jackie_shimkus's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
lurpasskatt's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
gizmoandgremlins's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
acanthae's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
pbanditp's review against another edition
5.0
It’s a Clive Barker Book of Blood. If you’ve made it to book three then you know what to expect. Yet again, it’s Clive Barker, you never know what to expect except that it will be beyond your wildest imagination.
tcgarback's review against another edition
4.0
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Personal Score: A-
Critical Score: B+
Well. The omnibus ends on a high note. Not the highest, perhaps, because Volume One really was magnificent, but high enough. I’m in awe of Barker’s talents, and his presence in the literary landscape means a lot to me personally as a writer.
My ranking:
“Rawhead Rex”
Delightfully perverted and propulsive like a classic slasher movie, this gem delivers epic scene after scene and is my favorite of the bunch, and perhaps my second favorite from the first three Books of Blood, after “In the Hills, the Cities.”
“Human Remains”
Profound, moving, sensitive. Begins with an absolutely perfect opening scene that almost works as a (very ambiguous) short story by itself but sadly deteriorates into a crime plot with a touch of racism, which then mostly restores itself in the final act with an artful take on identity crisis and dissociation. Barkers calls to Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde, Frankenstein, Dorian Grey, and Carter’s Lady Purple.
“Scape-Goats”
This one is memorable for its setting and mounting suspense throughout, though the antagonist was underwhelming until the final sequence, which was visually terrific. Lacks a heftiness, but that’s actually quite suitable in a collection—they can’t all be epic ambitious feats. This one feels like a horror comic book issue, and that’s more than okay with me.
“Confessions of a (Pornographer’s) Shroud”
The title is a little click-baity, which let me down, and I couldn’t shake the mafia vibes despite the British setting, but overall the refreshed ghost imagery and revenge plot gripped me the whole time, even if it felt like a B-movie kind of ride.
“Son of Celluloid”
I almost feel bad about this one, like clumsy reading led me to some confusion, but that may have been unclear writing, and either way I’m left being a little confused on exactly what the setting was here, what was abandoned and what that space through the grille was...regardless, there’s some clever movie theatre set pieces here. I just felt a lack of footing, and the tone was occasionally too mean-spirited for my taste.
Personal Score: A-
Critical Score: B+
Well. The omnibus ends on a high note. Not the highest, perhaps, because Volume One really was magnificent, but high enough. I’m in awe of Barker’s talents, and his presence in the literary landscape means a lot to me personally as a writer.
My ranking:
“Rawhead Rex”
Delightfully perverted and propulsive like a classic slasher movie, this gem delivers epic scene after scene and is my favorite of the bunch, and perhaps my second favorite from the first three Books of Blood, after “In the Hills, the Cities.”
“Human Remains”
Profound, moving, sensitive. Begins with an absolutely perfect opening scene that almost works as a (very ambiguous) short story by itself but sadly deteriorates into a crime plot with a touch of racism, which then mostly restores itself in the final act with an artful take on identity crisis and dissociation. Barkers calls to Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde, Frankenstein, Dorian Grey, and Carter’s Lady Purple.
“Scape-Goats”
This one is memorable for its setting and mounting suspense throughout, though the antagonist was underwhelming until the final sequence, which was visually terrific. Lacks a heftiness, but that’s actually quite suitable in a collection—they can’t all be epic ambitious feats. This one feels like a horror comic book issue, and that’s more than okay with me.
“Confessions of a (Pornographer’s) Shroud”
The title is a little click-baity, which let me down, and I couldn’t shake the mafia vibes despite the British setting, but overall the refreshed ghost imagery and revenge plot gripped me the whole time, even if it felt like a B-movie kind of ride.
“Son of Celluloid”
I almost feel bad about this one, like clumsy reading led me to some confusion, but that may have been unclear writing, and either way I’m left being a little confused on exactly what the setting was here, what was abandoned and what that space through the grille was...regardless, there’s some clever movie theatre set pieces here. I just felt a lack of footing, and the tone was occasionally too mean-spirited for my taste.
kratositaly's review against another edition
4.0
Rating the stories of this collection:
XII: SON OF CELLULOID - 4.5/5
XIII: RAWHEAD REX - 3.5/5
XIV: CONFESSION OF A (PORNOGRAPHER'S) SHROUD - 4/5
XV: SCAPE-GOATS - 3/5
XVI: HUMAN REMAINS - 3.5/5
XII: SON OF CELLULOID - 4.5/5
XIII: RAWHEAD REX - 3.5/5
XIV: CONFESSION OF A (PORNOGRAPHER'S) SHROUD - 4/5
XV: SCAPE-GOATS - 3/5
XVI: HUMAN REMAINS - 3.5/5
anaedsac's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it better than the other two volumes. It had more suspense and thrill.
erikwmj's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Gore, Blood, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Homophobia and Fatphobia