From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. With a bone-chilling opening consisting of a gloomy score and a very angry Doug Bradley (
Hellraiser's Pinhead himself), Barker's latest horror effort is brilliantly realized in this masterful reading. Bradley is inherently creepy as the narrator, one Jakabok Botch, or Mister B., detailing his demonic life in this journal, which he implores you not to read right from the start. His rich Liverpool accent adds to the insidiousness of Jakabok, who implores the reader to release him from the confines of the diary as it seems he is actually stuck in the very ink that fills the pages. Bradley's performance is so powerful and compelling, it's nearly impossible not to listen all the way through the first time around. Bradley speaks directly to the listener, creating a very uncomfortable atmosphere ripe for plenty of good scares. Bradley's tone and demeanor creates constant tension throughout, with random bursts of anger and rage sure to make hearts skip a beat in a thrillingly fun experience.
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From AudioFile
Better known as Pinhead from the HELLRAISER films, Doug Bradley shines as the narrator of Clive Barker's new novel. Jakabok, a medieval demon plucked from Hell by a team of church-sanctioned bounty hunters, witnesses the atrocities done by men to men in the name of God, partakes in some of those atrocities himself, and ends up in 1438 Germany, on Johannes Gutenberg's doorstep. Pleading with the listener from the first line to ³burn this book,² Bradley takes to the narrative with alarming ease, embodying the wit, sarcasm, and utter loneliness of the demon's first-person account. With his acerbic tone, British accent, and excellent comedic timing, Bradley captures both the creepy charm with which this long silent demon tells his story and the deep resentment that runs in his sulfur-filled veins. Not for the faint of heart. A.A. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine