In the Flesh

This is one of Barker's earliest collections, and shines because it is free of the usual flights of fancy that color his newer, longer works. Barker still posesses one of the most unique imaginations in literature, but his longer novels are sometimes muddled with too much fantasy as opposed to horror. There is no such problem with these short pieces. Razor sharp writing, evocative descriptions, and a unique philisophical view within each keep these stories fresh even over twenty years after their publication. It is hard to find proper words to describe Barker's work because it is so full of imagination, that it sometimes defies any type of description. He definetly takes chances that no other writer would, which is all the more exciting because you are reading the work of a young man who is just finding his voice at the time. While the opening story is probably the best, the second story, The Forbidden, is the inspiration for the movie "Candyman", and is also quite strong. If you've never read Barker before, this is a good place to start, along with The Hellbound Heart and the Books of Blood. The strength of his imagination is palpable during reading and, like any good writer of horror, he takes you on a journey that is both believable and totally fantastic all at once.

"[When I read Clive Barker,] I feel like Elvis Presley watching the Beatles." - Stephen King To get any potential bias out in the open, I want to say two things. First off, if I were to pick my favorite horror writer, it would be a toss-up between H.P. Lovecraft and Clive Barker (although Shirley Jackson's brilliant "The Haunting of Hill House" puts her in the running, but I don't see her as a full-blown horror writer). It still shocks me that Barker is outsold by King and Rice. Secondly, this was the first book by Clive Barker that I had read, so that may have affected my opinion. The thing that draws me to his writings is his writing style. The man simply has a way with words. I could never imagine being near as good of a writer as this man. Sure, Stephen King has a great imagination, but he doesn't match this man's eloquency. This man could write air bag instructions and it would be fascinating. Also, he does an excellent job of mixing sub-genres. Horror can be classified into two sub-genres: psychological horror and gore. The former, when done right, is truly frightening. The latter is not, but is still appealing in a way. To paraphrase Stephen King, it's like looking at a car accident. You don't know why you look, but you still always turn your head, and while your conscious tells you that you should hope that the victims are alright, deep down you want to see blood. Clive Barker's works contain both elements. His writings are frightening due to the psychological elements and a constant sense of dread, but at the same time he paints his work like a car accident. Thirdly, I enjoy the fact that he rarely writes a straight-forward story. His plots are replete with metaphors and character motivations are rarely simple or Freudian. Now it's time for a story summary. This book contains four stories that are somewhere between short stories and novellas. The first two are pure horror and the last two are modern-day fantasies, although they both contain elements which, though not scary, can be a bit disturbing. I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but minor spoilers do come up in any synopsis. "In the Flesh" - The story starts by describing a prisoner who is obsessed with the idea of original sin. He doesn't fully accept the Bible and he investigates this topic in his free time which, like any prisoner, he has plenty of. All the while, he has dreams every night of a ghost town in the desert. Initially, he doesn't understand what the dreams are about. Soon enough, a cellmate is introduced. He is a skinny man who quickly becomes a typical prison victim due to his size and his meek nature. His father (or grandfather, I forget) was a murderer who was executed at the prison and buried near the cell. At night, he speaks to his (grand)-father as if he were alive. The other prisoner soon finds out that the man has inherited a terrible supernatural power from his (grand)-father. What follows is a series of disturbing events

First things first. The Last reveiwer referred to King and Koontz as hacks. King and Koontz should not be uttered together in the same sentence. That is sacrilege. Koontz is a hack. King is God. We mock what we don't understand. We fear what we cannot perceive. And let us remember, if it wasn't for King's kindly reviews, Mr. Barker might still be an obscure genius. Let me get one thing straight, Clive Barker is a (...)genius. No need to be angry with Mr. King. Secondly, let's talk about In The Flesh. Not for the average or mainstream reader as the last reviewer mentioned (He seemed very hostile and confused. Gender issues? Skeletons in the closet?)nor the faint of heart. Clive Barker is an acquired taste. Rigid in style and precise in wording, Clive Barker is not afraid to show us everything we never wanted to see. Be it pornographic or horrific, Barker never flinches. In The Flesh & The Forbidden are the masterpieces here. The Forbidden has the origins of the silly Candyman pictures, but I assure you, this incarnation of the Candyman is all out chilling. In The Flesh is a dark prison tale of a young man haunted by the taint of his grandfather's infamous deeds. The Madonna and Babel's Children are the lesser, but still brilliant tale of the book. The Madonna is a chilling, perverse look into the shadows of an abandoned sauna where strange apparitions dwell and ungodly depravities are unleashed. Babel's Children is a story of a woman on holiday who takes a wrong turn in the wilderness and comes across a strange abbey with even stranger inhabitants. Are they all crazy? Only Clive will tell. Overall another great chunk of Clive Barker's perfection. Read this and be afraid, for down the way and around the corner is an empty flat with a lot of graffitti on the walls, take a look inside and remember, Sweets to the sweet. Dig it!

I enjoyed this book of four short stories. It was well-written and very subtle. Barker tells four very different stories about the human mind. The first story was the most interesting, focusing on two inmates in a prison. It focuses on the question of original sin.

This book gives a great mixture of smaller stories. It has the infamous Candyman who appears to be only a myth. But, by far, my favorite short story is how elder greek wise men decide the fate of the world upon the games that they play.