Hey people, you must be wondering what is the title of this post about? Ha ha. Well, since am always in the habit of movie reviews, i have decided to add another item to review.
BOOKS!
I love books. But I am very selective of it and am easily bored and disenchanted if the book loses my attention. Difficult ain’t i? Hahaha. I love any genres, just as long it keeps me entertained. Well, i still remember entering Times bookshop at Marina Square. We were walking around with Irfaan and his gal Yuli when we entered the bookshop. (It was March 22nd, our two & half year anniversary which we celebrated by eating at Swensens. 
) We were browsing through the books (i know Faan got the Kite Runner, a book that i would like to borrow and do a review too.) It was there then that fate and destiny intertwined to ensure that i was acquainted with the book the shall change my life. It lay at an incospicuos corner of the store under fiction. I was intrigued by the title and indeed the appearance of the book looked as though it has aged over countless of years.
Clive Barker’s Mister B. Gone
With such an enigmatic title, hints of Edgar Allen Poe and horror tales filled my mind and gripped within it a sense of sickness depravity of manic hurt and sadistic violent manisfestations that begin to unravel and exude into the the bowels of one’s soul and sanity.
A nice touch by the author to give a simple yet profound and intentional brooding sense of foreboding prophetic circumstances. What more than such a simple title? Mister B. Gone. Opening the hard cover, i queased at the sense of excitement and adrenaline pumping down my neck as i read the first three words.
Burn this Book.
An excellent return by Clive Barker to write a classic horror tale with such an interesting character, Jakabok Botch. A devil from the Ninth Circle. The book begins as a personal memoirs of his life, being written as first person as Jakabok tells his tales from his life in Hell to his life on Earth. Such a scene reminds me that of the vampire Louis in Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire”. Indeed, it is a sad tale for a twisted Demon that have no sense of remorse and guilt. Only the hated rage against his true enemy, Man. Clive Barker seems to be personally possesed himself for writing (I won’t be surprised if he nearly lost his mind trying to picture the character) in such a manner to show the manic mentality of the Devil and Clive Barkers ensures he doesn’t totally lose you in the violent chaos by bringing you always back to the very same three words : Burn this Book!
This book is certainly not one for the faint of heart and i discourage young children or even teens to read it as the ideas being portrayed deals with issues ranging from religion, love, sexuality, violence, sadism, society, evolution and promotes unnatural tendecies leading to insanity.
An excerpt to show the deprave insanity of Jakabotch,
” I pressed the blade up into the meat of his thoughts, enjoying immensely the music of his suffering: the sobs, the fragments of prayer that he uttered, his begging for mercy. The latter, needless to say, went unanswered by me, his torturer, and the loving God in whom he’d put his trust.”
You will like this book as it paints an interesting idea about the war between Devils & Angels. There are irritating moments such as the continued begging to burn the book. However, only at the ending will you understand the incessant pleas to destroy the book. Indeed, once you see it from that point of view, all irritations dissolve as you begin to comprehend the purpose and reason of the book being written in such a manner. A brilliant and refreshing piece of work by Clive Barker.
Rating : 4/5 ( ingeniously written with Cliver Barker successfully enveloping and portraying the Devil)
Warning : Only matured adults are to read this book of fiction.
Favourite line in the book :
” I am of the Demonation. The sworn enemy of life and love and sinlessness. There’s no bargaining with me, nor any hope of hope.”
You can get it at any major bookstores. Mine cost me $24.95 at Borders.
Do read my movie review – The Chronicles of Narnia : Prince Caspian
Fai @ ilovelookinggood
About FaiNur
sounds like a butcher’s book to me
Fai: Haha. Some parts it is. Some parts it becomes a little philosophical with a touch of noir and neo realism. Great to have you back commenting Bro!
Hey, I have this book too!
Bought it quite some time ago, but haven’t read it yet, hehe. I was also intrigued by the first three words, “Burn this book”. And I thought the cover was really interesting as well. Oh, and the pages too, it looks a little burnt and kinda brown. I’ve never read any books by Clive Barker before, so I’m not familiar with his work. The premise is really unique too.
Now that you’ve given it a glowing review, I might read this one as soon as I finish the one I’m currently reading.
Has Nurul read this book? Hahahha. I got my copy at Kino, because I have the membership discount card.
In fact, now I get all my books there because of that. Heh.
Nur: I haven’t read the book yet. I will start reading it once I’m done with my current book. I’ve got a few books on my waiting list…