Screenwriter: Donald Jacob Utterfrugt
Whatever you do, don’t read this review.
You don’t want to hear about a demon trapped in the pages of an ancient book, do you? Or listen to one of the greatest horror masters of our time experimenting with metafiction? Get off this page before it’s too late. Forget the URL. Smash your computer.
Still here? Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Mr. B is gone Clive Barker returns to adult horror after spending several years creating adult horror films. Abarat A young adult series. The narrator is Jakabok Botch, a self-proclaimed demon from Hell trapped in a book. His first words before the story begins urge the reader to “burn this book.” Destroy it, or his story will destroy you.
Buck takes a risk here. Many find this direct address distracting, or worse, cutesy. However, if one believes the author, a whole story unfolds in the novel. Buck touches on love, desire and loss, humanity’s place in the universe and the battle between heaven and hell. The demon Pochi claims to reveal great secrets in the conflict between good and evil.
However, the novel is not about the demon Borgia (Mr. B of the title) but a postmodern reflection on the power and powerlessness of language.
The power of language is a recurring theme in Buck’s work. Mr. B is goneI thought of it. Blood Letter: “Everyone is a blood book: wherever we are opened, we are red.”
Yet Mr. B.’s words never have the intended effect. Instead of burning the book and putting him out of his misery, the reader reads the bitter end, forcing the narrator to lay his inner self before our prying eyes. The most horrifying part of the novel is our participation in Mr. B.’s failure. He bares his soul to us, and we violate his soul once again.
It’s a powerful lesson in the powerlessness of language.
The message was slightly weakened by irregular editing, often with missing or extra quotation marks. Even more annoying is Ares Grammar Where The Art of Grammar The meaning is clear. Autocorrect strikes again.
Beyond these cosmetic issues, I wonder if Barker’s work is a generation too late. The impact of the story depends in part on holding a physical book in your hands. Hardcover and paperback editions Mr. B is gone The design is excellent. The dark cover features an arabesque that evokes Botch’s staring face. The pages are printed in yellow, giving them an antique feel, all of which help to suspend disbelief.
But I was reading the novel in e-book format. No pages to turn, no physical books to burn. So Mr. B’s constant references to his book prison took me out of the story. I wasn’t experiencing his story the way his words intended.
I suppose Barker could have changed his metaphor by trapping the demon in an electronic file and urging readers to delete the unread files. However, this would have completely changed the story. Perhaps the irony of reading an electronic version of a cursed book would only emphasize Mister B. Gone’s A meditation on the power and powerlessness of language.
If you are stupid enough to ignore my warning and read this review to the end, Mr. B is gone Maybe for you. It’s horrible for the thoughtful reader. But I recommend the physical book.
Order this right here.
grade:4/5
