“No women, no sighs. Only these sexless things, with their corrugated flesh.”

Our introduction to the degenerate Frank opening Lemarchand’s box to obtain the ultimate pleasure; in the form of “virgin whores whose every crevice was his for the asking and whose skills would press him—upward, upward—to the undreamed-of ecstasies.” What a charming man. But unbeknownst to him, Lemarchand’s box does not provide simplistic pleasures of the flesh. Instead, the Cenobites inflict an unimaginable form of pleasure interlaced with pain. Yet, as Frank is rewarded with his just desserts, it is not the last of Frank as his sister-in-law becomes entangled in his depravity.  

While reading this book, it is impossible not to compare it to its film counterpart, and I conclude…not enough screen time for the Cenobites. In my opinion, Barker needed to expand the torture scene after Frank faced the Cenobites because book Frank is an utter sleaze-ball. In the film, Frank is not presented in a sympathetic light; the audience is aware of his sketchy sexcapades. Yet, book Frank is way worse, from his sexual assault on Julia, a deeply morally grey character, and his attempted sexual assault on Kristy. In the book, Rory is also presented as a sympathetic character and a nuisance by Julia’s perception leading her to aid Frank’s resurrection. 

Ultimately, this book is just as captivating as its film counterpart as it presents a story of a scumbag’s resurrection and an extraordinary group of Cenobites dragging his ass back to hell.