Weaveworld

By Clive Barker

Ebook edition of the highly acclaimed thriller by the world’s most outstanding dark fantasist.

WEAVEWORLD is an epic adventure of the imagination. It begins with a carpet in which a world of rapture and enchantment is hiding; a world which comes to life, alerting the dark forces and beginning a desperate battle to preserve the last vestiges of magic which Humankind still has access to.

WEAVEWORLD is a book of visions and horrors, a story of quest, titanic struggles, of love and of hope. It is a triumph of imagination and storytelling, an adventure, a nightmare, a promise…

‘Barker’s fecundity of invention is beyond praise. In a world of hard-bitten horror and originality, Clive Barker dislocates your mind.’ THE MAIL ON SUNDAY.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Nov 24, 2011
• ISBN: 9780007382965

Clive Barker

Clive Barker was born in Liverpool in 1952. His earlier books include ‘The Books of Blood’, ‘Cabal’, and ‘The Hellbound Heart’. In addition to his work as a novelist and playwright, he also iilustrates, writes, directs and produces for stage and screen. His films include ‘Hellraiser’, ‘Hellbound’, ‘Nightbreed’ and ‘Candyman’. Clive lives in Beverly Hills, California.

Reviews for Weaveworld

[williemeikle-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I first read WEAVEWORLD back in the late '80s just after it came out, and did so while on a boat trip around the Chester area on the Shropshire Union canal, so it was an episodic reading experience, punctuated by working locks, taking in scenery, and visiting a huge number of pubs. It's a surprise any of it stuck with me at all really, but I found on rereading this weekend that large chunks of it were there in my memory, flickering lights, raptures as Barker describes them, seductions and visions of elsewhere to make your heart break.

I got more out of it this time round, reading it in a solid chunk over two days. It's a masterful piece of work, full of Barker's vision, parts of it poetic, other parts showing off his visual imagination to the full, and all of it grounded in the character of Cal Mooney, lost in the lights of a vision of something he doesn't understand, but knows that he needs.

The central conceit of a magic carpet, and the wonders it contains is a great one to hang a fantasy on, and this is indeed fantasy, albeit one with a grotesque edge of horror, particularly in the villains, who are among the nastiest in fiction.

It's a big slab of a book, but I didn't notice, as I was lost and away with Cal in Wonderland most of the time, and I was almost sad to finish it.

It reminded me of something I'd forgotten, a need for wonder, something my own recent writings has lacked, and something I'll be trying to rectify. But I can't hope to reach Barker's flickering, glorious, raptures of body horror; that vision is his and his alone.

I was sorely disappointed with Barker's SCARLET GOSPELS, but reading WEAVEWORLD again reminded me that, on his game, he's up there with the best.

And this is one of the best.

[vinjii-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I couldn't really get into this one and must admit I skimmed a lot during the 2nd half. It's an interesting concept but Barker didn't manage to completely engage me and I felt emotionally detached from both the outcome and the characters throughout the story.

[brakketh-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Quite a good book, though seems confused in places.

[tjberry_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Barker can craft incredible monsters. Other than thatm the story was passable. Not enough real backstory to the characters to make me care about them, and the Weave/Fugue was just too random for no reason.

[barakketh · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Quite a good book, though seems confused in places.

[markhopp · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very well-written dark fantasy novel. Full of charming characters, surreal imagery, and patches of wonderfully disturbing writing. I honestly cannot believe it took me this long to read Clive Barker. What was I doing with my life? This is a medium-to-long book, and Barker's narration never failed to keep me engrossed: through imaginative and detailed prose, Barker brings his characters and their vibrant, fantastical settings to life.I cannot wait to dive into Barker's oeuvre. He seems like a relatively forgotten Fantasy/Horror writer who definitely deserves more attention.

[whitewavedarling · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There is such a sweet power to this story and the world created here. Barker's storytelling creates such a compelling cast of characters, weaving together the real with what can barely be imagined and yet is brought to life here so beautifully, that this becomes a book to sink into and live with. I read it first in high school, and it stuck with me all these years, but journeying into the experience again over the last few weeks was still so refreshing. Barker manages to bring together elements of horror and fantasy in an epic unweaving and reweaving of another world, and his gorgeous prose is immersive.I'd recommend this book to readers of any genre who want to be immersed in a world of the fantastic.

[joe73-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An early Barker Novel, Weave-World stands out for many reasons. Barker seems to be writing for a larger audience. The sex, gore, and language are slightly tame compared to much of his other works. The writing in Weave-World is just as effective as what he puts out in later novels. This Novel and Imagica could almost be the same story. Where WW does not have the scope of Imagica its grip is just as tight. WW brings together a non-binary form of imagination that few writers seem to able to grasp. Barker is a master of forming worlds and he always links those worlds together using outside influences. This novel in particular is broken up with MANY chapters and sub chapters: A very ambitious venture for a writer so early in their career. The story is good. Good VS Evil. Love VS Hate and of course an element no Barker novel is without. Desire VS Consequence. Weave-World does not feel as if it has to gross you out in order to get your attention. But nonetheless it does so in several places. The novel will make you feel small but integral to your living world and ultimately Barker will remind you that while you (the reader) may be insignificant you are not so in the way you may think you are…..and that makes you integral. This book will bruise your intellect, smash your nose and allow you to walk down a path you might not be able to return on. Returning will be up to you. Barker will give you the tools to do so……but he will make you search for them. Where you find them will depend on what you find in those closed off and locked niches in your heart. Like many Barker stories this novel is a treasure chest. Open it and jump in feet first…….or head first. It matters not. What does matter is how often he will allow you to come up for air and if you are a fan of his then you know you might want to prepare yourself for something unexpected.

[porcupineracetrack · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Have you ever read a Clive Barker novel? If so, congratulations- you’ve read Weaveworld. Did you enjoy his style? If so, then you’ll enjoy this one as well. Weaveworld contains all of Barker’s basic plot elements: magic, mysterious other world under threat, meddling humans, strangely narrated sex scenes, and graphic, visceral horror (these last two in much less supply than other Barker tales). In fact, everything feels almost summarized in this book. The story itself has promise and potential, but a better editor would have drawn that out more clearly. In this tale, the world under threat is “The Fugue”, a realm literally woven into the fabric of a carpet to protect its inhabitants from a power of destruction known only as “The Scourge”. In addition, a member of the Seerkind (the people of the Fugue) and her Cuckoo (human) sidekick seek the carpet for themselves. It falls to the Cuckoos Suzanna and Cal to save Seerkind…and discover their own powers along the way. There are beautiful moments here- most of them centered around experiences in the Fugue. Suzanna’s battle with a fascist police inspector within the pages of a book of fairy tales is probably my favorite scene in the novel, and I wish Barker had evoked that sense of wonder throughout. Unfortunately, those moments are few and far between, and ultimately, Barker’s second novel falls short in both fantasy and horror. Overall, Weaveworld is Barker-lite. There’s enough here for fans to enjoy, but new readers will ease into Barker’s twisted tales through a subdued introduction.

[bethanymoore · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very strange book... at times, I was enthralled, but mostly... mostly, I just stared at the pages thinking, "What the...?"

If I were a bigger fantasy fan, I'd love this, I'm sure. But I'm more sci-fi than fantasy, and this definitely falls on the fantastical side of that thin line. So I'm going to say I liked it, but I'm not really sure that's a true statement...

[hae1yu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The story itself is good, fantastical fiction. While Barker is known for his horror, this book is more of an epic fantasy with touches of horror thrown in for color. There was nothing in here that sent chills up my spine or had me sleeping with the lights on. I found the villains imaginatively crafted and the parallel Weaveworld unique in fantasy fiction. My biggest problem is that Barker has to dirty things up. If there is a filthy (filthiest) word for something, he will use it, even when unnecessary to the furtherance of the mood or portrayal of the character. In the middle of a beautiful scene, he HAS to throw in something trashy or vulgar. I don't get why he does that. I'm not adverse to bad language and looking over my fiction list, it's evident that foul language isn't something I take much notice of. It's sort of like Spike Lee calling out Tarantino for his over-over-over-use of the n-word. There comes a point when you wonder about a person's state of mind. I realize other people were wondering that long before with his straight-up horror, but it fit better in that world. Here it just seems out of place, like he has to dab some excrement on his wonderful imagery.

[jhemlock-1711 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An early Barker Novel, Weave-World stands out for many reasons. Barker seems to be writing for a larger audience. The sex, gore, and language are slightly tame compared to much of his other works. The writing in Weave-World is just as effective as what he puts out in later novels. This Novel and Imagica could almost be the same story. Where WW does not have the scope of Imagica its grip is just as tight. WW brings together a non-binary form of imagination that few writers seem to able to grasp. Barker is a master of forming worlds and he always links those worlds together using outside influences. This novel in particular is broken up with MANY chapters and sub chapters: A very ambitious venture for a writer so early in their career. The story is good. Good VS Evil. Love VS Hate and of course an element no Barker novel is without. Desire VS Consequence. Weave-World does not feel as if it has to gross you out in order to get your attention. But nonetheless it does so in several places. The novel will make you feel small but integral to your living world and ultimately Barker will remind you that while you (the reader) may be insignificant you are not so in the way you may think you are…..and that makes you integral. This book will bruise your intellect, smash your nose and allow you to walk down a path you might not be able to return on. Returning will be up to you. Barker will give you the tools to do so……but he will make you search for them. Where you find them will depend on what you find in those closed off and locked niches in your heart. Like many Barker stories this novel is a treasure chest. Open it and jump in feet first…….or head first. It matters not. What does matter is how often he will allow you to come up for air and if you are a fan of his then you know you might want to prepare yourself for something unexpected.

[heaven_star · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I dithered about what to rate this one - I really want half point options for moments like this!

I've been wanting to read Barker for months, out of the blue found his work and wanted to read all of it. I started here and I don't think it was a bad choice. First up he's an incredible craftsman, this is one of those novels that I both enjoyed for the story and for the novel crafting I could see in it. The prose was great, the plotting was good and I could see the structural impressiveness of it, too.

The story itself was wonderful. I'd been warned that Barker was dark and gory but wanted to find out for myself. Turns out that I find him [i]wonderfully[/i] dark and gory! None of it was gratuitous, in fact I don't think Immocolata would have been as impressive a villain if she hadn't been so confrontingly evoked. I liked the characterisation, I loved seeing the developments of their perspectives, they grew and changed as a result of the events of the plot - as they are supposed to! I could see the influence of this book, too, as a prelude to things like urban fantasy as a genre. Even while reading it I was nodding and thinking "this is why people list it as a classic. It's solid and important."

Why not five stars? I had two major issues that stopped me loving it rather than just really enjoying and appreciating it. It seemed lengthy, I liked the plot developments but it felt like we had two or three "false climaxes" and it began to drag towards the end for me. The end was still satisfying but I felt like I'd wasted emotional energy on the previous climax and resolution points. I also struggled with the third person omniscient-ness, I know it can produce detachment from characters and the story and Barker was great in producing characters that were memorable and well-rounded despite that, but I never felt close to them. They were memorable, yes, but I didn't quite go far enough to [i]care[/i] about their fate. It was just beautifully wrought story about some people with strong tendencies and personality quirks. I think this added to my apathy towards the finale, I was over seeing these characters try and try and try again. It's a nice plot device but draining when my compulsion to follow the characters is weak to begin with. Suzanna in particular was a bit nothing for me, we're told she's practical and hands on and likes pottery but she was a bit empty for me. Cal was less so but still suffered in the end.

All that aside: read it. This is one of those fantasy classics I wish I had found earlier and despite my personal lack of focus towards the end and issues with not bonding tightly enough to some of the characters it's really, really worth the read. If only to read some of Barker's lovely prose, but the execution of the story is entirely worth it as well.

[aguba-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful, masterly writing and unsurpassed fusion of bone-chilling horror and fluid, effortless fiction. Old Clive Barker should be made compulsory read for all purveyors of modern zombie/vampire rubbish. No brain-eating crap here, but go check out the menstruum! Barker's stuff is sooo gold.

[dinadansfriend · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was reading about organism living in wildly variant environments, at this time, it seems. All these people live in a rug. Possibly this is an extension of Author's avoidance technique. Not greatly compelling.

[srboone · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A witch uses a shady salesman to exact vegeance upon the mythical beings who rejected her. A marvelous and quirky examination on the nature of being an artist, I loved every word of this masterpiece. At least two too many climaxes, but why quibble? The whole thing is simply wonderful.

[veracite · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I wish he'd written more like this: complex and engaging with great characters. Recent books have been disappointing.

[quantumbutterfly_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Imagine a world only accessible through an elaborate carpet. Imagine people wanting that power for their own means. Imagine those wishing to destroy it. Imagine one person charged with guarding that world, not knowing anything of her duty when the story starts and just trying to keep everyone alive. Thus you have Weave world.I love the new worlds which Clive regularly weaves. We need more of that imagination in the world.

[mckait · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oh my, what a read. What an exhausting journey. I read this book filled with magic and horror, hope and lack of hope.. and the always menacing Scourge, and felt all of these things. Suzanne carries the strength of mankind, and the magic of her grandmother. Calhoun is sincerity personified. And that is just the beginning, or would be if there was a beginning. Or for that matter and end. I think this was the story of what we each carry within ourselves. And the fear of losing it. I was left feeling lonely, bereft and yet hopeful. Is that possible? Is anything impossible? The story is also a reminder that no one of us can stand alone.

[nkmunn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very trippy, totally germinal.

[danconsiglio · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good stuff! Modern-times fantasy for the older audience. Contains some badass Revelations imagery. I likes me a fantasy author who respects his sources.

[loremipsem_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the master work of Clive Barker. This novel really keeps the tension racked up and imagines a world that is complex and dark. It takes the reader on an adrenaline fuelled journey through both the modern world and the world of magic and shows the characters inhabiting both worlds as more complex than previously imagined. The imagination here and the descriptions of the world are masterful.Highly recommended.

[magooles · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I prefer Weaveworld to several of Barker’s other books because he leans a bit more toward fantasy in this one while still holding onto his penchant for horror (although not nearly as gruesome as he can get). It is a well-imagined story that comes full circle and leaves the reader satisfied.

[ehtnioj · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Being my first venture into Clive Barker's depraved mind, I must say that I was very impressed. However, this is a dark tale not for the faint of horror. The basic premise is there is a magical race, the Seerkind, that hides itself in a carpet to protect itself from the outside world and the Scourge, a monster intent on genocide. Once inside the hidden world, the carpet is guarded by a human. However, a Seerkind exile and her human associate work to find the carpet and destroy the Seerkind's world. In the process the caretaker dies and her grandaughter takes up her mantle, while fate brings Cal, a human who is destined to play a role in the future of the Seerkind, into the story and a bizarre and disjointed romance ensues. Anyone who tries to tell you this book is more fantasy than horror is delusional. Barker is a horror writer through and through and that shines in this work. The Fugue is a fantastical world with magical characters, but Weaveworld itself spins around an axis of blood and death. There are monsters galore along with some of the goriest imagery I have ever encountered. My only knock on Weaveworld is that the main antagonists, Shadwell and Immacalota, while vividly rendered are relatively flat. We know what their goals are but there is little in the way of background provided. We are never really told why they want what they want.

[kale.dyer · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Quite a good book, though seems confused in places.

[whitetara_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This has to be my only exception to my "plausible-science-fiction" being preferable to "fantasy". I really loved this book. My husband encouraged me to read it and I was dubious. But I got swept away on the ride that Mr. Barker took me on. He is such a vivid story teller - the characters all but leaped off the page. There were moments where I felt the pace dragged a bit and a couple areas where things could have been left out - but they were minimal. Highly exciting and really fun.

[clurb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A reasonable fantasy with memorable characters but the story dragged a little too much in the middle for me.

[spk27 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have read a number of Clive Barker's books and, on the whole, have not been particularly impressed. For the most part they have been just o.k., and there have been a couple that I just couldn't get into.Weaveworld, on the other hand, grabbed me by the throat from the opening page and never let go. A wildly imaginative, thrilling adventure.

[mortensengarth_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

read this or Essentials by barker. youll prlly find his other works (-essentials) just mad libs authoring.

[pamplemousse_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The second Clive Barker I read, after Imajica. Also a wonderfully detailed, absorbing and complex fantasy.