- Paperback: 688 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; New edition edition (21 Oct 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 000715092X
- ISBN-13: 978-0007150922
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 13 x 4.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 781,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
“Absorbing and meticulous, this thorough accounting of Clive Barker as a man of boundless imagination is a work of solid scholarship and a complete portrait of a still-young, still-evolving artist who has accomplished much”
Washington Times
“Weaves literary analysis and biography to paint a compelling portrait of a restless writer, director, producer and actor”
Variety
“Reading and completing The Dark Fantastic, I felt transformed. Don’t hesitate to open this physically and metaphysically huge book and enjoy every word of it. You will emerge liberated and ready to discover new worlds of your own”
Nova Express
Product Description
The long-awaited authorized biography of the man who created The Books of Blood and Weaveworld.
Barker: a contemporary myth-maker, explorer of our darkest instincts and ultimate fears – the writer who, more than any other contemporary figure, has shaped our nightmares through diverse media. Novelist, playwright, scriptwriter and director he is a master at twisting the mundane to make it fantastic and frightening.
In a detailed biography, enabled through unprecedented access to Barker and his closest friends and family, Douglas Winter reveals at last what haunts the man who haunts us all.
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First Sentence
Early in the twentieth century, one of our great thinkers, wounded by depression, found healing in a dream. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Early in the twentieth century, one of our great thinkers, wounded by depression, found healing in a dream. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Like the other reviewers on this page, I have been counting the days until the release of this book. But I have to say on the whole I am disappointed with the lack of personal material. This book could have been written by any Barker fan, most of the material has been borrowed from the earlier Barker critique Shadows in Eden, and the rest in just a collection of synopsis, which any fan will no doubt skip. There are it must be said a few nuggets of information, not to be found anywhere else, but does that really justify this book? I think not.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I've been fascinated by Clive Barker's work for several years now but was concerned that maybe I was more interested in the idea of him rather than his work. This book confirms it. Although very well written and informative about the work that Clive Barker has done its a bit surplus to requirements for anyone who has read any of Clive's work or seen any of his films. Each chapter covers one of either Clive's films or books and contains a large summary of the plot. I was hoping to find out more about the rational of Clive Barker, his thoughts and ideas. Douglas E Winter obviously knows his subject and has a great respect for Barker but a biography, I feel, should go beyond this and be more analytical. By the end of the book I knew nothing more about Clive Barker than when I had started except which books I would not be interested in reading. A shame because this could have been an opportunity to reach the man behind the myth. In the end it merely perpetuates it!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I eagerly awaited this book, and read it voraciously. Clive Barker, as a man (the times we've met) and an artist (through his varied work and visions) has intrigued and interested me. I expected this book would hook me because of this, and whilst it was passionately well written by Mr Winter, I have to say that it doesn't really do much more than skim the surface of Barker's life. It's heavy number of pages are largely concerned with detailed synopses of Clive's films and books, which most fans will already by overly familiar with. I would have preferred more of the man himself, behind the myths as it were, though whether or not this lack of more intimate substance is because Barker is a private individual (in which case why allow a biography in the first place?) or because his life is consumed by his work (seemingly the more plausible explanation) isn't distinctly clear. With reference to the latter reason, the personal information tellingly starts thinning out as soon as Clive starts making money. Perhaps Mr Barker is after all a man consumed by his work. Despite my comments this is far from being a bad book, and fans will love it. But it holds back from being a great biography because of the above, and doesn't really work as a career criticism either because (as Winter freely admits) he is far too much of a forgiving fan to be a harsh critic. Not what I'd hoped for, but entertaining and valued to me all the same, and - to end on a cliche - well worth a look!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The dark fantastic
I was Excited before the book even hit my letterbox. I read the entire book within around four days, I really enjoyed it. Worth every penny, however... Read more
Published 8 months ago by R.D.TEUN
Interesting insight
Lots of previously unknown (or - not documented) facts about Barker, so that's a "must read" even for his experienced fans. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Mr. J. M. Zielinski
Thoughtful biography of an incredible artist
It took me I think three goes to read this weighty book but it was very much worth it. This is not the usual lightweight biography of an author focusing on his or her life and the... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Jo Bennie
Barker for beginners only. Disappointing.
Having waited so long for this book to come out, when I eventually read it some years ago I was genuinely disappointed to find that there was very little information here that... Read more
Published on 24 Oct 2007 by L. Niblock
Oh. so dull!
If you are undertaking a thesis on the work of Clive Barker then you will find this biography very useful. It is crammed with facts, figures, synopsis and excerpts. Read more
Published on 20 July 2003
Loved it!
I am the same as the first reviewer here, inasmuch as I read this book voraciously, but differ as far as my feelings on the balance of personal life and the examination of Mr... Read more
Published on 1 Jan 2002 by Bevan Lee
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