Weave World

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Summary: A fantasy epic from Barker
Review: A race known as Seerkind live undetected and unnoticed to humans. They are on the bring of destruction and thus weave their entire world and themselves into a magical carpet, which is then placed in the hands of a human woman for protection against and evil force. As the woman dies, the evil force seeks the carpet to destroy it by Shadwell, a creature of pur evil. A granddaughter of the woman protecting the carpet manages to steal it and must run for her life before the Shadwell. Superb fantasy effort from Barker: very rich and never boring.

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Summary: A Pure Venture of the Imagination
Review: After reading Barker's other fantasy epic, Imajica; I couldn't wait to get my hands on Weaveworld, and now that I'm done reading it I am convinced that Barker is one of the most talented authors alive.

Calhoun Mooney, a 20 something freespirit, accidentally falls into a magic carpet which serves as a refuge for the Seerkind, who have been hunted by mankind (Cuckoos) throughout history for their special abilities. Cal's fall into the carpet sets into motion an epic controntation for the carpet and the wonders it contains. With the aid of the beautiful Suzanna, whose connection to the carpet is deeper than she can possibly realize, Cal must protect the carpet from Immacolata, an "Inncantrix" who once ruled the carpet; Shadwell, a salesman by nature who considers the carpet the ultimate prize; and the Scourge, an ultimate evil whose very existence is tied to the extinction of the Seerkind.

If all that doesn't make too much sense, don't worry...its not supposed to at first glance, and that's the wonderful part reading Barker...he has such a wonderful imagination and is able to convey his imagination so well, that the only real way to understand what his books are about is to read them. Barker also has a gift for making wonderfully complex "villans" that never fail to dazzle. By the end of the story, even the Scourge, which was the ultimate evil to the Seerkind was able to provoke profound empathy from me over the emptiness and sadness that it felt.

Anyone who enjoys fantasy, horror, or simply a good yarn will love this book. Admittedly it does start out somewhat slow, but the pace soon picks up and you will not be able to put it down.

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Summary: Superbly Written!!! One of my favorites!!!
Review: Clive Barker's Weaveworld was the first of his books I had read. Being a classic tale between good and evil and between what is real and what is not, I never believed the book would be so interesting! Barker's use of such effective language enables the reader to invision exactly what he describes. His choice of words is supreme. The reader should be prepared for his imagination to take a ride into the amazing world of this talented author. I highly recommend this book to those readers who enjoy exciting plots and interesting characters. In closing I must remark that Clive Barker has written yet another masterpiece that must be enjoyed by all.

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Summary: Forget what you think you know about Clive Barker
Review: I bought this book years ago just based on the premise, but I just recently got around to reading it. Now I think of the time wasted by not reading it as a loss of time I could have spent being enlightened by the knowledge this book has to offer.

This is, on a primitive level, a fantasy book. However, don't judge it by that genre. In fact, it's more of a magical realism work, in which most of the novel takes place in present day Liverpool. The book uses that as its anchor, in order for the reader to better accept the fantasy element that is the Fugue (aka the Weaveworld). The main character, Cal, is an Everyman: flawed, but universally likeable.

The best part of the characters is that their motives are never completely clear cut; you have to keep reading to understand them. They each seem to represent the best--and worst--of all of us.

In short, this book is a work of art. Its message (to give homage to your dreams in the chance they may come true) is something even kids will get. Buy this book!

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Summary: Barker fans should love this, others may find it falls short
Review: Initially I was surprised that Weaveworld wasn't the horror story I expected it to be. Then I was surprised how much I was enjoying it anyway.

Certainly there are elements of horror: The Rake, The Hag, The Magdalene and her Offspring, and The Scourge/Uriel - but this is primarily a love story between Cal and Suzanna. Their relationship is remarkable if for no other reason than the fact that it can never be fully consummated (unlike most of the casual relationships Cal and Suzanna have with others, which can and often are).

From suburban London to the Scottish Highlands to the Arabian desert, the story covers all this ground, plus the fantastic settings within the weave (The Fugue) itself. The pacing is fairly quick, but Barker does take the time to insert a descriptive paragraph or nice turn of phrase now and then. Characters are well-drawn, but there isn't a whole lot of development demonstrated over the course of the novel. Cal becomes obsessed with the carpet, but doesn't really change as he pursues or attains it. Suzanna gets super-powers almost as soon as she comes on the scene, so there isn't even much "before" and "after" as she comes to grips with them.

The book has a few other flaws, as well. Barker consistently uses the crassest term imaginable for the part of female anatomy euphemistically referred to on the TV-show Scrubs as the "bajingo." There are some pretty big plot holes as well; for instance, at one point a psychic attack is accidentally launched against an innocent London population; later, when such an attack would come in handy, no one suggests "doing what we did back in London." Wasn't it Chekov who said, "If you establish mind-altering super-powers in the beginning of the book you have to make an attempt to use them in a crucial moment by the end of the book"? Words to that effect, at any rate.

Subject matter and material aside, this is still a very good fantasy story. Romance fans will find a lot to recommend it. Horror fans may find themselves pleasantly surprised.

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Summary: Absolutely Stunning.
Review: It had taken me a month to read this book and I happen to be a very fast reader. There was so much detail and description that I had to try and take it all in. Reading this is very similar to observing the weave that Barker describes so eloquently in the pages of this book. On my cover, it says "An Epic of the Imagination." And that, indeed, is.

The plot was intricate, matching the idea of a weave. It incorporated so many things that I love, mythology, religion and a complex plot. The language is evocative and poetic but also very stripped and common-place at the same time. The characters were very intriguing and realistic and each one was symbolic.

My favorite character out of the bunch was not a hero but rather a villain. I happened to adore the character of Immacolata. She was so cold and so vicious. She was a complete original and I happen to love it.

So overall, a rather engaging read and a masterpiece. It may even be one of my favorite novels but most definately, the best read I had all year.

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Summary: Will keep you up at night...try to find a previous edition
Review: There's a frightening picture in the 1980s edition of this book I found in my grandmother's boxes of books. My grandfather was always the fantasy type...and so am I. The picture is as rich and detailed as this book. Visit The Shrine of the Mortalities, marvel at the female power of the Menstruum, and help a London bloke make sense of life as reality unravels and knits up again and again. The cuckoo is a metaphor that turns up in Neil Gaiman's A DOLL'S HOUSE and Clive Barker did a forward for one of Gaiman's SANDMAN oeuvres.

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Summary: That which is imagined need never be lost
Review: There's many more of those great lines in this long novel. I expected to read something which is similar to the writing of Stephen King, this being the first Clive Barker Novel I read. But Clive Barker has a deep and stylized writing all his own. And this story a wonderland 'woven' into a carpet( hence the title Weaveworld) is truly a great read.
It starts out with Calhoun Mooney, a Liverpool clerk chases his prized pigeon and ends up falling from a wall and seeing an odd land on the carpet. What follows is a tale with various emotions which enthralls you'til the final page. Basically it's fantasy but mix with a touch of horror.

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Summary: Jules Vernes could have dreamed it.
Review: Weaveworld is like a dream that Jules Verne could have made.
a fantastic story between reality and imaginary. A world into a world. If you have a great imagination, read this book. It's simply an extraordinary journey waiting for you. Great characters, weirdest and scariest situations. It's 100% Barker made without a doubt. You'll think of Hellraiser, Nightbreed...

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Summary: Fascinating Read
Review: Weaveworld is one the weirdest trips that Clive Barker has to offer. This book will haul you in from its first pages to the very end. I found myself consumed, every night, after I put it down, with a desire to lift it back up and read till dawn.

I can't stress enough that Clive Barker is a fantasy writer/wordsmith who has a clear, unfettered and virgin channel to his inner voice.

Start the journey.