Galilee

By: Clive Barker

Narrated by: Paul Hecht

Length: 23 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

A successful film maker, painter, playwright, and best-selling author, Clive Barker commands an astonishing range of creative talent. Drawing upon the literary genius that produced Sacrament, he returns to the realm of the supernatural with this intriguing saga of two families, one human and the other divine. One of America’s wealthiest and most influential families since the Civil War, the Gearys harbor terrible secrets.

The Barbarossa family’s roots are far more ancient and ethereal, but they are bound to the Gearys by a shared history of murder, insanity, and adultery. When Rachel Geary and Galilee, the seductive prince of the Barbarossa clan, fall in love, they unleash powerful enmities that could destroy both dynasties. Shorter and more conventional than some of Barker’s other work, this novel is especially rich with complex, passionate, three-dimensional characters, lush settings, and elegant language. Paul Hecht’s powerful narration gives added depth to this dark, sumptuous novel.

©1998 Clive Barker (P)1999 Recorded Books, LLC

One of those books you will want to relisten to

If you could sum up Galilee in three words, what would they be?

twisted, deep, sexy

Who was your favorite character and why?

Galilee, because you just fall in love with him, its actually impossible not to.

Which scene was your favorite?

I don't think its a

Any additional comments?

This book has not gotten it's proper due. I feel it should have the popularity of Anne Rice's The Withing Hour.

Gorgeous

It is a beautiful story by one of the most talented contemporary American storytellers. As to the interpretation it is decent, the narrator does a great job and his voice gives the book an extra layer of lushness and aristocracy yet one can hear that it was recorded in the 90's and, maybe, at that time the post production was not a big issue when recording an audiobook. Either that or the producers didn't care too much about an overall neatness of the project. Anyways, the story shines by itself and it is one of Clive's most entertaining and approachable books.

my favorite book

ive read this book several times. listening to it is something different all together. i love it

An Audiophile's Dream

I find myself at a true loss for words in trying to describe the pleasure this listen has given me. Clive Barker is a most remarkable and gifted storyteller. Galilee, is superb.

Great story. Bad narration

The narrator has a phlegmy, .self-satisfied voice. Slimy and sinusy. Totally off-putting. Read it instead.

Fantastic, sweeping mythology

What made the experience of listening to Galilee the most enjoyable?

Galilee was a dream for lovers of darker fantasy, sweeping epic storytelling, and does its myth building even better than American Gods. Spellbound, you will see the story unfold in front of you masterfully. The characters are multi-dimensional and relatable (even the antagonistic ones), and the plot manages to be both epic and completely individual. The characters are so real that it almost feel like the author had a different ultimate destiny for the plot, but the voices and actions of the characters became too much for him and he bent his narrative will to their agency. I would have once told you that Clive could do no better than The Great and Secret Show, but this one is right up there.

So why the four stars? The performance was magnificent. The story, breathtaking. The production? Occasionally atrocious. Extremely long pauses are artificially created, yet for some reason the narrator's breath or gulping sounds are not edited out. I have no idea why this is, but it's made all the more terrible inside of such a great story with such a great narrator. Please, do get this audiobook, but be warned that sometimes it's going to sound like the microphone is inside the narrator's throat.

I mentioned American Gods above. I loved that book. I love mythology immensely. If you like those things, you will love this book.

This is a fine, fine book.

This is a fine, fine book. The reader's performance is excellent. It is a smart sweet romance. Barker's voice is different in this book than his others. This book has a gentle humor to the tone. I highly recommend this book. I will be listening to it repeatedly in the future.

A masterpiece of story telling

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have already recommended this book to three of my friends and will continue to give it glowing recommendations. Galilee is a work of tremendous breadth and scope of both characterlines and storylines that are interwoven flawlessly. Clive Barker is a true master story teller.

Have you listened to any of Paul Hecht’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not familiar with Paul Hecht's other work, but he is perfect for this book's narration.

a good time

Clive Barker does it again.
Delivers what he promises.
can't wait to start his next work on The Art.

interesting tale

The women characters don't ring true . the story is interesting, but the house has more depth than Rachel. I listened to it to the end with eye rolls.