The Hellbound Heart: The Supernatural Horror Novel and Inspiration for Hellraiser

I started this read with such fervor! I absolutely love Clive’s work! As I read the book I was intrigued at how much I missed that was different from the film when I read it years ago. Therefore, after I breakdown the novella I decided I would compare it to the film. But first the novella by itself. I have to admit it was a different journey reading this at 32 in comparison to my early 20’s and younger. I suppose possibly I have become more familiar with the film since then. (It is one of my favorites). The plot is very simple, yet it grabs your attention at the very moment Frank is introduced in the beginning chapter. It has a very mysterious quality to what actually happened to him once he opens the Lemarchand Configuration. Not until later does it become apparent. Once the box is opened the Cenobites, although independent, seem to have a oneness. It is also interesting that the Cenobites really don’t feel as menacing, or evil as Frank is in the novel. Julia seems to be a holier than thou type of human. She sees others as inferior, and also has the air of what she wants she gets. In other words a B*^$&. Turning into an evil B*^$& later upon discovering Frank, and wanting to bring him back no matter the cost. Rory is such a boring character. He is very dependent on Julia’s affection, and approval. He seems very whiney and a sissy. Not to mention passes out at his own blood! He simply is a average Joe wanting a decent life in their newly acquired home that he inherited. Kirsty is also a very annoying character. For being the “final girl” so to speak she really sucks. She is a Debbie downer, always thinks “poor pitiful me”, she loves Rory and is jealous of Julia having him. Unbeknownst to her Julia doesn’t really love Rory, and she despises Kirsty. As the novella propelled forward very quickly it was an amazing, and easy read! I was shocked at the differences I noticed, but I still love this novella. I will most certainly revisit it again in the future at some point. I will go into a bit more detail when I compare the film. However, I still stand firm and give The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker five stars out of five! I honestly thought this rating would change, but I was not let down once again! It remains one of my favorite horror novellas of all time! Comparison: Novella & Film I absolutely love Clive’s 1987 movie Hellraiser, and the second installment Hellbound Hellraiser II! I have watched the film countless times, and it never gets old! In fact after reading the novella once more there were some things that I felt Clive changed to better the film. First off, the Cenobites each have more of their own personality, or fleshed out so to speak. They are much more menacing in the film, and depicted differently than the novella. For starters Pinhead is really only described once in the novella when Frank first opens the box, and in the book seems to be female having a breathy girl/female voice. I felt that changing Pinhead and using Doug Bradley was an amazing change! Also, the movie seems to incorporate the Cenobites much more especially in the climax. I felt that this was much more effective. However, even though Frank is evil it did seem to make him a bit more tame when the Cenobites were included a bit more. Julia was spot on! I feel like it was perfect that hardly if any changes occurred in her character, and personality. Stone cold B*^$& she was, and remains. Rory seems to be a bit less pathetic in the film, but still rather boring. However, having a daughter makes him seems much stronger, and not as whiny. Still, afraid of his own blood. I thought it was genius that Clive used a nail in the film to cut Rory’s hand, but I much rather would have seen him slip with the chisel (as in the novella), and gash is hand open. Kirsty, the “final girl”, is so much more amazing in the film than on paper! I felt that Clive’s changes were absolutely perfect! Making Kirsty Rory’s daughter was so much more effective than someone who desperately loved Rory but couldn’t have him. She also has a much more strong personality, and it only grows stronger throughout the film. The scene where she is fighting Frank in the room upstairs I particularly like the fact that the line changed to “you want it f*^%ing take it!” Rather than Kirsty simply throwing the box out the window. So much more power for her character. Also, Frank being her uncle makes him a bit more depraved when he craves Kirsty. Overall, I feel the film was completed much more efficiently than the novella. However, I love that they differ in many ways. It makes it fresh, and it is fun to see the differences and decide what could have been done differently or not. All in all, I give Hellraiser 1987 five stars out of five stars. I feel that it certainly was a passionate project that Clive poured his blood, sweat, and tears into. I do think that those who bash the films should read The Hellbound Heart because I think it would possibly bring more respect to what the film achieved in comparison to the novella. Although I gave both the novella and the movie five stars out of five stars I felt like they both deserve it in their own right. I attempted to be as non biased as possible when breaking this down.

Like many people, I got "The Hellbound Heart" because I was already a fan of "Hellraiser" and wanted to see what Clive Barker's original literary draft was like. If you've seen the movie, you'll already be familiar with what goes on in the book, as the two are surprisingly similar to each other. Libertine Frank obtains a mysterious puzzle box (although here it's in Germany, rather than some nameless Asian country), and unlocks it to open the world of the Cenobites, strange demons who intermingle pain and pleasure together. Frank is trapped in the dark world of the Cenobites, somewhere in his former home. In comes Rory and Julia, Frank's brother and his new wife (whom Frank had engaged in a brief affair with), as they move into Frank's place. Rory spills some of his blood in Frank's room, which gives him an edge away from the Cenobite world. Contacting Julia, Frank convinces her to bring men back to the house for him to kill. Kirstie (who is here Rory's friend, rather than his daughter) is sent to see if Julia is up to something, and encounters not only Frank but his box. If you've seen the movie, you know where it goes from here. If you haven't, going any further would only lead into spoilers. Some of the lines from the movie will be recognized by die-hard fans, including Pinhead's famous "No tears, please - it's a waste of good suffering." As a work in and of itself, "The Hellbound Heart" is a decent read. It's definitely not like a lot of horror literature: despite the violent subject matter, it certainly doesn't read like a lot of the "splatterpunk" you see today, and the demonology is, like in the movie (at least the first one), focused more on reflecting the human characters than having scary monsters running around screaming "BOO!" Much of the detail seems surprisingly limited in the world, especially the world of the Cenobites. What does get shared is interesting, mind you, but how the various parts of it functions (for example, with the Engineer) seem to be told with scanty details. One almost thinks that Clive Barker could have expanded on the world of the Cenobites far more than he did, as the movie's sequels ended up doing (with varying degrees of success). One thing I will say is that the effects of the cube on Kirstie are actually better realized in the story than in the movie: in the story, it describes how the Cenobites remain around her, even if only in the shadows, or in her subconscious. She could literally feel the madness surrounding her, even as she left the hospital and was walking around. It was a nice touch that I actually wish had been better captured in the movie. (Before anyone comments... yes, I'm well aware of the limitations of various mediums, I'm not saying this somehow ruins the opinion of the movie for me.) I will admit that Kirstie being Rory's daughter in the movie made her feel more connected to the chain of events, whereas in this story she's literally just a close friend who ends up getting caught up between Frank's little love triangle. If you're a big "Hellraiser" fan, by all means pick this up. If you want to read horror, but something a little on the lighter side, this will definitely please you as well. I recommend it.

Klassiker der Horrorliteratur!

Amazing book, a classic. Easy to read, beautiful literature, really well written.

If you’re into the horror romance type novels, this is a must have, one of the most powerfull books in terms of lyric resources in my opinion, the way clive barker uses the simple words to make such a strong enviroment is fundamental.

One of Clive Barker's masterpieces.

My rating for the book itself is a solid 5/5. Every Hellraiser fan should read it, as the book is even better than the movie (which honestly is the case with all movie-adapted books). It’s such an original piece, I love how Barker is not judgemental of his female characters, and I love the way desire is treated. But I couldn’t rate this Harper Perennial edition with the skull-with-pins cover 5/5, because the printing feels like a joke. Huge (and I mean HUGE) blocky letters, reminiscent of a children’s book, make it impossible to read and get into the mood of the story. It’s such a shame, because the font and size used for the author page are perfect! I’d say this is more a collectible edition, as the cover is gorgeous, than a good reading copy.