For the beginning of October, it is only fitting to talk about one of the most iconic genres in media: horror. This review discusses “The Hellbound Heart,” a horror novella written by Clive Barker and published in 1986. This novella is a short and interesting read as it is the inspiration for the “Hellraiser” movie; however, it does have graphic content and may not be suitable for all audiences depending on your comfort level regarding violence and other mature and uncomfortable subject matters. If you decide to read this novella, it is only 186 pages long and around $12, or if you decide to get it in an audiobook format, it is approximately 3 hours long and $7 for the version that is narrated by the author himself. I purchased the audiobook format of this novella and the visualization that Clive Barker can produce through not only his writing but his narration of this writing is amazing. 

In “the Hellbound Heart,” you are first introduced to the character Frank who has procured the Lemarchand Configuration, a mystic puzzle box that when unlocked can be used to summon the Cenobites, which are beings that allegedly can bring about extreme ecstasy. However, when Frank unlocks the puzzle box, he soon finds that the Cenobites are not what he expected and needs help to escape their hold on his soul. We then are introduced to the character Julia, the sister-in-law of Frank, who goes to check up on him only to find that he is missing. Julia decides that she will look for him and hears his voice from the corner, turning only to see a semi-human mass. In this interaction, Frank asks Julia to help him acquire blood so that he can be whole, and she quickly agrees, bringing people to the house to kill in an effort to restore Frank to his original state. Eventually, one of the victims escapes with the box and ends up in the hospital. As this person now has the box, the Cenobites show up and demand that they either get Frank’s soul or the new victim’s soul, which spurs this new person to fight for her life.

I believe that this is a novella worth reading for any horror fan. “The Hellbound Heart” surpasses the stereotypes of the ’80s horror genre and is disturbing with the mental images of body horror and the traumas that the characters have experienced, leaving the reader with a prolonged sense of dread and contemplation upon finishing this short read.