Clive Barker
Il Mondo in un Tappeto

THE REVIEW

If someone asked me what is the most beautiful fantasy-horror book I have ever read in my life, I would have no doubt: WEAVEWORLD by Clive Barker. Despite being a tome of over 700 pages, I have read it three times and it's not out of the question that I'll read it again.

As a young man, I was a fan of horror films and books. I read many novels by Stephen King and E.A. Poe. It was inevitable, at some point, to get to know Clive Barker. His stories, found in the book BOOKS OF BLOOD (highly recommended for enthusiasts of the genre) struck me greatly. It was for this reason that I read all his novels and stories until I got to WEAVEWORLD, a novel from 1987 and, in my opinion, Clive Barker's masterpiece. This book, to be clear, for me beats ALL of Stephen King's novels. Subsequently, Clive Barker would write other novels (massive novels, 1000-page stuff!) like fantasy-horror type IMAJICA and APOCALYPTON, nice, but they are absolutely not on the level of WEAVEWORLD.

THE BEGINNING

Suzanne is going to her dying grandmother's bedside and meets Cal who is chasing a pigeon. A carpet gets in the way, an ancient and mysterious carpet where a world is encapsulated. Every thread it is composed of, the warp and the weft, are the expression of another world. A magical world where all desires and the most hallucinatory nightmares can come true. Our world and the mysterious world that "sleeps" in the carpet are destined to meet and clash. The carpet will explode and everything will begin...

This is the curious beginning of the incredible adventure of Cal and Suzanne. I really don't want to say more both because it's not easy at all (at least for me) and because I don't want to spoil such a work.

The fact is that the two must protect the carpet from the Scourge that wants to destroy it and with it all the magic, wonders, dreams. Yes, dreams, because we humans, the Calmatos, have become so mean and devoid of imagination that we have caused magic to dissolve, retreating into a carpet to escape our deadly embrace.

As you can see, set like this, it seems like a rather vague and childish story but I assure you it is not, perhaps it's just that as I write, a nice shitty review is coming out... :)

Don't hesitate any longer, get this book and meet all the incredible characters, the most horrifying monsters of all time, the terrible IMMACOLATA (the right hand of the Scourge) and her abominable dead sisters... and then Shadwell, THE SALESMAN, a Calmatos henchman of Immacolata who possesses a very, very interesting and dangerous coat...

The book is truly thrilling, engaging, and exciting. Our heroes are in constant danger and continuously on the run!

Well, I've got the urge to read it again... but I don't know why I no longer have this book and it seems it can't be found in bookstores, perhaps it can be purchased online. Surely THE SALESMAN has a copy, he only needs to open his coat...