Galilee

Clive Barker has written a masterpiece. This book is so well written that it is almost painfull to read. Two families, the Barbarossa and the Geary are at each others throats for generations. They share a dark secret that has threatened to tear each apart. The story is about when one of the wives of a Geary learns about the favorite son of the Barbarossa's, Galillee. Rachael meets Galillee and the motions of the trouble between the two familles start once again, which lead to a final confrotation between them.

Clive Barker has written an incredibly conplex work, but it is still accessable. All of the characters are flawed, which make them all the more believable. The story reminds you of Hamlet from the point of the two warring families and forbidden love. This story is a must read and is highly recommended

When i first read this book, i never finished it..well i guess i wasn't ready for it then. Some years later , by chance , i started to read it again and got adicted. i kind of really saw the characters and felt exspecially drawn to Buddenbaum. Now many paople will go....WHAT....but still he is one of those guys that believe in what they do, and follow that road to the end.. no matter what. Once they have found a goal they will persue it to death or ...in this case love....will stop them..defeat never will.

The somewhat seductive and sensuous plot of Mr. Barkers "Galilee" keeps one riveted to watch the characters unfold. However, the distasteful sexual encounters can corrupt the flow of things. I still feel this was an interesting excursion away from his normal style. Like Stephen King, everyone needs an occasional change of pace to refresh ones batteries. I found "Rose Madder" an exciting psychological thriller and wouldn't mind this style of novel from either author.

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.

Saturday Night Live - that font of human wisdom - teaches us that something good as a 2 minute sketch isn't so good as a 600 page novel (see Pat or A Night at the Roxbury). The idea of two rival families, one human, the other something more, both immensely powerful, sounds epic, and Barker has the talent to pull it off. Sadly, he doesn't.
Instead we get a very long story that would have been better off short. The book starts strong with hints of things to come, and I'll admit that the vistas Barker draws and the language he uses are so promising that they kept me reading til the end. But as I read more, I grew less enchanted. Why do Rachael and Galilee like each other? Why does anyone see the Gearys as rivals to the Barbarossas? Where's the conflict? Where's the drama? In place of epic scope we get petty squabling, the hints of the story are better than the story itself, and the book's summary is its best written page.

I don't like giving bad reviews, especially to books by authors whose work I have really enjoyed in the past, but Galilee was really a letdown.
I've been a Clive Barker fan since before he found a U.S. publisher, and I count the Books of Blood and Imajica as being among my favorite books.
But this novel was all about unfulfilled promises. It set up a wonderful premise, and keeps promising to deliver great things (in fact, I got sick of the narrator Maddox dropping hints about things to come which would astound), but all of the "surprises" fall flat.
Maybe the problem is that Barker can't decide who is audience is. I get the feeling that he was trying to reach a more mainstream audience with this book, which led to constantly pulling his punches. I think the end-result is an emasculated version of Barker that in the final accounting will satisfy no one. I really hope there isn't a sequel (although it appears inevitable).
If you want to read good Barker on a grand scale, try Imajica.

My first journey into the mind of Clive Barker was when I read Everville. Sure, I had watched the Hellraiser movies but had never read his books before. I was immediately hooked! From the moment I read the first chapter to the very end, I was hooked. That is when I began to dive headfirst into Clive's collections of fiction.

So that was it? The linkage between the families due to a few debts of honor the ageless Galilee had acquired. He couldn't let down the first Geary or his wife, but he could carry out multiple murders presumably indefinitely which left him morally bereft? Seems like the honorable thing to do was to tell the Geary's to forget it and avoid slaughtering countless innocents. In other words the reasons for the linkage were implausible given the make up of the Galilee character, especially given the experiences he must have had in over 2000 years of existence. Meanwhile the Gearys have no henchmen, for multimillionaires one would think a few thugs make be available to them, but no they do everything themselves, unlikley. The prevarication in the narration, the multiple allusions to future events infuriated me. The book was like wading through literary treacle. Painful, I shall not be buying the sequel. Good things....useful description, some good characterisations, but the central premise of the warring families does not have enough root cause.

Luckily I hadn't read the mostly unfavorable reviews (not that it would have deterred me). Also, this was the first Clive book I'd read, so I wasn't 'expecting' anything specific.

Galilee is best read with an open heart and open mind - expect a little adventure into the realm where supernatural mixes with the mundane.

With that being said this is what the book brought out of me...

Galilee invokes memories of magic - love and passion (our very own divinity within) and of all of the tensions in between that comes with our human frailty.

In addition to being entertaining, there are several lessons we may glean if we are paying attention.

Believe in the magic of love
Don't waste time if there are amends to make
Asking ourselves - "What is really important?"

And at the end of the book we are encouraged to depart from our perceived restrictions and to go and make our very own adventure. To quote Joseph Campbell "Follow your bliss"

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.

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.

...I have thoroughly enjoyed Clive Barker's work (this is my ninth Barker book) and it is difficult to believe that Galilee was penned by the same man who wrote the classic "Books of Blood". I think Barker wanted it to be a change of pace...He was trying to do "something different", "something epic", and it just went horribly, horribly wrong. The master of horror decided here to change pace and write about two great families (one human, one "divine") and their rivalry throughout the years. The more boring the character, the larger their role in this overwrought saga...The romantic leads are particularly unsympathtic and unconvincing. Yes, the book has its moments, but there are far too few of them for a 650-page book. It was painful to get through hundreds and hundreds of pages of romanticized [writing], that might sound beautiful as poetry, but does not advance the plot in the slightest. Highly disappointing.....and Clive actually has the nerve to set us up for a sequel. ...

This is not "Horror", it is not "Fantasy". This book is too big to fit into any kind of slot. I am still struck speechless after my third consecutive reading. Good ? Bad ? This book doesn't even fit into these slots... The only thing I can say is that it fits into the "alive" category, in the sense that Oscar Wilde used the word...

...what happens next?

Clive Barker writes excellent thrillers, but with "Galilee" he is out of his element. I optimistically plowed through 400 pages before giving up, but the book was just too slow-moving, lackluster, and ultimately insignificant. I have no curiosity at all about what happens in the last 236 pages - that says it all.

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.

Nice, but kinda looses focus towards the end. It's almost as if he was worn out and ready to move on to something else. But then again, in saying that, I'm more than ready to read the 3rd (and hopefully final) book if and when it ever comes out.

As an avid reader, I appreciate the attention to detail and unique storytelling Mr. Barker gives us with each and every effort. His stories are so beautifully written, painfully, almost shamefully honest in exposing those well hidden good / evil traits each of us possess. Mr. Barker is the best in presenting both sides of the human coin. I want to say: Kudos! Mr. Barker, for a well crafted, well written story. Soooooo much better than The Great and Secret Show, but then again,not quite up to the level of some of your other finer work.

I have enjoyed many of Clive Barkers Books in the past and I think he is an extremely skilled writer. I thought Galilee was written exceptionally well, but I believe the ending was a little dispointing, and was a bit of an anti climax. i enjoyed the style of the writing and it was exciting to read. But I felt that the ending did let it down.

Everville continues the story started in the Great and Secret Show, this time about a cosmic-proportion battle taking place on Earth for control to the portal of the secret world found in the first novel. Full of incredible creatures and characters, superb writing and great story-telling. Barker delivers an epic of awesome proportions and a superb sequel to a fantastic trilogy.

I read Imajica (both volumes) last year, and I must say I was gobsmacked by the sheer brilliance of Barker's narrative and imagination. So I started reading Barker's Galilee with relish, expecting an intriguing and fascinating tale of mysterious gods and goddesses, etc. But, woh! After some 200 hundred pages, it felt like I was fourteen again, reading my daily Mills & Boon paperback! I mean, the Rachel character was just soooo predictable and how on earth did Galilee decide she must be the one and only after sooo many (women...and men...and children...)? Nope, your standard Barbara Cartland yarn here: from rags to riches lass finds out her handsome John John Kennedy look-alike husband has somehow turned into a monster, but fortunately is bedded by the super-endowed Galilee who whisks her off (eventually...) to his "kingdom". Boring....and Barker must definitely have a sequel in mind.....

While this book was interesting and engaging, it was too long for its story. This story, I believe, would have been great with about a quarter of the story cut out!!! And the end was really not that well done or creative. You expect a lot more and get less. Read Imijica or Everville. These are his BEST works...

I just recently finished this book and I thought it was excellent! Clive Barker has done it again, writing another great book. I would really love to see another sequel from this book. The part that touched me the most was when Galilee said to Rachel, "If I can't live with you, I will die with you."

Galilee uses the writer within the story technique that Stephen King has been using with some frequency of late (Green Mile for instance). Barker uses this to meld together what is essentially an historical fiction novel with the modern time resurgence of the narrator. Personally I don't care if Barker is writing romance, horror, or fantasy... he is brilliant. This novel surely had more of an Anne Rice flavor than any to date, but I still enjoyed it greatly. Not really getting to the climax at the end is my only strong reservation, but having just spotted the release date for G2 I hold judgement (with much anticipation).

Clive Barker has amazed us with WeaveWorld and Everville. His charcters are rich and involving. Every book so far has been an occasion to take the week-end off and spend 48 hours in suspense and awe. What happened here? Seems that Mr. Barker has gone the way of Stephen King. Once a great master, King has lost his touch of affecting our psyche and making us look over our shoulders at night. Barker had that same affect until Galilee. Great horror novelist should avoid the romance novel and stay with there art, scaring the hell out of the reader. I hope that Barkers recent trend with Sacrifice and Galilee is not the end of another great horror writer and the beginning of another Stephen King "Insomnia," or "Rose Matter."

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.

Unfortunately, this was my first Clive Barker novel and it was less than I had hoped it would be. Although Mr. Barker can paint some pretty images with his poetic words, GALILEE really left me wondering what the point was. I suppose not being a romance fan didn't help either...

I never intended to review this book, partly because tons of people have done it already, and partly because this was a book I read on my "leisure time", that is, time when I wasn't reading review copies that different publishers had sent me.

But hey, it's Clive Barker, and I since he's the greatest author alive today I figured I at least had to say a word or two about Everville.

Just read it. It's that simple. You'll understand and appreciate it a whole lot more if you first read The Great and Secret Show - since that's the first book in the Trilogy about the Art - but if you're unable to find it you still better not pass on Everville.

Because it's Clive Barker, and Clive Barker knows how to write. So go get it. Now.

This book forces one into a world of imagination like no other book has to me before. The beginning is fairly dull, but the rest of the book makes up for that. You probably should read the Great and Secret Show first, but the imagery and character development is good enough to read it in reverse order, honestly.

My personal opinion is that this was Clive Barker's last good book. It's the sequel to the Great and Secret Show. The characters and situations are weird, unforgettable and horrific. I've been waiting for Barker to come out with the 3rd book, but my impression is that he just can't seem to continue it. I think he finally ran out of creative gas.

This was a great book. I love the narration, and just everything about it. It's like being on a mental roller coaster as you try to put things together about what's going on, and then something else completely out of the blue happens when you least expect it that explains everything. This is a seriously good book. :)

An amazing story...fast-paced, complex, teeming with imagery both sensual and disturbing. For Barker fans, and those with a dark streak, this series should prove to be quite a gratifying read...anyone else may find themselves a bit lost and confused. I loved it.

Everville, what can you say about this book? As I said it starts out slow during the epilogue but as familiar characters are introduced the novel gains speed at an alarming rate. A good novel but as with any sequel the first is always better.

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.

The book by clive barker, though not as beautifully written as Imagica and his "art" series, is one of his best. It is a classical story on several levels. First, it describes (via the two families) how the flesh and the spirit are at contant war with one another. the Geary family represents the flesh, the Bar. represents the spiritual (not nec. in a Jewish/Christian sense, more of a Greek mythological sense). Secondly, it is a Shakespearian drama of two people in love while their families are waring. There is damnation and redemption, a bonding of the mythical sacred male and the sacred female.

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 .

Galilee is very different from Clive Barker's other works. This story is a very smooth and quick read. The characters are very real and yet have a very surreal quality about them. I reccomend it highly.

Wanting to be more than a horror writer, Barker wanders off into Anne Rice territory and comes up his own overlong exercise in excess. Had this work been plotted with half the focus and forethought of Weaveworld, Secret Show, or even Everville, this could have been an excellent experiment into a new genre. Ultimately it comes off as rambling, indulgent, and unfocused. Leaving the reader asking, "what was the point?" That should never happen, especially with a writer as talented as Clive Barker.

I found this book kept me riveted throughout. the many plot twists and surprise events made the spectacular writing of Clive Barker alive with freshness and vitality that some of the best writers put foward. the many vivid characters that Barker created, such as Tesla Bombeck, a self-made woman, add a whole new dimension to horror/mystery writing. Tesla's wit and inner beauty make you genuinely feel for the problems Tesla faces. Overall, I found this book to be one of my all-time favorites. -Keith Jacobson

This was the first Clive Barker novel I have read. I thought the first 150 pages were tough to get through, but then suddenly the story becomes completely engrossing. I couldn't stop turning the pages wondering how the story was going to twist. It is a story about two competing sensualistic families, one rich, famous and in complete despair, while the other supernatural deities in the human form also in despair. Complex story and one must use the family tree in the back of the book to keep the characters straight.

This was my first Clive Barker book. The concept of the book was a good one, but unfortunately, the characters didn't have depth. There were many, many loose ends and many topics that should have been touched on more. Sure it would have made for a much longer book, but a more interesting and less frustrating one as well.

In the times of Cabal, Weaveworld, Imajica, The Thief Of Always, and The Books of the Art Barker was one of the best author's of his time. Galilee is a complete letdown for all of us and a softie for someone like Barker. Along with Sacrament these are his two "mushy books" and I myself dont recommend them.

I share the dissapointment of us all who disliked this book. Let me say only this: I never give up on a book I started so I finished it and than immediately took it to a local secondhand bookstore and sold it for 1 EURO. I only got this much because the guy liked the cover art. That's all to say...

Barker is really a great artist! He should have started ABARAT some years ago and skip this "I have to write something with lots of love and so, 'coz my publisher orderd me seeing the success of James Cameron's Titanic!"

Bman

Hungary

I was somewhat interested in the first few chapters of the book. I soon realized, however, that the book was going absolutely nowhere, fast. None of the characters were developed at all, I saw all of them as predictible and boring. Rachel and Galilee the worst! I was not convinced of the Geery evil in the least...