Galilee – A Novel of the Fantastic by Clive Barker

Posted on July 8, 2009 
Filed under Books, Fiction, Sci-Fi / Fantasy and tagged , , , , , , , ,

galilee clive barker

Clive Barker is known for his twisted horror and suspenseful thrillers.  I’ve always loved his writing, and a few of his works are among my favorites.  I don’t know why I waited so long to read Galilee, but I’m glad I finally did, as it is now not only my favorite novel by Barker, but it has become one of my favorite novels, period.

Galilee is pure Southern Gothic…an epic tale spanning centuries.  No, spanning millenia.  It is a story of warring families, destined lovers, and tragic fate.  A bit of a departure for Barker, but his signature wit and propensity for the bizarre are very much alive in this book.

The families at war are the Geary family and the Barbarossas.  The Gearys are an extremely wealthy and powerful clan (think the Kennedys) and the Barbarossas are an ancient family with ties that go back to Thomas Jefferson, and as you soon find out, much further back than that.

The novel begins simply enough, describing the Barbarossa house and grounds, a bit of its Jeffersonian history…and then quickly drops a bombshell on the reader about the nature of the family.  The supernatural and surreal quickly take hold, without losing the human drama of the characters.  Many reviewers reveal this family secret, but I will not.  It is far more enjoyable to discover for yourself as you read.  The entire book is written from the point of view of Maddox, whose bird’s eye view and uniquely acquired perspective is a tale unto itself.

At the heart of the story is the novel’s namesake Galilee and the object of his desire is Rachel Geary.  Theirs is a star crossed romance that would make Shakespeare proud.  Galilee is the son of Barbarossa family matriarch Cessaria. Rachel is married to the heir to the Geary dynasty, Mitchell.   The two meet under unusual circumstances, and immediately commence a steamy romance that might make you blush.  Yes, Barker brings some seriously erotic heat to this novel, but it never crosses the line to vulgarity.

Of course, given the centuries old feud between their two families, they suffer for their love.  And the very love that brings them together threatens to bring on the ultimate battle that may end up destroying both of their houses.

The whimsical and fantastical details of this story must be read to truly appreciate.  Strange beasts, gods and goddesses, ghosts, zombies, demons, angels, sex, money, power, betrayal, and burning passion are all major characters in Galilee.  I’ve intentionally avoided giving away too much of the story.  It is so good that I wouldn’t want to rob anyone of the bliss and sorrow within the pages.

If you are a fan of horror, epic dramas, mystery, romance… Galilee will appeal to you.  It is an exploration of immorality and honor, and how both of these things tend to intermingle. Ultimately, Galilee is a dark dark fantasy.  I can’t praise it enough.  Read it.

xoxo

Natalina

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18 Responses to “Galilee – A Novel of the Fantastic by Clive Barker”

  1.  sgt-pembry on July 8th, 2009 1:32 am

    I bought this book last year … still haven’t read it though. Sounds like I’d better.
    Cheers Nat

  2.  Natalina on July 8th, 2009 1:37 am

    Well, yes you’d better read it, dear Sgt! And make sure you let me know what you think! For some reason I avoided it for a long time too, now I’m so glad I gave it a chance!

    Nat

  3.  Jo on July 8th, 2009 10:34 pm

    This sounds great. I’ve read a bit of Clive Barker and it’s always a good read. It would be a good change of pace from all of the business books I’ve been reading.

  4.  Natalina on July 8th, 2009 10:48 pm

    Jo, you should definitely pull your nose out of those business books long enough to read Galilee. It is absorbing and will provide a great escape for you!

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