 Don't Miss
More at Powell's
Original Essays | November 9, 2009
By Jesse Bullington
I don't believe in evil. It's a word I use, certainly, because words are shortcuts and we all take the short way round from time to time, but that's...
Continue »
-
 |
$13.75 List price: $24.95
Used Hardcover
Ships in 1 to 3 days
| Qty |
Store |
Section |
| 1 |
Local Warehouse |
Science Fiction and Fantasy- A to Z |
More copies of this ISBN:
This title in other formats: -
Used, Compact disc, $16.95
-
Adobe digital editions, $8.49
-
Palm reader ebooks, $8.49
-
Microsoft reader ebooks, $8.49
-
New, Trade paper, $13.95
-
Used, Trade paper, $8.95
-
Used, Trade paper, $9.50
-
New, Trade paper, $14.87
-
New, Compact disc, $14.95
-
Used, Compact disc, $9.95
Mister B. Gone
by Clive Barker
|
|
|
|
Synopses & Reviews Mister B. Gone marks the long-awaited return of Clive Barker, the great master of the macabre, to the classic horror story. This bone-chilling novel, in which a medieval devil speaks directly to his reader — his tone murderous one moment, seductive the next — is a never-before-published memoir allegedly penned in the year 1438. The demon has embedded himself in the very words of this tale of terror, turning the book itself into a dangerous object, laced with menace only too ready to break free and exert its power.
A brilliant and truly unsettling tour de force of the supernatural, Mister B. Gone escorts the reader on an intimate and revelatory journey to uncover the shocking truth of the battle between Good and Evil. Review: "This offbeat novel in the form of a minor demon's diary may satisfy devoted Barker fans eager for his return to adult fiction after several years writing the Abarat series, but others, especially first-time readers, are likely to find this fable about good and evil less than rewarding. Jakabok Botch, the child of two demons who has inherited his father's two tails, is rendered even more grotesque after he tumbles into a fire and most of his face is badly burned. A violent dispute with his abusive father, Pappy Gatmuss, leads to the pair being trapped by a net from our world. Jakabok manages to elude capture and eventually finds his way to the home of Johannes Gutenberg, whose wife turns out to be an angel in disguise. The book's format — simultaneously Botch's first-person narrative and his break-the-fourth-wall address to the reader pleading for him or her to burn the book — may puzzle readers unused to Barker's quirks." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review: "Clive Barker has always had an affinity for the epic. Much of his career has been devoted to writing sprawling, otherworldly sagas ('Weaveworld,' 'Imajica') and open-ended, multi-volume series aimed either at adults ('The Books of the Art') or younger readers (the 'Abarat' sequence). In the face of all this, it's easy to forget that Barker made his early reputation with the visceral short stories ... Washington Post Book Review (read the entire Washington Post review) of 'The Books of Blood' and with memorable novellas such as 'The Hellbound Heart,' which inspired the popular horror film 'Hellraiser.' Now, with Halloween upon us, he gives us 'Mister B. Gone,' a swift, spare novel that reminds us, once again, of the discipline and focus Barker can bring to shorter forms. 'Mister B. Gone' appears in the form of a memoir, and it tells the story of Jakabok Botch, also known as Mister B. From the opening exhortation, 'Burn this book,' it's clear that this is no typical reminiscence. Jakabok, we learn, is a disembodied spirit literally trapped in the pages of his own book. For centuries, he has lain hidden on a shelf, awaiting discovery. In a tone that is alternately cajoling and hectoring, he negotiates with the reader, offering the story of his life, with all its attendant revelations, in exchange for the gift of immolation. Botch is a consciousness waiting to be extinguished, and the entire narrative is powered by his desire for oblivion. Jakabok is a minor member of the 'Demonation,' and his story begins in the parasite-infested wastelands of the Ninth Circle of Hell. His penchant for writing reveals itself early on, when as a frustrated adolescent he fills hundreds of pages with revenge fantasies and dreams of destruction, most of them featuring his drunken, abusive father, Pappy Gatmuss. Eventually, 'Pappy G.' discovers this journal, flies into an infernal rage and very nearly burns his son to death. (Fire, both real and longed for, is a ubiquitous presence in this book.) Shortly afterward, the badly burned Jakabok escapes, with his deranged father in close pursuit. But the two are caught in a giant fisherman's net and hauled up through the circles of Hell to the human world of 14th-century Europe. Along the way, Jakabok commits the first defining act of his life — patricide — and finds himself alone, a demonic stranger in an inhospitable land. The World Above turns out to be a dangerous place, dominated by religious tyranny, roving armies and hysterical mobs. Jakabok runs afoul of one such mob but escapes with the aid of a fellow exile from Hell named Quitoon Pathea. Quitoon becomes the dominant partner in a relationship filled with more than a hint of unresolved eroticism. The two quarrel, part and come together again in a tumultuous pairing that spans more than a century, gradually assuming the aspect of 'an unblessed and unconsummated marriage.' With Quitoon as guide, they travel through 'the torn and ruined places in the world,' leaving a trail of corpses in their wake. Quitoon is fascinated by the products of human ingenuity, and the two spend a great deal of time 'invention chasing.' Their nomadic existence eventually leads to the city of Mainz, where a German goldsmith named Johannes Gutenberg has invented a machine that will change the world. Up to this point, 'Mister B. Gone' is a modestly successful entertainment, but not a great deal more. The quick sketches of life in Hell, the flurry of earthly encounters and the periodic outbreaks of violence are colorful, if a bit cartoonish. But as Jakabok approaches Mainz, where the world's first printing press is about to be unveiled, the narrative takes on depth, meaning and contemporary relevance. Jakabok, himself a writer who has suffered for his art, has always understood that words have power. Now, he realizes, others understand this as well. Mainz has become a city under siege. Beings both angelic and demonic have converged on the Gutenberg household, each side sensing the power implicit in this astonishing new device, each side pursuing its own agenda. 'In the beginning,' after all, 'was the Word,' and in the universal dissemination of words lie power, influence and the unlimited potential for profit. Like the traditional bildungsroman, 'Mister B. Gone' is, in the end, the story of an education. Jakabok's education culminates in a secret room where angels and demons hold clandestine — and intensely pragmatic — negotiations that he was never intended to witness and that lead to his imprisonment in the pages of this book. As he watches the 'endless fish-market bartering' for the future of the printed word, he comes to understand the paltry commercial nature of the grand struggle between evil and good. In the process, he creates a vivid portrait of the embryonic forces that will ultimately shape the world. It's a satisfying conclusion to a subtle, surprising book. Within the modest canvas of 'Mister B. Gone,' Barker, who rarely does anything predictable, confounds expectations once again, giving us one of the most resonant, provocative novels of his career." Reviewed by Bill Sheehan, who is the author of 'At the Foot of the Story Tree' and co-editor of the recent anthology 'Lords of the Razor', Washington Post Book World (Copyright 2006 Washington Post Book World Service/Washington Post Writers Group)
(hide most of this review)Review: "[A] swift, spare novel that reminds us, once again, of the discipline and focus Barker can bring to shorter forms....Barker, who rarely does anything predictable, confounds expectations once again, giving us one of the most resonant, provocative novels of his career." The Washington Post Book World Review: "King and Koontz often stumble when it comes to satisfying tie-ups. Not so Barker. Mr. B. Gone is one ingenious work, with a twist that proves that a devil of a good book lies in its writing and its details." Contra Costa Times Review: "An affected and pathetic narrative — nothing would be lost by confining it to the ninth circle of Hell." Kirkus Reviews Synopsis: The great master of horror returns with this novel that purports to be Barker's shockingly bone-chilling discovery of a never-before-published demonic memoir. About the Author Clive Barker is the internationally bestselling author of more than twenty books for adults and children. He is also a widely acclaimed artist, film producer, screenwriter, and director. He lives with his partner, the renowned photographer David Armstrong, in Beverly Hills.
Product Details
- ISBN:
- 9780060182984
- Author:
- Barker, Clive
- Publisher:
- Harper
- Author:
- by Clive Barker
- Subject:
- General
- Subject:
- Horror - General
- Subject:
- Good and evil
- Subject:
- Devil
- Subject:
- General Fiction
- Subject:
- Horror tales
- Copyright:
- 2007
- Publication Date:
- October 30, 2007
- Binding:
- Hardcover
- Grade Level:
- General/trade
- Language:
- English
- Pages:
- 248
- Dimensions:
- 8.57x5.74x.95 in. .93 lbs.
Other books you might like
-
-
-
-
-
-
Related Aisles
|
