Cabal Audiobook By Clive Barker cover art

Cabal

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Cabal

By: Clive Barker
Narrated by: Chet Williamson
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.99

Buy for $17.99

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Cabal is the story of Boone, a tortured soul haunted by the conviction that he has committed atrocious crimes. In a necropolis in the wilds of Canada, he seeks refuge and finds the last great creatures of the world - the shape-shifters known as the Nightbreed. They are possessed of unearthly powers-and so is Boone. In the hunt for Boone, they too will be hunted. Now only the courage of this strange human can save them from extinction. And only the undying passion of a woman can save Boone from his own corrupting hell...

This novella is the basis for the Major Motion Picture - Nightbreed.

©1988 Clive Barker Ink (P)2014 David N. WIlson
Anthologies Anthologies & Short Stories Fiction Occult Scary Short Story
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about Cabal

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    347
  • 4 Stars
    174
  • 3 Stars
    70
  • 2 Stars
    14
  • 1 Stars
    8
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    325
  • 4 Stars
    143
  • 3 Stars
    67
  • 2 Stars
    20
  • 1 Stars
    7
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    340
  • 4 Stars
    143
  • 3 Stars
    52
  • 2 Stars
    19
  • 1 Stars
    10

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

clive barker is the best

fucking awesome hope to oneday read a sequel cliver barker never ceases to fascinate me and my imagination

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Epic story telling

A fantastic book with deep characters and a dark adventure. Enjoyed it a lot ...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Intensely Imaginative Horror from a master

Clive Barker sees what you didn't or did not wish to in your soul. The beauty mystery and myth of an underworld of immortal monsters is truly fantastic. The narrator does an excellent reading with energy, clear diction and emotional depth. Few readers could read this and convey the hope and darkness equally. Chet does so in spades. Highly recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Ugh. Great read, painful listen

I’m sorry to the narrator, but it’s like listening to a game show announcer who never read the book before recording. I could only get halfway through before calling it quits. The narrator would be more suited for nonfiction.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Clive Barker is a demented genius

Another fantastic story from the dark mind of an incredible author. The narration wasn’t the greatest but it was still pretty good. Definitely worth it if you’re a fan of the macabre.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Been wanting to listen to this a long time

I saw the movie, which I really enjoyed back when it came out. So much so, that I said I would always go back and read the book. Fast forward a few decades, and I finally got to this audio for Halloween time.

The book largely follows the movie or vice versa. There were a few deeper bits or extra scenes, but it was a shorter novel anyway.

The narrator did a fine job. I enjoyed the light Canadian accents at times in dialogue. He did not change his voice overly much, but not every narrator can or needs to do that.

I must say that I believe I liked the movie more. I am going to watch the director's cut again tonight or on the weekend, now that I have completed the audiobook. There were certain elements in the movie that were more exciting. I can see why the director wanted it that way for that particular medium. The book was pretty good, too.
Thanks

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good Monsters. Mostly.

Clive Barker’s "Cabal" is a dark fable where the humanity of monsters is balanced against the monstrosity of human behavior. Boone, a man with a mental disorder, is led to believe that he is responsible for a number of hideous murders. He flees to a small town called Midian in search of a society of monsters that live under a cemetery. There he discovers that some humans are far more monstrous than the creatures known as the Nightbreed. Yet while the Nightbreed are sympathetic, they certainly aren’t safe.

This was actually my first experience with one of Clive Barker’s novels, but it will not be my last. While the book is far from perfect -- Boone himself is something of a bland protagonist, I would’ve preferred more description of Midian’s underground society, and I think Barker flinches at a choice near the end -- "Cabal" gets quite a bit right, and it makes up for any missteps with a very visceral listen. There are buckets of blood and gore and organs described in all the splatterpunk carnage you’d expect from the late 80s (it was originally published in 1988). There’s also a startling, fierce, and hungry sexuality. In the opening of the book, we learn that Boone and Lori, two very beautiful young people trying to fit in with society, have difficulty in bed. As we witness Boone becomes more of a monster, we see these characters draw closer in ways they weren’t able to before.

Chet Williamson has the voice of an old time radio dramatist, and it ends up serving this story well. Initially, I wasn't sure if his square-jawed voice was the right one for this book. But Williamson's steady, no frills reading won me over in the end, providing a nice foil between the monsters and the monstrous.

"Cabal" is a story where the monsters, despite being grotesque and violent, are far more sympathetic than the majority of the humans we encounter. In Barker's tale, it's tough and dangerous being an outsider or someone different, but it's also unquestionably good.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love

Love this book... one of my all time favorites. I fell in love with this book in the 80s and still read it every n now and then. Short sweet modern monster story!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Am oldie but a goodie

Although Clive Barker penned this years ago, I still found it a compelling listen (I had read it years ago, and somehow the transition to audio was quite easy.) The pacing is spot-on, the suspense is palpable, and the plot is well structured.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Revisiting Midian with Chet Williamson

The book was great and now that I've heard Chet Williamson narrate it it"s become a go to for my evening walks.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!