15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's like a dream, January 20, 2000
I am a huge fan of Clive Barkers work and have read a large part of his collection. After reading Galilee, it is easily one fo my favorites. Once you begin to read, you immediately become immersed in the lives of the novel's narrator and those characters that he chronicals. The novel involves two families; The Gearys and the Barbarossas. They have been in contempt of each other for over one hundred and fifty years. The Barbarossas are an ancient clan who's mother and father originated with the creation of Earth and have the ability to seemingly live forever. The Geary's are a dynasty of American royalty that came into power following the civil war. Their lives are then intertwined by one person; Galilee Barbarossa. The book is lavish in its detail of sex and violence. Once you pick it up, it will be hard to put down. It seems that in no portion of this novel that it drags on. This is a must read for fans of history, intrigue, romance, and the inside lives of the rich and powerful.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Barbara lives on, July 29, 2000
I read Imajica (both volumes) last year, and I must say I was gobsmacked by the sheer brilliance of Barker's narrative and imagination. So I started reading Barker's Galilee with relish, expecting an intriguing and fascinating tale of mysterious gods and goddesses, etc. But, woh! After some 200 hundred pages, it felt like I was fourteen again, reading my daily Mills & Boon paperback! I mean, the Rachel character was just soooo predictable and how on earth did Galilee decide she must be the one and only after sooo many (women...and men...and children...)? Nope, your standard Barbara Cartland yarn here: from rags to riches lass finds out her handsome John John Kennedy look-alike husband has somehow turned into a monster, but fortunately is bedded by the super-endowed Galilee who whisks her off (eventually...) to his "kingdom". Boring....and Barker must definitely have a sequel in mind.....
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Captivating, September 10, 2001
I have always seen Clive Barker novels sitting alongside novels by Anne Rice and Stephen King at airport bookshops and, as such, have been relatively disinclined to spend my cash and time reading them.
However, during a stop at London's Gatwick airport I was thumbing through the usual selection of Turow, Grisham, and Crichton when I noticed this book sitting out of place next to the aforementioned.
Picking it up, I was first impressed by the size of the book. "Alas", I thought, "This must be some tale". Turning the book over, I read the covernotes and was instantly drawn to the concept of these two warring families. A hinting towards the supernatural intrigued me and I realized that, upon reading this epic, I may not find myself swallowed into some goreish nightmare.
I put the book down and bought a Grisham novel.
A few weeks later, I was back at Gatwick airport and with the repulsive thought of another 6 hours air time ahead of me, I sauntered back into the bookstore. My mental association sprung into action and I picked up Galilee and walked straight for the counter.
Before the aircraft doors had been closed, I had already started reading the tale of the Gearys and the Barbarossas and soon found myself completely immersed in the world that was being weaved around me.
It is plain to see the value of writing a story from a fictional storytellers persepective. With a novel of this size and complexity, it is refreshing for the reader to be taken back into the home of the fictional writer and listen to his ramblings which, as well as being highly entertaining, contain some very significant plot markers.
However, the bulk of the story revolves around the potential battle between the Gearys and the Barbarossas. These two families of who I will say little are linked. This link is obvious from the start but it's nature is not revealed until much much later in the story.
The story is told with so much depth and conviction that I was left wondering why I had never seen the Gearys in the newspapers! Lightly peppered with grotesque eroticism and supernatural violence, this is a story that held me from the first page to the last.
*** Spoilers Ahead ****
As the story ends, I was only slightly disappointed that the violent viscious clash between these two families never emereged and that the promised downfall of the Barbarossa's home L'Enfant never materialized.
My suspicions of a potential sequel have been confirmed on reading Mr. Barkers notes on this novel.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
