First of all I'd like to say that I am absolutely fascinated by Clive Barker, his writings and his images. Once I saw a documentary about him, in which his drawings of various monsters were shown, they were awesome. What's more, he said he just saw these images in his mind; he didn't think them up, he just saw them! After I read Imajica and saw Clive in the flesh when he was visiting the premiere of 'Lord of Illusions' here in Amsterdam, I just knew I would always try to keep track of whatever he's doing. Now, about the book. It's the second Clive Barker I've read, and although I liked Imajica better, I was again anxious to finish the book as well as 'scared' of finishing it and returning from this dreamlike world to my everyday world. I love Barker's sense of humour, and he writes in such a way that the occurring events aren't as unthinkable as they were before you started reading the book. My favourite part of the book is probably the shaping of the Jaffe's terata, and the dreaming up of the town's people favourite people, from tv or real life. I especially liked the idea of William Witt's house full of copulating pornstars, entertaining themselves with his huge collection of bow ties. Anyway, I would have given this book 5 stars if it wasn't for Imajica which I liked better. And if you somehow get to read this Clive, come visit Amsterdam again sometime soon.

The Great and Secret Show reminds me of the only Tim Powers novel Ive read, Last Call. And that, for anyone wanting a one-sentence review (contingent upon understanding the nature of my opinion of Last Call), is that.In many ways, coming across a book that doesnt interest one even though its a good book makes writing a review far more difficult than coming across a bad book. But if one truly reads widelyand its something I take pride in doingthen it will happen. So what then?I could try to praise The Great and Secret Show for its merits, for the characteristics that endear it to other readers. Clive Barker brings an impressive imagination to the table. His credentials portray him as someone more in the horror camp of speculative fiction, and thats borne out by the booknot horror in the nu-school sense of gore and death, but horror in the old-fashioned sense of dread, evil, and doom.There are times when Barkers baddies are positively Lovecraftian. Behind the shadows, lying in wait, pulling the strings, exist the Iad Uroboros on another plane of existence. They are the stuff of nightmares nightmares and want only to slip into our dimension, drive us mad, and subjugate the empty shells of human beings who are left. If that doesnt describe an Old One, I dont know what does. Thankfully, there is a magical "ocean" called Quiddity lying between us and them.Central to the story is the attempt by one character to upset this balance. Randolph Jaffe is a sociopath who stumbles upon the secrets of Quiddity and the Art, gradually morphing into a less-than-human being known as the Jaff. He recruits an unconventional scientist, Fletcher, to help him with a final apotheosis. It goes wrong, but Fletcher turns against him. The two transcend human existence and wage war, embodying aspects of what a more limited mind might call good and evil. Their battles bring them to a temporary rest in Palomo Grove, California.And then it gets to the weird, horror part of the story, what with the impregnation and the children and the creepy love-at-first-sight. But even this is good, in a sense. Even this I can understand. Barker needs to provide the reader with more human charactersthe story of the endless battle between the Jaff and Fletcher has grown thin. But as various humans become drawn into the conflict, the stakes increase. The bad guys become more real, and suddenly this becomes a battle for reality itself.For the right audience, I can see how this book would be the pitch-perfect blend of creepy horror and high-stakes urban fantasy. Alas, at times it drags, feeling far longer than it needs to be. Plus, this just isnt my favourite corner of the fantasy realm. I enjoy a bit of darkness with my fantasy, particularly when that darkness has its origins in our own, flawed human nature, as Barker portrays through Jaffe and, to some extent, Kissoon. Yet Im very picky when it comes to the ways in which urban fantasy deals with the interface between the magical and the mundane. The Great and Secret Show approaches the supernatural as a very spiritual, personal experience, whereas I tend to prefer magic that is showier, flashier, more style than substance. Is that crass of me? Probably. But I just like its stark contrast against the backdrop of an otherwise ordinary, regular world.So, there is much working in favour of this book. And Im having a hard time understanding why I didnt enjoy it much more than I didbut this problem itself indicates to me that, for whatever reason, the book and I just didnt click. Is this what dating feels like? Im sorry, The Great and Secret Show: its not you; its me.

Even better the second time around. If I could rate it higher, I would. Of course, I believe this is essential reading for horror/dark fantasy fans. I will be revisiting the sequel, Everville, next.

The summer I read this book was the summer I changed my mind about the horror genre. Previously, I had read some subpar Stephen King and some even more subpar Dean Koontz. A friend recommended the Great and Secret Show to me, saying it was like King's The Stand, but better. I skeptically started the book and was immediately glued to the page. Barker mixes dark fantasy and horror elements comprising a concoction that I've never found in any other book. The story is near impossible to explain without making it sound like a cliche, boring horror novel. Palomo Grove is a small California town where two ancient powers awaken, Jaffe and Fletcher. The Jaffe is an evil entity while Fletcher seems to be good. Their presence seems to be having a mysterious effect on the town and its residents.Barker introduces us to the residents of Palomo Grove, including my favorite surly reporter, Grillo. Somehow, Barker manages to simultaneously develop a large handful of characters and storylines while making the book feel cohesive. Overall, an amazing book and recommended to anyone who feels the horror genre is tired and boring.

This was the first of what was a suggested trilogy from Barker, now exploring and telling a very creative, inventive fantastical and spiritual while dream-like tale. Not as truly mind blowing and stunning in scope as his immense Imajica novel, this first part of this tale-which can be read as a single book, is strange, unusual, adventurous and almost unpredictable.It draws in elements of fantasy, religious tale, spirituality, dream and reality and also at times horror and terror as well written as Barker is known for. This is not at all pure classic fantasy as known in that genre, it does not really very often have regular horror elements, but it does hold a strong, bizarre and epic tale, some fascinating characters which move along through a unique personal fantastical journey. Like some modern new myth, this is very strange, some times funny, disgusting, wild, and amazing from the first to last page.