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The Final Cut
Some stories capture the imagination, others will be the death of you.
The Final Cut is a genre busting mash up of crime, horror and urban fantasy. An imaginative and thought provoking tale that explores our need to watch and make horror fiction, examining not just the medium, but the purpose of storytelling itself. Taking in everything from ancient myth, to modern atrocity, this novel will entrance, mystify and appal you in equal measures, haunting you long after you’ve reached the very last line.
In an East London lock up, two film makers, Jimmy and Sam, are duct taped to chairs and forced to watch a snuff film by Ashkan, a loan shark to whom they owe a lot of money. If they don’t pay up, they’ll be starring in the next one. Before the film reaches its end, Ashkan and all his men are slaughtered by unknown assailants. Only Jimmy and Sam survive the massacre, leaving them with the sole copy of the snuff film.
The film makers decide to build their next movie around the brutal film. While auditioning actors, they stumble upon Melissa, an enigmatic actress who seems perfect for the leading role, not least because she’s the spitting image of the snuff film’s main victim. Neither the film, nor Melissa, are entirely what they seem however. Jimmy and Sam find themselves pulled into a paranormal mystery that leads them through the shadowy streets of the city beneath the city and sees them re-enacting an ancient Mesopotamian myth cycle. As they play out the roles of long forgotten gods and goddesses, they’re drawn into the subtle web of a deadly heresy that stretches from the beginnings of civilization to the end of the world as we know it.
The Final Cut is a genre busting mash up of crime, horror and urban fantasy. An imaginative and thought provoking tale that explores our need to watch and make horror fiction, examining not just the medium, but the purpose of storytelling itself. Taking in everything from ancient myth, to modern atrocity, this novel will entrance, mystify and appal you in equal measures, haunting you long after you’ve reached the very last line.
In an East London lock up, two film makers, Jimmy and Sam, are duct taped to chairs and forced to watch a snuff film by Ashkan, a loan shark to whom they owe a lot of money. If they don’t pay up, they’ll be starring in the next one. Before the film reaches its end, Ashkan and all his men are slaughtered by unknown assailants. Only Jimmy and Sam survive the massacre, leaving them with the sole copy of the snuff film.
The film makers decide to build their next movie around the brutal film. While auditioning actors, they stumble upon Melissa, an enigmatic actress who seems perfect for the leading role, not least because she’s the spitting image of the snuff film’s main victim. Neither the film, nor Melissa, are entirely what they seem however. Jimmy and Sam find themselves pulled into a paranormal mystery that leads them through the shadowy streets of the city beneath the city and sees them re-enacting an ancient Mesopotamian myth cycle. As they play out the roles of long forgotten gods and goddesses, they’re drawn into the subtle web of a deadly heresy that stretches from the beginnings of civilization to the end of the world as we know it.
- GenresHorror
280 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 27, 2016
9 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Jasper Bark
55 books173 followersJasper Bark finds writing author biographies and talking about himself in the third person faintly embarrassing. Telling you that he’s an award winning author of four cult novels including the highly acclaimed ‘Way of the Barefoot Zombie’, just sounds like boasting. Then he has to mention that he’s written 12 children’s books and hundreds of comics and graphic novels and he wants to just curl up. He cringes when he has to reveal that his work has been translated into nine different languages and is used in schools throughout the UK to help improve literacy, or that he was awarded the This Is Horror Award for his last anthology ‘Dead Air’. Maybe he’s too British, or maybe he just needs a good enema, but he’s glad this bio is now over.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 30, 2016
Jasper Bark’s novel The Final Cut is the literary equivalent of a pitcher plant: once you fall in, you never come out again. At least, not unchanged.
When writing book reviews, it’s easy to slide into hyperbole and cliché: “This is the best book I’ve ever read!” Or, “Spine-tingling, horrific!” The reality, however, never quite matches up with the hype, does it?
Not until now.
Intricately plotted, The Final Cut takes you deeper and deeper, page by page, into a story that’s unbelievably dark, but not without Bark’s inimitable touches of black humor. Sam’s experiences in particular are horrific when read in the moment, but laughed at in recollection. Despite this darkness, Bark’s purpose is not to elicit disgust for its own sake, but to tell a broader story of why we read horror, why we subject ourselves to vicarious suffering.
That’s what makes this such a compelling, even necessary book. It’s a master class on horror for both reader and writer, getting under your skin and, most importantly, staying there. The ending…I wish I could tell you about it, how you won’t forget it, how deeply disturbing it is, but I can’t say too much or I’ll ruin the surprise. It “plagues your mind” because of how it ends, not that it doesn’t: a rare feat in horror literature.
Here, Bark tackles the central conceit of the horror genre itself, as well as the nature of storytelling. To quote the Tailor of the True Cloth, a character we can all learn from, “Fiction isn’t real life…when you tell a story you are setting a contract with your audience.” Bark is telling us here that readers have a right to demand quality from the stories they read, and that writers have an obligation to provide that quality. The best stories, Bark says, are those that end: “A story without an ending lacks the proper shape or form, it insults the audience and plagues their mind because it lacks resolution.”
Part horror, part fantasy, all extraordinary, The Final Cut is a book you’ll find impossible to disregard. It sinks hooks in you from the first page and never, ever lets go, not even when you’ve closed the book.
When writing book reviews, it’s easy to slide into hyperbole and cliché: “This is the best book I’ve ever read!” Or, “Spine-tingling, horrific!” The reality, however, never quite matches up with the hype, does it?
Not until now.
Intricately plotted, The Final Cut takes you deeper and deeper, page by page, into a story that’s unbelievably dark, but not without Bark’s inimitable touches of black humor. Sam’s experiences in particular are horrific when read in the moment, but laughed at in recollection. Despite this darkness, Bark’s purpose is not to elicit disgust for its own sake, but to tell a broader story of why we read horror, why we subject ourselves to vicarious suffering.
That’s what makes this such a compelling, even necessary book. It’s a master class on horror for both reader and writer, getting under your skin and, most importantly, staying there. The ending…I wish I could tell you about it, how you won’t forget it, how deeply disturbing it is, but I can’t say too much or I’ll ruin the surprise. It “plagues your mind” because of how it ends, not that it doesn’t: a rare feat in horror literature.
Here, Bark tackles the central conceit of the horror genre itself, as well as the nature of storytelling. To quote the Tailor of the True Cloth, a character we can all learn from, “Fiction isn’t real life…when you tell a story you are setting a contract with your audience.” Bark is telling us here that readers have a right to demand quality from the stories they read, and that writers have an obligation to provide that quality. The best stories, Bark says, are those that end: “A story without an ending lacks the proper shape or form, it insults the audience and plagues their mind because it lacks resolution.”
Part horror, part fantasy, all extraordinary, The Final Cut is a book you’ll find impossible to disregard. It sinks hooks in you from the first page and never, ever lets go, not even when you’ve closed the book.
April 5, 2021
So this is the first novel that I've read of Jasper Bark. The Final Cut starts with a bang and twists and turns its way to a totally unexpected ending. I can't really review it properly without giving spoilers, so I won't say too much. Its two main protagonists are London indie horror filmmakers who happen to get their hands on a real-life snuff film and make a decision that will change their lives. They decide to splice parts of it into a film, to make their very own horrific 'found footage' movie. That's all I'm going to say about the plot.
I really enjoyed this book - Bark kept you enthralled and guessing at what he was up to until the very end. To those who have read it, they will understand when I say that Bark certainly knows how to end a story. I'm going to give it 5 stars. Why? It had quite a bit of gore in it without it just being thrown in there for shock value, it was well written and not formulaic, well researched to make it interesting and believable, the characters were relatable, and it was just a bloody good and unexpected read.
I really enjoyed this book - Bark kept you enthralled and guessing at what he was up to until the very end. To those who have read it, they will understand when I say that Bark certainly knows how to end a story. I'm going to give it 5 stars. Why? It had quite a bit of gore in it without it just being thrown in there for shock value, it was well written and not formulaic, well researched to make it interesting and believable, the characters were relatable, and it was just a bloody good and unexpected read.
June 14, 2016
I received a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review. This is in no way reflected in my opinion of this book.
The Final Cut is a very dark and twisted story. It is both uncomfortable and intriguing, showing you things you don't want to know about but leaving you unable to stop turning the pages until you reach the end. The story moves along at a quick pace filled with a black humor that serves to accentuate horrors found here. The characters aren't always nice but that makes them more human, more real. Jimmy's search for answers and Sam's obsession with the film lead you on a surreal path to find out the truth behind the myth. This book is a disturbingly fascinating and highly recommended 5 star read.
The Final Cut is a very dark and twisted story. It is both uncomfortable and intriguing, showing you things you don't want to know about but leaving you unable to stop turning the pages until you reach the end. The story moves along at a quick pace filled with a black humor that serves to accentuate horrors found here. The characters aren't always nice but that makes them more human, more real. Jimmy's search for answers and Sam's obsession with the film lead you on a surreal path to find out the truth behind the myth. This book is a disturbingly fascinating and highly recommended 5 star read.
October 19, 2022
If you took a mixing bowl and added a pinch of splatterpunk, a pinch of dark fantasy, a pinch of cosmic horror, and threw in a little psilocybin, you might end up with a Jasper Bark novel. When a money deal goes wrong, Jimmy and Sam are forced to watch a Snuff film, but they soon find that the film will effect them in ways they never thought possible. This one is a wild ride with a crazy ending. I absolutely loved it!
June 14, 2016
Owing money to underworld thugs is never a good thing, and for Sam and Jimmy it is the beginning of the end. These filmmakers are walking the edge of being regular guys or being as tainted as the moneylenders. The mob hauls them in and forces them to watch a snuff movie, the threat is quite clear - 'pay up or this is your future.'
Something quite bizarre and extremely grotesque happens, though. While the pair is forever shattered by events, they claim the footage for their own. They plan on incorporating it into a movie of their own and making a fortune off the suffering and hard work of others.
First off they need a look-a-like to fill in scenes of the main character. They hire an actress, Melissa. She is a little odd, but a perfect fit. However, with her coming life has taken a seriously terrifying twist. The sands of time are rapidly pouring out and they have no idea what they have immersed themselves in!
Sam disappears and Jimmy begins to piece together events. He needs to find a Mr. Isimud, who was named for the two-faced messenger of the god Enki. 'The Tailor' is perhaps the only person who can lead him to his objective. The Tailor is known as "an alchemist of human couture, an artist without equal or equivalent," raising Jimmy's levels of fear and uncertainty.
Jimmy must tread carefully, wending his way throughout the dangers of the mob, voodoo, ancient evil and perhaps most terrifying of all, human nature. One misstep and an eternity of agony awaits him.
Jasper Bark is most assuredly a master of the horror genre! THE FINAL CUT blends genres into a terrifying ride through some pretty graphic and disturbing imagery for written word. Don't expect this one to shrink into the dark recesses of your memory; it will lurk within the imagination, waiting for your attention to be focused elsewhere.
Something quite bizarre and extremely grotesque happens, though. While the pair is forever shattered by events, they claim the footage for their own. They plan on incorporating it into a movie of their own and making a fortune off the suffering and hard work of others.
First off they need a look-a-like to fill in scenes of the main character. They hire an actress, Melissa. She is a little odd, but a perfect fit. However, with her coming life has taken a seriously terrifying twist. The sands of time are rapidly pouring out and they have no idea what they have immersed themselves in!
Sam disappears and Jimmy begins to piece together events. He needs to find a Mr. Isimud, who was named for the two-faced messenger of the god Enki. 'The Tailor' is perhaps the only person who can lead him to his objective. The Tailor is known as "an alchemist of human couture, an artist without equal or equivalent," raising Jimmy's levels of fear and uncertainty.
Jimmy must tread carefully, wending his way throughout the dangers of the mob, voodoo, ancient evil and perhaps most terrifying of all, human nature. One misstep and an eternity of agony awaits him.
Jasper Bark is most assuredly a master of the horror genre! THE FINAL CUT blends genres into a terrifying ride through some pretty graphic and disturbing imagery for written word. Don't expect this one to shrink into the dark recesses of your memory; it will lurk within the imagination, waiting for your attention to be focused elsewhere.
July 13, 2016
I was quite excited to start this book and then when I did start it, I hated it. It wasn't what I expected it to be at all and absolutely loathed the characters. There was nothing I liked but then the author began to describe a video that two of the characters were made to watch, this caught my attention.
Our two man characters, Sam and Jimmy are forced to sit and watch a snuff film, the author sets to it, describing what is happening to the characters on the screen but then when it comes to the Woman, I felt like it was glossed over. I took this as a lack of commitment from the author and I thought that he wouldn't describe it because she was a woman.
This annoyed me and down went the book. For a month.
One day, I decided to pick it up again and have another go at it. So with a rested and freshly open mind I picked it up again.
I am so glad that I did.
Just a little way on from where I left the book, the story really picked up, things were happening. I still didn't like the characters but the story gripped me. After a train journey to Bath, I found myself at the end of a very different book.
Let me tell you know, you are in for a ride. I do think the book could have done more for me at the beginning, but I found it had a hell of a middle and end. We meet more characters which are very interesting and I would say the real story starts around the 40-50% mark.
In short, this is a very good book with a series of twists which will leave you unsure of what the hell just happened. I loved it.
I will definitely be checking out more by Jasper Bark and I would suggest that you give this book a go. Just don't put it down. If you feel you're not gelling with the characters, you're not supposed to be. Sam and Jerry are not in this book to be liked, they are simply pawns to the story's whim.
June 10, 2016
I loved this book. Anytime a book can keep me guessing and turning pages it is a good thing (and has become a rarity of late). I won’t a give a lot of spoilers, the protagonists of the book start out in a precarious situation that spirals even further down after a snuff film gets introduced. The story takes a life of its own with enough tid bits of an interesting back story and enough twists to keep you guessing until the end of the book.
Jasper does a great job of creating an interesting duo with Jimmy & Sam and paints such an interesting characterization of both, you feel like you’re with the characters on this nightmarish quest. This book combines all the elements that horror lovers crave and it feels fresh and different. Reading this story I couldn’t determine where it was going and once it got there I was “wow”. Definitely a 5 star read.
Favorite part a cameo of someone epically awesome…although that had nothing to do the review or how awesome the book is. 5 Stars.
May 31, 2016
Review: THE FINAL CUT by Jasper Bark
Disclaimer in advance: This review constitutes my honest and impartial opinion. Neither author nor publisher have influenced this review. I did purchase the book, in advance, and receive no remuneration for reviewing it.
Not for the faint of heart nor weak of stomach, THE FINAL CUT is total WOW from start to finish. I chose it initially because I've come to trust the publisher for high-quality excellence. I was spot on, again. This novel is incredible. I expected extreme horror: I found this, and I discovered cosmic philosophy, metaphysics, mythology and ancient religion. Above all I discovered Transcendence. Yes, indeed. Reading THE FINAL CUT became for me a mystical experience.
Disclaimer in advance: This review constitutes my honest and impartial opinion. Neither author nor publisher have influenced this review. I did purchase the book, in advance, and receive no remuneration for reviewing it.
Not for the faint of heart nor weak of stomach, THE FINAL CUT is total WOW from start to finish. I chose it initially because I've come to trust the publisher for high-quality excellence. I was spot on, again. This novel is incredible. I expected extreme horror: I found this, and I discovered cosmic philosophy, metaphysics, mythology and ancient religion. Above all I discovered Transcendence. Yes, indeed. Reading THE FINAL CUT became for me a mystical experience.
August 19, 2022
On the surface The Final Cut seems simple enough; a couple of struggling filmmakers are exposed to a snuff film. A rather brutal and tormenting snuff film. However, as the story develops there is so much more here than extreme violence and gore. I am quickly learning that Jasper Bark's stories are full of depth, introspection and philosophical belief.
This cosmic tale is brutal, transcendent, metaphysical, existential, graphically violent, troubling and spiritual. As brutal as the initial scene is, it is child's play compared to the closing act.
However, I do not want to give too much away, let me just say that we are all part of all the stories.
"The more suffering you endure, the purer you become."
This cosmic tale is brutal, transcendent, metaphysical, existential, graphically violent, troubling and spiritual. As brutal as the initial scene is, it is child's play compared to the closing act.
However, I do not want to give too much away, let me just say that we are all part of all the stories.
"The more suffering you endure, the purer you become."
November 1, 2016
Dark and twisted and utterly awesome!
You need a strong stomach if you want to read The Final Cut, but it's a tale that will keep you glued to your seat. Peppered with some dark humour, Jasper Bark finds a way to balance the horrific with intrigue, which keeps you turning the pages. I couldn't figure out the ending, which doesn't happen often, and when I finally finished the book it took me quite a while to gather myself again.
The Final Cut is definitely worth a read if you're in the mood for something that'll linger in your memory for years to come.
You need a strong stomach if you want to read The Final Cut, but it's a tale that will keep you glued to your seat. Peppered with some dark humour, Jasper Bark finds a way to balance the horrific with intrigue, which keeps you turning the pages. I couldn't figure out the ending, which doesn't happen often, and when I finally finished the book it took me quite a while to gather myself again.
The Final Cut is definitely worth a read if you're in the mood for something that'll linger in your memory for years to come.
January 2, 2021
Wow What Read
I truly thought this story was going in one direction. I should've known better with Bark at the helm, as he swings the torture porn into a deep a philosphical exploration. Philosphy that is slick with blood and forgotten gods. Loved it.
I truly thought this story was going in one direction. I should've known better with Bark at the helm, as he swings the torture porn into a deep a philosphical exploration. Philosphy that is slick with blood and forgotten gods. Loved it.
May 22, 2023
A trippy story that changes genres a few times over as it progresses. Loved the cinematic nature of the book and hero's journey taking place as the main character goes deeper and deeper into the story, quite literally.
October 13, 2024
So I picked this up off Godless a little bit back and last night I needed to relax, and disconnect, from what, I don't know but I knew I needed to find somthing in my library to take my mind off everything and Jasper Bark delivered.
( just added content, how I relax is in no way normal and this book is not a feel good, tea party with best stuffed sylveon plushie and boohoo eating bon bons) ( which is a whole different ritual for me lol)
I've been following him for awhile just because he is so eccentric, when I see him pop up it's always a good time, I even love when I see him advertising something, it's just so different.
Anyways onto the book lol
I LOVED this, it did what I needed, entertained my poor brain and was a wild ride lol
Crime, horror, chaos, and is that fantasy I see or is it all just humans being humans??
This was my first Jasper, I'm ashamed to admit but not gonna be my last.
Man this just delivered for me.
I would say hey anyone else a fan but honestly there has to be some so instead tell me what your favorite is his is??
What should be my next?
Yes I can choose on my own but I like these kind of discussions lol
( just added content, how I relax is in no way normal and this book is not a feel good, tea party with best stuffed sylveon plushie and boohoo eating bon bons) ( which is a whole different ritual for me lol)
I've been following him for awhile just because he is so eccentric, when I see him pop up it's always a good time, I even love when I see him advertising something, it's just so different.
Anyways onto the book lol
I LOVED this, it did what I needed, entertained my poor brain and was a wild ride lol
Crime, horror, chaos, and is that fantasy I see or is it all just humans being humans??
This was my first Jasper, I'm ashamed to admit but not gonna be my last.
Man this just delivered for me.
I would say hey anyone else a fan but honestly there has to be some so instead tell me what your favorite is his is??
What should be my next?
Yes I can choose on my own but I like these kind of discussions lol
Read
July 12, 2022“We look to stories to give us the closure and resolution we so desperately crave, so we can deal with our problems and move on in way real life doesn’t allow.”
- Jasper Bark, The Final Cut
That one line quickly surmises this entire book. This novel is anything but what it appears on the outside, a horror novel about snuff films…
This was a brilliant and uniquely conceived concept, which was strongly rooted in a concept of present day humanity and old school mythology becoming one.
The prose is impeccable and the plot was original, as well as intriguing. That being said, if I’m being very honest, I have to admit that I’m not sure if this writers style is my personal jam… I found my mind wandering at many junctures, but I didn’t want to stop reading it, because I was into the concept.
I would highly recommend picking this up and deciding for yourself… This was very well written with a distinctively fresh storyline that I enjoyed immensely.
- Jasper Bark, The Final Cut
That one line quickly surmises this entire book. This novel is anything but what it appears on the outside, a horror novel about snuff films…
This was a brilliant and uniquely conceived concept, which was strongly rooted in a concept of present day humanity and old school mythology becoming one.
The prose is impeccable and the plot was original, as well as intriguing. That being said, if I’m being very honest, I have to admit that I’m not sure if this writers style is my personal jam… I found my mind wandering at many junctures, but I didn’t want to stop reading it, because I was into the concept.
I would highly recommend picking this up and deciding for yourself… This was very well written with a distinctively fresh storyline that I enjoyed immensely.
May 27, 2016
Brilliant
I was given an advanced readers copy, for an honest review.
I loved this book. It grips you from page one and doesn't let go. Twists and turns. The mob, killings and lots of blood. Ghosts and revenge. Simply brilliant.
Jasper Bark truly knows who to write. My first book of his, but it won't be my last.
I was given an advanced readers copy, for an honest review.
I loved this book. It grips you from page one and doesn't let go. Twists and turns. The mob, killings and lots of blood. Ghosts and revenge. Simply brilliant.
Jasper Bark truly knows who to write. My first book of his, but it won't be my last.
May 31, 2016
What a GREAT read!!!
This book has much of what I enjoy in dark fiction: a little supernatural, a little fantasy, and a LOT of good, creepy horror!! A really, really well done, well thought out book!! I am so glad I took the time to read it-and I am quite sure any fan of the darker side of things will be just as thrilled with this book!!
This book has much of what I enjoy in dark fiction: a little supernatural, a little fantasy, and a LOT of good, creepy horror!! A really, really well done, well thought out book!! I am so glad I took the time to read it-and I am quite sure any fan of the darker side of things will be just as thrilled with this book!!
February 5, 2017
Jasper barks book the final cut is brilliant full of imagination and creativity. As it began, it told a story of two film directors making a film and twisted into an incredable dimension leading you on an surprising adventure of places I never heard of. The character jimmy, faces his own mortality by going to the underworld to save Melissa. JImmy needed to find the ending to a story. A story of destruction. Jimmy was now king and melissa his Goddess and he was desperate to save her. Jimmy needed to finish the final cut of the story. How will the story end? I highly recommend this book it has Gore, sensuality suspense, disgust, danger, and new worlds.
" It’s waiting for you to weaken, to reach the point you’re no longer insensitive to its atrocities." (Jasper Bark)
" It’s waiting for you to weaken, to reach the point you’re no longer insensitive to its atrocities." (Jasper Bark)
June 28, 2016
This is the first book of Jasper Bark's which I have read and it definitely will not be the last.
Reading it, I loved that I had the similar feeling with Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box, in that both books elevate supernatural horror beyond the level of a simple haunted house.
This is an intensely focused book, there's hardly a word or scene wasted. I also appreciated the fact that Bark takes a concept that could easily go off the rails and keeps it fairly grounded and structured. The proximity shift between the two main characters is ideal for the narrative and lends a nice feel of dual perspectives on the story.
With books of this type, I think the ending is one of the most important parts, ironically relevant to this book in particular. It's easy enough to construct the bizarre building blocks of a supernatural narrative. It's another task entirely to stick a landing that is satisfying and also credible. In this regard, The Last Cut delivers in high form. Structurally, I thought the book broke down neatly into two acts, starting with a fairly grounded supernatural mystery and then blowing up into something I never saw coming. The pace is perfect, building up to a cleverly conceived ending that is somehow definitive and open-ended at the same time.
One thing to be aware of. There is a fair amount of British slang that some American readers could find unfamiliar. Despite this, I never felt like there was a point where that got in the way of the story. There is also generally enough context in the scene to get the gist of what is being said.
Overall, outstanding book.
Reading it, I loved that I had the similar feeling with Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box, in that both books elevate supernatural horror beyond the level of a simple haunted house.
This is an intensely focused book, there's hardly a word or scene wasted. I also appreciated the fact that Bark takes a concept that could easily go off the rails and keeps it fairly grounded and structured. The proximity shift between the two main characters is ideal for the narrative and lends a nice feel of dual perspectives on the story.
With books of this type, I think the ending is one of the most important parts, ironically relevant to this book in particular. It's easy enough to construct the bizarre building blocks of a supernatural narrative. It's another task entirely to stick a landing that is satisfying and also credible. In this regard, The Last Cut delivers in high form. Structurally, I thought the book broke down neatly into two acts, starting with a fairly grounded supernatural mystery and then blowing up into something I never saw coming. The pace is perfect, building up to a cleverly conceived ending that is somehow definitive and open-ended at the same time.
One thing to be aware of. There is a fair amount of British slang that some American readers could find unfamiliar. Despite this, I never felt like there was a point where that got in the way of the story. There is also generally enough context in the scene to get the gist of what is being said.
Overall, outstanding book.
June 14, 2016
Imagine Get Shorty meets Flowers of the Flesh and Blood. The Final Cut is part extreme horror in print and part meta-fiction, in an enticing mixture of disgusting and fascinating. This book gave me all the gore I expect from Jasper Bark (Stuck On You) but also involved me in his world of magic, mythology, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of movie-making (and insights into writing).
Just like Jimmy and Sam's movie is meant to say "something about the meaning and purpose of horror," so does Bark's novel. And he achieves his goal with brilliant flourishes. The journey Jimmy ultimately takes leads him to the brink of madness--written with violent, hyper-sexual prose reminiscent of classic Clive Barker. But Jasper Bark's imagination has created a wholly unique Mythos. What Jimmy--and we, as readers--eventually find is the very truth that every writer (any artist) must realize: (s)he is damned to tell the story.
Just like Jimmy and Sam's movie is meant to say "something about the meaning and purpose of horror," so does Bark's novel. And he achieves his goal with brilliant flourishes. The journey Jimmy ultimately takes leads him to the brink of madness--written with violent, hyper-sexual prose reminiscent of classic Clive Barker. But Jasper Bark's imagination has created a wholly unique Mythos. What Jimmy--and we, as readers--eventually find is the very truth that every writer (any artist) must realize: (s)he is damned to tell the story.
June 9, 2016
Do you like gory, in your face horror? Then you really should check out this book! You can read my full review here... https://horrornovelreviews.com/2016/0...
January 15, 2025
I bought this book simply because I had read other books from Bark and enjoyed them so I knew I'd enjoy this one as well. And I was not wrong at all!
Anything I say about it won't do it justice.
It's Hellraiser, but instead of a puzzle box it's a snuff film that will damn you. Instead of Cenobites, you get an ancient Mesopotamian. There's voodoo, a magic tailor and grotesque imagery.
A slow spiral into a dark world where footage on a laptop will torment and entice you.
I also want to mention, there's a scene where the main characters are discussing the horror genre and the best description of horror I've ever read is said by Jimmy.
Anything I say about it won't do it justice.
It's Hellraiser, but instead of a puzzle box it's a snuff film that will damn you. Instead of Cenobites, you get an ancient Mesopotamian. There's voodoo, a magic tailor and grotesque imagery.
A slow spiral into a dark world where footage on a laptop will torment and entice you.
I also want to mention, there's a scene where the main characters are discussing the horror genre and the best description of horror I've ever read is said by Jimmy.
June 6, 2016
Another fantastic addition to my virtual bookshelf from Jasper Bark.
This story intelligently combines aspects of the paranormal and mysticism and adds a modicum of erotica and lots of bloodshed which results in a fabulous, edge-of-your-seat story from one of the UK's masters of horror fiction.
This story intelligently combines aspects of the paranormal and mysticism and adds a modicum of erotica and lots of bloodshed which results in a fabulous, edge-of-your-seat story from one of the UK's masters of horror fiction.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews