mood for a subject such as Galilee, I had some difficulty finnishing it. The book has really weird but cool dimension to it that caught my eye. A little bit of fantasy mixed with love as well as cross-cultural elements. It's bind future, past, and presnt together, as if the lines of time blends together.

Rachel and Mitchell Geary. Two star-corssed lovers of different worlds. Rachael is amazed when hansome, rich Mitchell Geary comes into her workplace and suddenly, she's Mrs. Geary. But she doesn't realize what world she is entering for Geary's are at war with Galilee's family.

It all started when Rachael meets and falls in love with Galilee.

It's a really weird book, but I like the concept of Barker's idea, it doesn't really seemed like he finished some of the ideas in the book, like he had so many ideas for the book and put them in but didn't explain. It's really interesting.

It's the kind of book where you read it once to get the feel of it, then read it again, and truely understand and enjoy it better.

Rating:
Summary: A Milk Warm Version of One Hundred Years of Solitude
Review: I loved Everville, The Great and Secret Show, and Weave World but this book was horrible!! When Barker is on the money he is unputdownable but this book was a mockery. I don't know what he was thinking or trying to accomplish. He should stick to pure horror. I would like to see a full length novel about the private detective in his books. Now that is a unique and fascinating character but if I am not mistaken he has only been in his own short story and has guest starred in Everville. Why not his own novel. The guy is great. Galilee just really disapointed me and seemed like he was trying to do something like One Hundred Years of Solitude. Barker is great but he is no Gabriel Marquez.

Rating:
Summary: What happened to the king of horror?
Review: Clive has long been my favorite fiction author, I really hope this book turns out to be the product of a "slump", as opposed to being a new direction. This book moves along with all the speed of continental drift, it is drawn out, and simply boring. It reads like the classic "boy meets girl" story, with a bit of the supernatural thrown in. If your looking for something similiar to Imajica, Great and Seceret Show, or Weaveworld, your bound to be dissapointed. The only other work of Clive's I could relatively compare this with would be Sacrament, which I found to be rather thin.

Rating:
Summary: Does his greatness ever end?
Review: I have read all of Barker's work and this, by far, is his best to date. A true mingling of fantasy and horror with just a pinch of science fiction for good measure. Barker has always been able to captivate his readers with his visions of Other Worlds and Fantasy landscapes, and here he brings with that an ensemble of characters that just beg for attention as they twine through a history of events quite unlike any other. If you enjoyed Imajica\s sense of adventure and Weavewarld's sense of wonder then there is no disappointment to be had here. This is not just fiction--this is literature!

Rating:
Summary: A commendable Title
Review: I really am entertained when I read Clive Barker- the worlds he creats are often whole and unto themselves. However, this is not horror. Compared to his first offering, The Books of Blood, this is tame. Regardless, his perfection of lyricism is always apparent in whatever he writes. Overall, he will impress you with his scope and vision in this novel- you may well find yourself completly immersed in the damn thing! If you are a fan of talent, I recomend it. When you close the last page, you will still resound with the events and images contained inside its covers. A good read from an exellent author to any thoughtfull reader!

Rating:
Summary: Barker spins another rich tale
Review: With Galilee, Barker has spun yet another rich tale of suspense and horror. His vivid descriptions of characters and locations transport the reader into "the thick of the plot," allowing for the ultimate in escapism.

Following the Barbarossa clan from the beginning of time to more current settings, you are presented with an outrageous, sometimes tittilating, and always gripping tome. As an avid Barker fan, I must say that this read is definitely his best!