Morbid Romantic

Book Review & Personal Blog

Title: The Hellbound Heart
Author(s): Clive Barker
Genre: Fiction
Tags: alternate universe, body modification, depravity, fantasy, gore, hell, horror, murder, pain, sadomasochism, science fiction, violence
Summary: Frank’s pursuit of pleasure has trapped him in an extra-dimensional hell, and his brother’s wife provides him the opportunity for escape. Frank’s resurrection provides Julia with the opportunity for escape from the marriage she has quickly grown bored of. Rory, who naively adores his more worldly wife, becomes their innocent victim while Kirsty is drawn into this dangerous realm by her desire to protect him and show him the truth about Julia. Kirsty soon becomes the main character as she tries to save herself and Rory from the consequences of what Frank has unleashed.
Finished: August 10, 2008
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Review:

Gross, scary and disturbing. I’ve always wanted to read this particular novel for the fact that I am a fan of Hellraiser and a fan of anything with S&M elements, especially horror. I wanted the literary experience of the Cenobites. Rather than pictures on a screen, I wanted my own imagination. This book was great. Gorey imagery, lots of horror, crazy people doing crazy things, and sadistic Cenobites promising a realm of sensation and pleasure beyond belief. It was chilling and I had nightmares when I went to bed after finishing… a sign of a good horror novel.

- More can be found in my Reviews section or on my Biblio page. If you would like to see my book list for 2009, go here.

- If you would like me to review your book, send an email to me at morbidromantic@gmail.com. Read my Book Review Policy for more information.

Title: The Handmaid’s Tale
Author(s): Margaret Atwood
Genre: Fiction
Tags: dystopia, feminism, women, gender, fundamentalism, future, misogyny, post-apocalyptic, contemporary fiction, speculative fiction, totalitarianism, patriarchy, fertility, patronymic, concubine, sexual slavery, fundamentalist theocracy, handmaid, sumptuary law
Summary: In the Republic of Gilead, formerly the United States, far-right Schlafly/Falwell-type ideals have been carried to extremes in the monotheocratic government. The resulting society is a feminist’s nightmare: women are strictly controlled, unable to have jobs or money and assigned to various classes: the chaste, childless Wives; the housekeeping Marthas; and the reproductive Handmaids, who turn their offspring over to the “morally fit” Wives. The tale is told by Offred (read: “of Fred”), a Handmaid who recalls the past and tells how the chilling society came to be.
Finished: August 8, 2008
Rating: 5 Stars
Review:

This is without a doubt one of the best books of all time. The US government has been crippled by nuclear war and overthrown by a Christian Theocracy, which subjugates women and persecutes anyone who does not subscribe to the stated belief system. It’s strict and secluded. The theocracy claims to protect its people, its women from how the world used to abuse them through rape and sexualization, by blaming the women and then perpetuating a worse sort of lifestyle. This book focuses on the story of one Handmaid, Offred (a name given to her after becoming a Handmaid). You can tell that Atwood is coming out of the feminist movement, as well as the backlash against feminism… Serena Joy was a lot like Phyllis Schlafly, who was quite vocal in her sense of traditionalism for women (and popularly, her stop ERA movement). Offred wasn’t born a Handmaid; she remembers what life was like before and how the US changed. Much like the political apathy of today, most people in the US just slept or shrugged their shoulders, convinced that their world would go back to normal soon enough. By then, it was too late. Atwood’s way of drawing out Offred’s emotions, of putting visuals and sensations captivated me. I couldn’t put this book down it was that addictive. I really felt what Offred was feeling and I understood why and how she came to be what she was. I only hope that the ending is what I believe.

- More can be found in my Reviews section or on my Biblio page. If you would like to see my book list for 2009, go here.

- If you would like me to review your book, send an email to me at morbidromantic@gmail.com. Read my Book Review Policy for more information.