Customer Reviews

Forms of Heaven: Three Plays

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In Forms of Heaven, the second collection of plays written by Clive Barker during his early creative years, three extraordinary plays have been brought together. In Crazyface the audience follows the adventures of the famous Tyl Eulenspiegel and the struggle for a valuable secret between the great countries of Europe's Dark Ages. In Paradise Street an impoverished and totally destroyed Liverpool street get a visit of a group time travellers that is not at all interested in keeping the equilibrium of time. And finally in Subtle Bodies Clive Barker shows what happens if some outrageous characters stay the night in a hotel and share one apocalyptic common dream.

The many fans of Clive Barker are already more than convinced of the amazing imaginative powers of the author. But the early plays that Clive wrote might still amaze many of them. In a format that is less descriptive than a 400-page novel, the author still succeeds in constructing a fantastic and powerful imagery that again and again absorbs the reader into a sea of dreams and imagination. Whereas in his previous collection of plays, Incarnations, the focus was overwhelmingly on the horrific and the violent, the plays collected in Forms of Heaven have a much lighter and humorous common denominator. Certainly the scenes where many actors share the stage are not only strangely absurd, but also tremendously funny. The outspoken production notes, added to each play, will help you to feel what it would be like to see them acted out on a real stage. I sure hope to get an opportunity to enjoy such a show.

I am very happy with all the Clive Barkers works. I can't figure out how he writes all these great stuff. His imagination is out of this world. I love reading it. He sends my mind flying.

Although, as always, the stories are a very nice read, they don't come accross as plays. Only one of the three plays would be managable on stage, and even then difficult for an audience. The other two are nearly impossible. Still a nice read though.

I was glad to find a copy of this book containing the play I wanted to read. It arrived in timely fashion. It is in decent condition.

To Amazon:
WHY DO YOU FORCE THIS REVIEWING PROCESS SO STRONGLY? TO MY WAY OF THINKING, NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS. I WOULD RATHER NOT HAVE TO SPEND TIME DOING THIS. EXCELLENT NEWS AND REALLY BAD NEWS MAKES MOST SENSE.