Abarat, Book 1

By: Clive Barker

Narrated by: Richard Ferrone

Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

It begins in the most boring place in the world: Chickentown, U.S.A. There lives Candy Quackenbush, her heart bursting for some clue as to what her future might hold. When the answer comes, it's not one she expects. Out of nowhere comes a wave, and Candy, led by a man called John Mischief (whose brothers live on the horns on his head), leaps into the surging waters and is carried away.

Where? To the Abarat: a vast archipelago where every island is a different hour of the day, from The Great Head that sits in the mysterious twilight waters of Eight in the Evening, to the sunlit wonders of Three in the Afternoon, where dragons roam, to the dark terrors of Gorgossium, the island of Midnight, ruled over by the Prince of Midnight himself, Christopher Carrion.

Candy has a place in this extraordinary world: she is here to help save the Abarat from the dark forces that are stirring at its heart. Forces older than Time itself, and more evil than anything Candy has ever encountered.

Don't miss any of the magic in the world of Abarat.

©2002 Clive Barker (P)2002 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Skilled at fantasy, Barker throws plenty of thrills and chills at readers." (Publishers Weekly)
"This is a story well worth hearing." (AudioFile)

Wonderful & Fun!

This certainly isn't the "usual" Clive Barker stuff, but it's a wonderful story full of twists and turns, magical characters a nd wondrous new worlds. Great characters, I found it hard to stop listening!

Not quite what I expected from Clive Barker

Where does Abarat rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

While I enjoyed Abarat, I can't in good conscience place it high on my list. Maybe somewhere around the middle. It was entertaining, in some places it was predictable, while in other places I found it to be droll. Which was my biggest disappointment. I've never read anything from this author that left me feeling less than intrigued and usually confused but always curious.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

You could tell it was part of a series. Or perhaps if you were a TV buff we'd have to say that this was the ending of the first of three nights of a particular mini series.

Which scene was your favorite?

hmmmmm this is hard because there really weren't any favorites for me. If I had to pick something it was perhaps the introduction to the sea card players.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Unfortuanatly I can't say that there were any parts that were moving. Parts that should have been moving tended to be more.........predictable than anything.

Any additional comments?

I have reread this review and just feel awful about it. It's not that this isn't a good listen. It has been satisfactory. I just had extremely high hopes for it. I'm going to read/listen to the second book and see if I have any better luck with it. Cross your fingers, I've certainly crossed mine.

I think this is my favorite.

I could read this many more times (listen), Candy and the majick of so many she meets in Abarat are wonderous and delighting , whilst keeping the dread of a many terrors you may have feared from Clive Barker. As for coming around full circle, I was only really interested in Clive Barker's books, that is I found so much with the Abarat. Love that Candy most.

Master Storyteller

Mr Barker is an old friend, a trustworthy source of creativity, and imagination. With Abarat he does not disappoint.

It is almost as if he has challenged himself to write something wonderful about the most boring thing you could think of. I can just imagine Mr. Barker loosing a drinking game and being told that his next character has to be named Da Da, or one of the characters in his book has to have 5 heads.

No matter what the inspiration the work is a wonderful escape that is very well written.

If you like Clive Barker you should check out Neil Gaiman and "American Gods." The two authors have a common thread that they use to weave wonderful tales. Clive wrote a wonderful introduction for Neil in Neil's Sandman Series of Comics.

Bedtime Story for adults

Halfway between Anthony's Xanth and Gaimon's Coraline, Abarat is too mature for kids; it's just right to rediscover the elusive feeling that only a well-told fairy tale used to provide. Cozy, hypnotic fantasy- enjoy this one on a long car trip, or on the couch with a glass of wine.

Love this series

I love the series since the first time I've Read it. I am so glad that it is on audible so I can listen at work

LOVE this book!

I have been a big fan of this book (and series) since they were released. I love the storyline and how you can feel a kinship with the characters. This book transports you to a world full of magic and malice through the eyes of a high school girl who is generally unhappy with her life and longs for a sense of belonging; to be noticed in her world.
I recommend this book to all of my moms with Tweens and a strong imagination. Most definitely a teen fantasy book but still relatable for adults (I'm 28 and I'm listening to this book during my 35 minute work commute). I also recommend it to adults who say that they don't like to read (you just have to find the right book!).
While listening to the book, I think I would have preferred a slightly softer, effeminate voice at least when women and children are speaking. The narrator had a great voice and inflection for many of the male lead roles, but seemed harsh for voicing a female character.
Overall still a great book. Can't wait for the next one to come out!

Love this book

Where does Abarat rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of my favorites so far

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

I love this book! The story is fun and imaginative a Richard Ferrone does a great job narrating.

Abarat = Very Entertaining Listen

When I first downloaded and listened to Abarat, I was expecting a very dark and scary tale since I associate Barker with both of these traits (based on movies I've seen based on some of his works), but the book was not at all scary or dark. Abarat has the feel of an unusual fairy tale written for an adult audience. I found Abarat very entertaining and I highly recommend it to everyone- horror fan or not.

No sir, I don't like it.

I love fantasy and sci-fi books so I was excited to listen to this Clive Barker creation. It was rated so highly here on audible I was enthusiastic to try it out--but I just couldn't get into the book. I didn't really like any of the characters. I didn't care of they lived or died. I found my mind wandering, even during very key scenes and battles. That has never happened to me with any other book (and I've listed to well over a hundred). The writing is a bit simplistic. The dialog between characters seems trite. The story doesn't go anywhere. It took me 3 different attempts to finish the book (restarting from the beginning each time) since I just didn't care. Finally the reader is not well suited to this type of book. His voice is low and gravelly and he doesn't have much in the way of different voices for different characters. He definitely isn't a good pick to be the voice of a young girl either. I can recommend "Snow Crash" if you want a good adventure with great writing and an excellent reader.