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Great & Secret Show  By  cover art

Great & Secret Show

By: Clive Barker
Narrated by: Chet Williamson
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Publisher's summary

In the little town of Palomo Grove, two great armies are amassing; forces shaped from the hearts and souls of America. In this New York Times best-seller, Barker unveils one of the most ambitious imaginative landscapes in modern fiction, creating a new vocabulary for the age-old battle between good and evil. Carrying its readers from the first stirring of consciousness to a vision of the end of the world, The Great and Secret Show is a breathtaking journey in the company of a master storyteller.

©1999 Clive Barker Ink, Inc (P)2015 David N. WIlson

What listeners say about Great & Secret Show

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Horrific Dark Fantasy

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

Yes. The story is great, the narrator is superb.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the frame story best, the Jaff and his eternal conflict with Fletcher. Of course, the romance is the counterpoint to that, and necessary for the book, but it didn't interest me as much. However, the plot of the book is intricate and extremely complex, and may take multiple readings to get it all.

Which scene was your favorite?

All the scenes that deal with the Art and its background.

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

Yes, I loved the moment in Trinity when [SPOILER OMITTED]

Any additional comments?

I read this book in print when it first was released in 1989. I became a fan of Clive Barker after reading Weaveworld, which is my favorite, and I enjoyed this book when I read it. The final scene in Trinity is well worth the effort. Chet Williamson does a superb job differentiating the characters so you always know who's speaking. His tone is pleasant and his delivery smooth. I enjoyed this book and recommend it. Clive Barker reminds me of Neil Gaiman in idiom and diction. But he's far darker, less precious, and more interesting. Gaiman has a world-class storytelling talent that Barker can't quite match. Clive Barker's world building talent leaves Gaiman in the dust. I like them both but Barker has the edge. All of Clive Barker's books feature byzantine plots which are constructed of layered subplots and because they're so epic sometimes they aren't as satisfying as other books.

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Thanks Audible!

I was enchanted a long time ago by this book. It's dark fantasy, suspenseful and unique; written in beautiful prose. Don't forget Everville, it kind of goes along with this one!

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16 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Very ambitious but it worked!

As a fan of Stephen King i found this story to be waaay over sexualized. Honestly, to a fault. that being said the story was very unique and deserves to be read by many! I was surprised I had never heard of it. Enjoy!

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14 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Hard Book to Rate

This was a hard book for me to rate. This was my first experience with Clive Barker. I found the book, because it was narrated by one of my favorites, Chet Williamson.
I really enjoyed normal interactions between the characters. I loved all the cheeky banter and general air of irreverence. However, then Clive would take the fantasy to whole new level of craziness, that just threw me off, and made the book somewhat hard to listen to; plus, there wasn't a single character that I cared about or rooted for in general.
I'm still not sure if I'll listen the the second book or not, but if I do it'll be for the dark humor and Chet Williamson, and not for the crazy, abstract fantasy.

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing novel

This is one of the most imaginative novels I've ever encountered. Truly a great piece of dark fantasy, or fantasy period.

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6 people found this helpful

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Listener received this title free

Perfect narrator

Chet Williamson, the horror author, carries this story so beautifully, juggling the sounds of so many different voices with ease with his lovely deep voice. He needs to narrate more books.

The story is a true epic, down in the dirt and up the heavens with creation and sex and the nature of the world(s), and I am so looking forward to reading its sequel, Everville, also narrated by Williamson.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic

This is my favorite book to read, and is equally as enjoyable to listen to. Clive Barker has an incredible imagination, and his ability to detail both the physical and metaphysical is unparalleled in my opinion.

The narrator did a wonderful job at conveying both mundane occurrences and dramatic events with aptitude.

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4 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Boring. Terrible treatment of women.

I bought the book based on literary reviews, but this book is terrible. The characters are worthless. The simpering voice of the women was the end of it. I could no longer listen.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Love the narrator!

I've loved Clive Barker for decades so I was hesitant listening to someone reading his amazing story. It doesn't disappoint!

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3 people found this helpful

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Amazing narration and book!

Fantastic, all around. I could not stop listening and finished the book in only 6 days.

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2 people found this helpful