Product Description
From master storyteller Clive Barker comes an epic tale of myth, magic, and forbidden passion — complete with new illustrations and a new Appendix.
Imajica is an epic beyond compare: vast in conception, obsessively detailed in execution, and apocalyptic in its resolution. At its heart lies the sensualist and master art forger, Gentle, whose life unravels when he encounters Judith Odell, whose power to influence the destinies of men is vaster than she knows, and Pie ‘oh’ pah, an alien assassin who comes from a hidden dimension.
That dimension is one of five in the great system called Imajica. They are worlds that are utterly unlike our own, but are ruled, peopled, and haunted by species whose lives are intricately connected with ours. As Gentle, Judith, and Pie ‘oh’ pah travel the Imajica, they uncover a trail of crimes and intimate betrayals, leading them to a revelation so startling that it changes reality forever.
OAKSHAMAN @ 9:49 pm
When I decided to reread this mammoth novel after thirteen years this is the edition that I chose. I picked it for the illustrations, for the badly needed explanatory appendix, and because it has been tightened up into a single volume instead of two 500+ page halves. This will no doubt be the definative edition in the years to come.
This isn’t a casual read. It represents a considerable investment in time. There are also so many characters, settings, plot lines, specialized vocabulary and underlying principles to keep straight…. Yet, it is worth the investment in time and effort.
The basic framework, like so many of Barker’s other novels, is that of a hidden world behind the superficial façade of our mundane world. Barker is such a master at interweaving mundane, and profane, details into the greater fabric of his realities that you find yourself totally drawn in. I found myself totally immersed in this hidden reality. For this is a story of five worlds, or dimensions, or Dominions. These make up the whole of Imajica. That is, they should. Two hundred years ago there was an attempt to reconcile our own fifth Dominion with the other four. This ended in a metaphysical catastrophe so great that that nearly all of the Dominions great theurgists, shamans, and theologians were killed. The result was that almost all magical knowledge passed from our world and for two centuries science and materialism held grim sway.
Now, conditions are once again ripe for an attempt to reconcile the Dominions. The great magus’, or Maestros, know that this may very well be the last attempt to heal the rift in creation. To fail this time will undoubtedly mean two more centuries of isolation- plenty of time for the Fifth Dominion to destroy itself in nuclear or ecological suicide.
Yet, to heal the rift will require a Master of such power and confidence that he will try to succeed where all those that have gone before him (even the Christos) have failed….
Thomas Drumm (d97308@tron.lyngbyes.dk) @ 11:27 pm
And I used to think that it couldn’t get any better than “The Great And Secret Show”…
Enter the powerful imagination of Clive Barker as he takes you on a mindblowing journey through the Imajica… Join Gentle, once a great and powerful Reconciler, as he meets his former love Pie’oh’Pah, rediscovers his destiny and travels through the worlds that make up the Imajica in a desperate attempt to reconcile the Earth with the four reconciled worlds of the Imajica.
Set in a mystical fantasy universe, Imajica is a monster of a book. Although my European version of Imajica was 1138 pages big, I managed to read it within three days – I simply couldn’t stop once I got started. Imajica contains everything that a reader could ever want in a single book: Exotical characters, a wonderful story, powerful violence and a vivid sexual element. And as if that wasn’t enough, Barker also redefines the entire Christian mythology! Read it at all costs!
Tori Bachman @ 1:45 am
I had never read anything by Cliver Barker and usually am not a fan of horror or fantasy, but I picked up Imajica on a whim, for a change of pace. I just finished reading it-an endeavor that has taken me about 2 years all together, not because it’s a slow read, but because I have a short attention span. Because I’m an editor of academic books by day, my “fun reading” tends to be much less involved. Imajica, however, requires some serious attention, a great deal of imagination, and some brain retention space.
It’s over 1000 pages long, but the story, settings, and characters make you want to keep reading. I found it frustrating at times because when you think you’re getting to a climax scene, or a point of intense action, the plot twists again onto a different path. HOWEVER, despite the number of times I put this book down, I always returned. I even found myself driving home from work, after not reading the book for a couple months, and thinking “wonder what ever happened with Gentle and Judith?” That’s the greatest endorsement I can give any book, and I’ve recommended it to many friends for that reason: It haunted me, and I had to finish. I’m so glad that I did, and I will probably read Imajica again someday. There are so many wonderful pieces to this work, I’m sure you could read it 200 times and still pick up new things each time. I would also like to meet Clive Barker someday, just to talk to a person whose mind creates like this.
Staring Girl @ 2:33 am
Imajica was really hard for me to get into at first. The first couple of chapters are a bit scattered and confusing as the characters start to develop. Then, suddenly it all becomes clear. It’s interesting how Clive Barker writes this book. The book starts in the middle of this plot with these characters that you know essentially nothing about, so it’s rather confusing. But as the story grows, all those small details at the beginning are suddenly much clearer. Barker then takes the reader on this journey through other dimensions and worlds with such fierce momentum that before you know it, the book is over. I read both the books in about four days. I just couldn’t put them down. The books are very captivating with detail and description. I found myself so engrossed in this world that Barker had created, I actually found myself a bit depressed after finishing it. How boring our reality seems now.
Anonymous @ 4:46 am
I have been writing poetry for 16 years now and always fascinated the idea of writing a novel. This book cemented that idea. Clive’s uncanny ability to tinge the psyche and finesse you into his world(s) is creepy and romantic! He is the only author of late that I can read and re-read over and over. Imajica is a masterpiece of the first order…run…don’t just sit there…get a copy straight away. You will be very glad indeed. The entire novel as a whole is the best read.