The Scarlet Gospels by Clive Barker is a book that I had been meaning to read for a long time. I tried to read it once before but couldn’t get into the first chapter of it. Recently I gave it another shot and got all the way through it. Honestly I wish I hadn’t. Having said that, I want to say that Clive Barker is my favorite author.
This book is written really well. The language is better than the story. However this book does something that usually you only see in Hollywood movies. (I may have some spoilers ahead…. you’ve been warned.)
This book tries too hard. The main bad buy is Pin Head from hell raiser. Honestly I never thought about what hell was like and I didn’t need to read about the intricacies of the social structure and how there’s a city in hell. I also didn’t need to see Pin Head rise up and take on the devil in a fight after stealing his armor. Yeah… that’s in the book.
Don’t take me wrong. I love Clive Barker’s works. But this book feels like he sold-out and wrote something he could put Pin Head in just to sell more books or maybe make another Hellraiser movie?
I don’t mind it when a writer talks about dicks, sex, penetration, piercings, mutilation, or sex, sex, sex, but this book is crammed full of so much sex and dicks that it’s exhausting. I love the Hellbound heart and this being another book with the Cenobites in it, made me really excited. But it was just a cock full let down.
How did you feel about this book? Or Clive Barkers books in general? Am I being
too harsh?
Here’s my review of The Hell Bound Heart.
If you like horror, I have some free books here. Or if you’d like an Advanced Review copy of my next book, Cabals of Blood, you can sign up for that here.
Books and Mor 
I thought it was rubbish. I love Barkers earlier work like Imajica, Books of Blood, etc. But I agree with you on this one. I heard a rumor he used a ghost writer on this.
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I don’t know about a ghost writer. It felt like his writing to me. Think he just we a direction no one expected or wanted.
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Clive is one of my fav too.
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I just came across these reviews as I was thinking of my favorite writer and to see if maybe he had anything new out.To my utter shock no wonder he hasn’t came out with anything new.I have no idea who these people are that wrote these reviews and this isn’t personal but you couldn’t have wrote the Scarlet Gospels.What a bunch of assholes.He is the best writer i have ever read.Clive if for some miracle you come across my reply.”FUCK THEM”.Scarlet Gospels was awesome.I just read it in 2020 and couldn’t put it down.One day read and when I was done I was so excited I started digging for more of your work that had “hopefully”overlooked but to my dismay there wasn’t any.And then I read these backseat drivers reviews.Please write another one or put out something you have already written that people like these have probably made you hesitant to do.Love your work Clive and only you know what’s good and what isn’t.There will always be haters it’s just part of life.Great book and gets a 10 from me.Just a normal fan who can’t wait for the next one.
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I appreciate your love of Clive Barker. I am a big fan myself. I read the Hellbound Heart just about once a year. Cabal is another great book of his.
I just happened to really dislike where he went with this. Just like I disliked where there hellraiser movies went after Hellraiser 2.
If your into Pinhead, he did a series of comics that were pretty decent too, worth looking into.
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