Rating: 
Summary: Stays with you
Review: Galilee was the first book I read by Barker, and I really enjoyed it. The writing style is dreamlike, I would recommend it
Rating: 
Summary: It's like a dream
Review: I am a huge fan of Clive Barkers work and have read a large part of his collection. After reading Galilee, it is easily one fo my favorites. Once you begin to read, you immediately become immersed in the lives of the novel's narrator and those characters that he chronicals. The novel involves two families; The Gearys and the Barbarossas. They have been in contempt of each other for over one hundred and fifty years. The Barbarossas are an ancient clan who's mother and father originated with the creation of Earth and have the ability to seemingly live forever. The Geary's are a dynasty of American royalty that came into power following the civil war. Their lives are then intertwined by one person; Galilee Barbarossa. The book is lavish in its detail of sex and violence. Once you pick it up, it will be hard to put down. It seems that in no portion of this novel that it drags on. This is a must read for fans of history, intrigue, romance, and the inside lives of the rich and powerful.
Rating:
Summary: Love/hate...
Review: This one is simple. You love it or hate it. It is an involving book of charecters with tragic flaws. You can not go into this book expecting typical Clive Barker. It is a fantasy romance, not a fantasy horror. It is not scary. If you like Barker give it a try.
Rating:
Summary: Not classic Barker, but close enough...
Review: Now this is an odd fish. While Clive breaks away from his usual horror and fantasy world, he also merges them into this sweeping tale that his half soap-opera and half Biblical epic, as two powerful families verge together for a showdown that, alas, will not take place until Book Two. But still, this book pulled me in and kept me there, as I lived with the characters, breathed with the characters, as I do with most of Barker's works. And while this is a comedown from his brilliant "Scarament," it is still a gripping, entralling journey of wonderment. Before going, I will recount a small story about when I brought this book. A friend of mine read the cover blurb of "Epic, Erotic, Fantastic," and laughed. A passerby stopped and commented, "Clive Barker, right?" When she affirmed this, the stranger nodded and said, "They're right."
Rating:
Summary: Galilee...the first part of a whole..
Review: An epic story of the war between two powerful families of the Geary dynasty and the Barbarossas, beautifully written from the perspective of the narrator Edmund who took it upon himself to write down the history of his unusual family. Clive Barker seems to have become dissatisfied with the minor role of only being the creator of his character and worlds. Instead, he wanted to be part of the story he wrote or as Edmund would say: "I've been living under a despotic regime for a long time now, with the heel of my own ambition in my neck. Now that it's almost lifted, living free may be satisfaction enough. I am hereafter only the man who told a prodigal story. Forward of that moment is an empty page. And although I will be walking there, I intend to leave no trace of my passing, atleast not in words." I can't wait for Galilee II.
Rating: 
Summary: UTTER DISAPPOINTMENT
Review: (SIGH), I must say being a colossal Barker fan I was more than a bit let down. The book moved slowly, while gradually gaining momentum. I was left with the feeling of unfullfilled promises. The characters had the potential to be, well enthralling but were mostly just annoying and never really delivering. I wasn't too particularly fond of the first person angle either, it just doesn't seem to suit him. There's no denying his ablilty to etch the landscape of his words on one's mind but 'G' was simply a poor display of story-telling. I shudder to voice the words but: GALILEE WAS AN UTTERLY PAINFUL DISAPPOINTMENT!
Rating: 
Summary: Much Too Much of a Good Thing = Overkill
Review: A promising start reminding me of the classic gothic novel, the story line begins to unravel in psychotic episodes supposedly experienced by the character/author. I could just imagine Barker saying to himself "Gee, can't figure out where this is going so let's be truthful and let the author say he's loosing his ability to tell this story." This leaves the reader feeling manipulated and foolish to continue reading hoping that something would at some point "come together." Being a true fan, I stuck it out but was disappointed in the queasy kissy face ending.
Rating:
Summary: Clive Barker Just Can't Be Beat
Review: As a long-time fan of Clive Barker, I have been taken into the many worlds of the imagination from the depictions in his past novels. Reached into horror itself, even looked at some people differently. Clive Barker has always had a way of captivating his readers, and Galilee is not any different. A fabulous well-plotted story from beginning to end, this book will have you bouncing from the beaches of Hawaii to a small town in Ohio. The only thing keeping this from a 5-star novel is some areas go a little too deep into detail. Perhaps maybe even a slow start, but once it quickly starts moving you will not want to put this down until the last word is read.
Rating:
Summary: Don't bother with this book
Review: I'm a Clive Barker fan. However, I'm not a fan of this latest book. It drags on and on, nothing happens, and the overall storyline is weak. The book continually hints of upcoming excitement that always fails to manifest, even in the end. Save your cash, anything would be better than this. I wish I could give negative stars.
Rating:
Summary: not for everyone......THANK GOD
Review: Exquisite..the mixed reviews of this novel are a comment on the cultural wasteland we live in. Yes the novel is long...and yes its vast and there are many characters and subplots and it isnt all neat and tidy on the final page. It isnt functional..meaning it isnt presented to be a formulaic entertaining "thriller" where all the characters have a distinct purpose which is obvious and predictable...Barkers characters are exotic irrational, beautiful, and always chaotic. It may boil down to good vs. evil, but in the same way that Francis Bacon is just a portrait painter. Barker like Bacon is an ARTIST, and its often abtract and not initially easy to digest. It may make you uncomfortable or alienate you, but its always sublime.
|
