Weaveworld

Part of the message, especially at the beginning of this book, is that today's world is running down and running out. Decadence, emptiness and drudgery fill the lives of most of the characters. The Weaveworld is offered as an alternative to this world. Within a tapestry, a magical carpet, is a world of magic where the spells themselves are called "raptures", which accentuates the distinction between the drabness of our world and the emotional vibrancy of the magical world within the carpet. Ironically, Clive Barker calls those of us who live in this mundane world "cuckoos", whereas those who live in the magical world within the tapestry are "seers". Is one world more real than the other? Are they both real and is it our insanity which prevents us from seeing the magic in this world? The question of what is real and what is not is a theme that runs throughout the book.The concept of a world inside a tapestry, mirror, painting or photograph is not new in the fantasy genre. However, the use of a woven carpet has a metaphorical advantage over other types of pictures. A woven carpet reminds us of other metaphors that relate to life and reality: "lives/events are intertwined"; "web of intrigue"; even "the fabric of space/time".A couple of cliches may stem from Barker's long association with the film industry. In some scenes, the characters are unaccountably paralyzed by surprise, horror or distraction as if they were in a bad movie. In one particular scene, one of the main characters is fleeing for his life from the "big bad", but his car won't start. While reading these sections, one is too easily reminded of low-budget horror films.While most of the environments are very well described, two settings are overdone: the desert and the snow storm. The emptiness and vastness of the desert, and the way the characters react to them, seem a little overblown. In the snow storm near the end of the book, the physical conditions don't seem to warrant the impediment they pose to the characters. Perhaps this is the result of a disparity between the experiences of Clive Barker, raised in Liverpool, UK, and those of us who were raised in the northern half of North America. I found myself wondering why the characters couldn't handle 18 inches of snow!The plot is well paced and engaging. The book is divided into sections within sections (Books, Parts, Chapters, scenes), the smallest of which are quite short, sometimes only two or three pages. The construction of the book thus offers convenience to those who want to pick it up at a moment's notice, read a bit, and put it back down. The Kindle edition has a few small flaws, apparently from being scanned into electronic form. In one chapter, "clay" is rendered as "day" several times, which can lead to some confusion on the reader's part. Later in the book, near the climax of the action, this happens with one or two other words. However, the electronic version is generally well done and there are very few flaws in nearly 700 pages.The characters are likable (or hate-able, as appropriate) and moderately complex, and the action is compelling. While the book is quite long, it is well worth the time it takes to finish it. It is an excellent read.

I would term this writing style "dark fantasy' with an ever-so-slight tinge of horror. While the story was immensely entertaining, it lacked solidification--a feeling of dis-jointedness reigned. The characterization though, was quite bold...and the descriptive verse was a delicious form of eye candy that satisfied to the max. VIVID imagination is embarked upon here, and the journey is well worth your time.

This was really an excellent example of what Barker can achieve in an epic-length novel. It combines elements of horror, fantasy and romance in such a powerful and compelling way. The major plot device, a mysterious carpet known as the Fugue, is itself an interesting metaphor, I think, that works on many different levels. An entire, magnificent, hidden world lies trapped away in this seemingly mundane object of craft; a world of fantastic, magical beings known as the Seerkind. The fate of their world, as well as the power that it holds, becomes the motor force for the action that unfolds. Barker generally provides an imaginative bestiary in the majority of his work, but Weaveworld's was exceptionally horrifying and exquisite. Unlike other reviewers, I found the understated ending to be entirely called for: the conflict is over, the Seerkind's world is destroyed, but its trace manifests itself in a final exuberant expression in the human world. The book ends up being something of a parable on the human need for myth, symbol and imagination; though disenchantment seems to drain and devalue these things within our lives, as long as their objects can be imagined, so Barker entreats, they do not need to be lost. I'll add a corollary to that, in praise of Barker's genius here: as long as there are authors and artists with the power to give birth to these sorts of visions, as well as the inclination to create them, human beings need not lose touch with the idea that our lives as individual selves, however complex and individuated they may become, are all born from the murky, rich, beautiful past of symbol, image, and myth.

There is no cohesion. The book feels incongruous. Nothing flows. The characters contradict themselves. There is no sense in the passage of time. At one point, a character gets some pets, fattens them, gains their loyalty, and trains them, all in the space of a few hours. The novel is divided into three books, and each book feels like a different story, with different villains, but not in a way that fit a cohesive narrative. In many ways, this felt real. Real life doesn't always flow in a cohesive way. But real life doesn't always make a good story, and this story suffered because of it.And yet, that is part of the point of the story. Barker says at the beginning and again at the end that stories have no beginning or end. They continue. So maybe the fact that this story seemingly started and stopped multiple times fits with the narrative Barker was trying to tell.I read this book hoping for a blending of horror and fantasy. It was definitely more fantasy with not much by way of horror. That is the fault of my own expectations, and the book can't be blamed for that.And after everything, the final two chapters gave me chills. I was moved. Very good.I have much more specific critiques but to be more specific would be to spoil the novel. In the end I went with three stars, though maybe three and a half would be more accurate. The narrative doesn't flow well. The characters are inconsistent. Plot elements are forgotten for seeming no reason. Yet the book never felt slow. It always felt like it was budding towards something. And the ending, the final ending, was rewarding.

I cannot even say how many times I’ve read this book… it’s deeply moving. Clive has such a mastery with words and phrases. This is the written word as art. I do wish the people who’d transcribed it to this format had done a better job at proofreading. There are so many typos and f I didn’t know the book so well it would be misleading. Please fix them Kindle!

I read the reviews, dived in and tried my best but but at just over 50% of the way through, I can go on no longer.It feels like wading through muddy water. I know I am making progress but it just seems too hard to actually enjoy and I don't feel that I am getting anywhere or being sufficiently regarded for my efforts.The idea seems like a good one, but just stretched out far too long for me.Good luck finding your next Beekeeper of Aleppo.I do not receive any payment or free goods for writing these reviews. I am just happy to share my views on my purchases with fellow like minded Amazonians in the hope that you may find it helpful.

There are some parts of this book which really engaged me. Particularly the action sequences. It seems that Clive Barker really know how to build tension and express menace in his evil characters.Sometimes I felt that the characterisation was a little hollow, and there wasn't much that was unique about the various characters that populated his world, but that is acceptable in a genre that is concerned with good vs. evil. The very polarity needs for us to dismiss whole chunks of stuff from the word being built.The problem for me was that sometimes the fantasy worlds and characters appeared a little twee. Almost like the good vs. evil dynamic was playing out in the two worlds (ours being evil). I don't believe in Eden. Wherever sentient beings populate a world there will be shades of positive and negative, not polarity, and so I lost respect for this book towards the middle sections.Overall though, a good read and an enjoyable one.

Despite the author being English and the story being set in modern day England, the Kindle version of his novel is written using American English. The differences really start to grate after a while and I wish there was a way I could return it for one that is more appropriate. I'm guessing that's not going to be available though :-(

I read this book many many years ago and it stayed with me. The story of a world (paradise) woven into a carpet to keep it safe touched a chord when me all those years ago. It felt like it had a hidden spiritual meaning and I was curious to read it again. This definitely is in my top three books every read and I'm getting long in the tooth and have read many books. Love its magic, it's layers of meaning and it's utterly brilliant storytelling.

Read this in early 90's and it was one of the iconic books that turned me to reading!!! It was amazing, felt like i'd been swept into another world while reading it! Absolutely amazing, the characters and scenery make you just want it to never end,.. Being from near Liverpool I knew all the locations and they're forever in my mind now when i drive through! An absolutely magical read, there is nothing like it!! xxxx