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Title: Galilee
Score:
Author: Clive Barker
Rating: Not available
Hits: 90

Review of Galilee

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Comments for Galilee

• Posted on 2007-12-06
  Not my favorite Barker, but still good.
  
  I am no fan of Romance novels, and this initially has the kind of long, intricate, hot and humid southern geneology that bored me with some of Anne Rice's work. HOWEVER, it's Clive Barker baby! That means for me it always has some passionate wisdom, and a totally new world that I want to escape inside of completely. This just took me more work to unearth that place than say Imajica, or Weaveworld, did for me prior.
  
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• Posted on 2007-10-30
  Asleep at the wheel
  
  I've been a Clive Barker fan for a long time - many of his previous novels not only scared me, but got me to look at the world in a new way. And here was Galilee - a non horror book that promised to talk of love, revenge, supernatural and family - I was very excited to read this novel.
  
  Upon picking it up - and for maybe the first 1/4th to 1/5th of the book I was content - the story was pulling me into it. The Barbarossa clan was interesting and seemed to be a good canvas for Mr Barker to paint upon. The character development was proceeding pretty well (though Mr Barker really has trouble writing convincing female characters)and I could see a plot forming.
  
  And then it started to unravel. At first it was slow - the description about the Geary's seemed a little heavy handed - almost cookie cutter (here's the matriarch struggling behind the scenes to secure power - she's tough and unliked but respected, here's the dull child who seems to not be all there, here's the spunky woman from the lower class with a heart of gold...etc). While annoying, this would still be somewhat forgivable. Its the last 1/4th of the book though that takes the forgivable and shifts into unexpected horror.
  
  Mr Barker seems to realize that he can't possibly keep up the slow, building pace and come in under 600 pages. So he cuts out (I'm assuming) all character motivations and throws in so many plot holes (kinder people may call them twists - but twists, to me, still implies characters acting well, in character) that the reader is left scratching her head wondering what exactly just happened. I would argue that no actions taken in the end follow from first 4/5ths of the book. The big revelations are non existent or more to the point don't add to the plot at all.
  
  A decent start, mediocre middle and terrible ending (with a cliffhanger I hope is never realized) leads me sadly to one conclusion - avoid this book.
  
  
  
  
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• Posted on 2007-07-15
  Galilee - An unexpected pleasure!
  
  Luckily I hadn't read the mostly unfavorable reviews (not that it would have deterred me). Also, this was the first Clive book I'd read, so I wasn't 'expecting' anything specific.
  
  Galilee is best read with an open heart and open mind - expect a little adventure into the realm where supernatural mixes with the mundane.
  
  With that being said this is what the book brought out of me...
  
  Galilee invokes memories of magic - love and passion (our very own divinity within) and of all of the tensions in between that comes with our human frailty.
  
  In addition to being entertaining, there are several lessons we may glean if we are paying attention.
  
  Believe in the magic of love
  Don't waste time if there are amends to make
  Asking ourselves - "What is really important?"
  
  And at the end of the book we are encouraged to depart from our perceived restrictions and to go and make our very own adventure. To quote Joseph Campbell "Follow your bliss"
  
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• Posted on 2006-08-01
  Geary vs Barbarossa!
  
  So disappointed I am.To see so many people not appreciating this well written,intricate,fascinating,mind blowing work of art.
  The problem with most people is patience.When you read a book to quickly,looking only for the ending,you achieve nothing.And it seems that alot of people have done that unforgivable thing of not reading carefully.
  Don't get me wrong.Some books are meant to read quickly.But others,like this one,are meant to read carefully and with alot of patience.
  Mr Barker carefully explains everything and puts everything together in a way that not most writers can.
  Here he combines Romance and Fantasy.There is also a trace of horror.
  So as you can see,if you are looking for a strickly horror novel,then this is not a book for you.
  But if you want to explore the depths of human thinking when it comes to romance,love and fantasy,then this book is just what you have been looking for.
  And I promise that I am going to give you a thorough idea about the plot,in a while.
  If you have read "Sacrament","Weaveworld","Imajica","The Great and secret show","Coldheart Canyon",then you would probable be familiar with Clive Barker's horror/fantasy style.......The only things is that in this book her goes to the extreme by including alot of Romance.Not romance to bore you,but to keep you turning pages,slowly,thinking if it could be you!
  Before I read this book I read all the reviews written on this page and they all were not in favour of this book,and what annoyed me was not of the reviews really justified why they didn't appreciate the book.The least they could do is give an outline of the plot,showing where the downfalls are.
  So,I was discouraged about this book anyhow and decided not to buy it.
  Somewhere along the line I bought it out of curiosity and it took me a long while to even start reading it.Once I began it took me a long while to past the first ten pages.But you know what?
  Once I got pass 100-150 pages(which I think is worth the wait),the book started to make more sense and become more interesting.The idea is truly original and shows a unique Gothic tale of romance,like a supernatural form of "Romeo and Juliet".......
  Quickly I realized that the negatively written reviews about this book were totally wrong.I guess the readers are probably illeterate or just can't appreciate a good book.
  So I decided to finish the book, and my time and money paid off.This book I recommend strongly.It is unquestionably good and well developed.It is good for new and old readers alike.The characters seem vivid and well developed.The story line is in good order and engulfing........
  I want to make something certain to you,the reader:It is not really good to judge a book by a review.(even mine).
  There is a good chance(from my experience),that you may anticipate a book to be a certain way by reading a review and when you actually read the book you see how misleading and unhelpful the review was.
  IN summary,it is always good to read a book yourself and trust your heart than to trust the heart of others.(that is to say you can't always trust other people's reviews).
  
  So,like I promised.I am going to give you a summary of the plotline,with as much details as possible.(this should justify why I like the book and why I think it should be good for you also)......
  The book is simply about two families."The Barbarossa" and the "Geary".
  There are both powerful 1)The Geary's have the power of wealth.(They are similiar in comparison to the "Kennedys")
  2)The Barbarossa's have a power even greater than money.They are initially a special "race" of people which are considered godlike.They posses powers beyond you and me.They life span is greater than humans and it is hard to date back their origin.
  The story is told in first person in some parts.
  The beginning of the story introduces us to the Barbarossa's.It gives a description of the family and the house in which they live and it also point out that there is some conflict about the two families.Although it doesn't say what it is in this point of the story,later on you would see why they have a conflict.
  OR,BEFORE I GO ON,LET ME TELL YOU THAT THIS BOOK,"Galilee",IS NAMED AFTER ONE OF THE CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK,HIS NAME IS,"Galilee Barbarossa"...
  
  Before I go on with the storyline,let me give you a brief outline of the family members.
  
  THE BARBAROSSAS.
  1)Cesaria
  2)Nicodemus
  3)Marietta
  4)Luman
  4)Galilee(Atva)
  5)Zabrina
  6)Edmund Maddox*
  And there are others,which are not really relevant for example:Bedelia,kenneth etc.(which are all barbarossas)
  
  Edmund Maddox is not purely a Barbarossa,because his mother was a human.His father is Nicodemus and Cesaria is his stepmother.The others on the list consists of his two step sisters and two step brothers.
  So,Edmund,being "half Barbarossa",possesses some of their godly gifts,though not all,for example,the ability to live a long,very long ,life.
  
  
  THE GEARYS
  1)Cadmus
  2)Laurence
  3)George
  3)Garrison
  4)Norah
  5)Karen
  6)Tyler
  
  There are also three other important characters which are related to the Gearys by marriage.They are:Loretta,Rachel,and Margaret"Margie".
  Cadmus is the father of George,the grandfather of Mitchell and Garrison.
  Loretta is the second wife of Cadmus's
  Rachel is Mitchell's wife
  Margaret is Garrison's wife.
  
  This is just to give you a brief idea of the family and what you are up against.
  Clive Barker introduces us to the characters gradually,and we are thoroughly introduced to them.
  
  Now,initially I would like to point out that the story is being told by Edmund Maddox.
  The "Romeo and Juliet" of the story are Rachel and Galilee.
  
  Now here is how the story begins:Maddox has been on a wheel chair years after suffering from an accident.He decides to write a book based on the lives of the Gearys and Barbarossas.
  But he is lacking one thing,sufficient knowledge about what happened between the two families.
  So,soon enough,Cesaria takes him into a room where his legs are restored once more and with it he gains the knowledge that he has been thirsting for.
  So he starts to write.He begins by telling the story of a character called Zelim,a fisherman.
  Zelim,after having a dispute with a couple of other fishermen,is walking towards his village.
  While doing so he sees two people,black people.Who are two of the most beautiful people he has ever seen.He stares at them out of curiosity.The couple were going to baptise their son and they asks Zelim for a suitable baptism name for their son.Eventually he comes up with the name Atva,which is the name of the village he lives in.
  The couple baptises their son and names him Atva.
  Zelim goes his way and the couple theirs.
  This couple is Nicodemus and Cesaria.
  Later in the story,after becoming an "icon",Zelim is killed at the hands of Atva(Galilee).
  From that point in the story,Zelim's spirit beomes a slave of Cesaria's.
  
  During the story we see that Nicodemus was killed by the horses he so loved.And Cesaria and her children and stepchild ware living in a place where no one knows the location.They are basically hiding,keeping away from the outside world.
  We also learn that Galilee is at sea.He did something uspeakable which broke his mother's heart.And he "exiled" himself,living on a boat known as the "Samarkand".(I believe this is the boat you see on the cover of the book).
  
  Meanwhile,in a later part of the story,Mitchell Geary is getting married to Rachel Pallenberg.
  Rachel is happy,not only to become a part of the Gearys,but to marry a man whom is loved by all...At least physically!
  At first Rachel and Mitchell are madly in love..Later in the story their marriage starts to go down.
  Rachel realizes her mistake of marrying a man she thought she loved.And only one person was their for Rachel,at least during her hard times.And that person is Margie.
  Margie tells Rachel that she needs a vacation to think things through.So Margie sends Rachel to a house in Hawii where all the "Geary Women" go.
  
  Now,this is where the story gets really hot..........While in the house Rachel meets Galilee.Not by coincidence,but by some attraction I cannot explain.But this is how:Galilee opens the house door,goes upstairs and watches Rachel on her bed.He then begins to tell her a story.She buys it.They soon after fall in love.They go on a journey together in the sea,using the Samarkand.
  Soon after they come back to land they have an argument.Rachel hurts Galilee's feelings and tells him to go away.Rachel then heads back home to Mitchell.
  (somewhere during this part of the story Margaret and Garrison dies)
  
  After a couple of arguments,Rachel and Mitchell decide on divorce.
  Rachels goes to Margaret's apartment to look for something and accidently finds a journal.
  This journal contains information which Rachel is unable to make sense of at first.(including information on the location of the Barbarossas house!)
  Before she thoroughly reads the journal,it is taken away from her by Mitchell while she(Rachel)is sleeping.
  Now,in the hands of Mitchell and Garrison this Journal is dangerous.
  
  In this part of the story we see that a "war" is raging between the two families.(This is about 120 pages before the end)
  And I must say that the part of the story in the first 200 pages is worth the price of the book alone!
  
  I must also warn that this "so called" war is not what you think it is.At least in this book there is no war,but Clive Barker leaves alot of things hanging in this book.So I guess he might be working on a sequel,which would answer some of the unanswered questions in this book.(don't quote me on this,I just think he might make a sequel).
  
  
  Now,let me continue with the plot:where was I?oh yes,we are dealing with the last part of the book here.What I am going to do is just tell you,briefly what happens in the last part of the book,here goes:
  
  1)After deciding that he wants to live no more,Galilee goes into the sea on his boat.With him he carries no food,compass or anything which would lead him back to land.
  2)Soon his mother,Cesaria,appears to him spiritually and reasons with him,telling him that Rachel loves him and that it would be wrong for him to break another woman's heart.Galilee decides to go back to shore but is unable to because he has not sense of direction anymore,because he has not compass!
  3)So what Cesaria does is she uses her powers to summon up a storm which woud blow him to sure,
  4)As a result he does reach to shore,but barely.His boat is destroyed by the strom and he barely manages to swim ashore.But he does!
  5)Meanwhile Rachel is looking for him on the beach,she sees remains of the boat but no signs of Galilee.
  6)Upon closer looking she finds him,almost dead,lying somewhere in the bushes by the ocean.
  7)She takes him to the house and cleans him up and puts him to rest...........then he opens his eyes and whispers the words."we are not alone"
  8)Baffled by these words Rachel does not know what to make of it.but before she could think more she hears a sound.
  9)As she goes downstairs she sees Mitchell.
  10)Mitchell came with the intention of killing Galilee...(the reason is simply he dislikes Galilee,although he never saw the man.Also he claims to want to kill Galilee because Galilee took away his wife!)
  11)A fight occurs between Rachel and Mitchell.As a result of spiritual forces present in the house,Mitchell falls from the stairs onto his own knife,killing himself.
  
  
  A couple of days after Rachel and Galilee has a conversation.In it Rachel asks Galilee questions about his life and family.Galilee quickly reveals everything that he knows although he makes it clear that no one know everything about anything.
  
  And this is his tale:The Barbarossas existed long before the Gearys................And a pact was made at the beginning of the Geary's existence that Galilee would help to make the Gearys rich.(Galilee makes this pact simply because the "first Geary" saved Galilee's life sometime earlier on)
  
  So we see how the Geary get rich to be who they are.
  Now,anothe pact was made:In this one Galilee agrees to take each of the Geary women and make them happy(sexually),whenever they felt unwanted.And after generations of making these Geary women happy,he finally comes upon Rachel(because she was next on the list of Geary women)........and they fall in love.
  (Galilee makes this pact simply because he fell in love with the first "Geary woman" and made the promise to her that he would take care of the future Galilee women,sexually)
  So,we see that Galilee has made two pacts.
  In the end of the story we see that Rachel and Galilee return to Cesaria's house where Cesaria forgives Galilee for leaving her.
  
  A lot of things happen in the story,but I left them out because I don't want to take away all the suspense and because I don't have enough time to write everything .But you have a basic idea of what happens in the story.
  
  Like I said,some things are left unfinished in the story ,for example 1)the war.
  But this novel still stands out as a single novel.And may or may not need a sequel.
  
  But a sequel woud answer alot of the questions in this book.
  And in conclusion this book was overall enjoyable and fast paced.I find no reason to give this book any less than five stars.
  
  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
  
  Enjoy...............................................................This review was written by Nigel.
  
  
  (if you do enjoy this book.I would also recommed Anne Rice's "The witching hour" and "The feast of all saints")
  
  
  
  
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• Posted on 2006-03-22
  Barker In The Midst Of Chaos Brings Us A Mixed Novel
  
  Galilee is not what we've come to expect from a Clive Barker novel, and yet it is. There is enough porn and barbarism throughout to make the casual necrophiliac stand up and applaud, but Clive is dealing in semi-retarded themes and daring us to read anything he writes. Well...I read it, of course, but I am not better for it. Galilee is a clumsy novel about two warring families. Romeo and Juliet ala Clive Barker? Well....sort of, but not that clever, that resourceful. Clive is a freak and we know that, but this outing was uncalled for. Decent at best.
  
  Dig it!
  
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