What do you think?
Rate this book
Mister B. Gone
The Mister B. of the title is Jakabob Botch, a demon whose ghastly past could make even the most merciless sociopath whimper in sympathy. Born in the deepest regions of hell, the spawn of an abusive drunkard and his whorish wife, Jakabob escapes to the world above after suffering fiendish torture. Once topside, he lands conveniently in 15th-century Mainz, the home of printing inventor Johannes Gutenberg. However, Mister B. isn't interested in merely observing history; like any other self-respecting diabolical being, he's just searching for a new demonic angle. A ghoulishly good fright fest.
248 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2007
489 people are currently reading
8364 people want to read
About the author
Clive Barker
704 books15.1k followersClive Barker was born in Liverpool, England, the son of Joan Rubie (née Revill), a painter and school welfare officer, and Leonard Barker, a personnel director for an industrial relations firm. Educated at Dovedale Primary School and Quarry Bank High School, he studied English and Philosophy at Liverpool University and his picture now hangs in the entrance hallway to the Philosophy Department. It was in Liverpool in 1975 that he met his first partner, John Gregson, with whom he lived until 1986. Barker's second long-term relationship, with photographer David Armstrong, ended in 2009.
In 2003, Clive Barker received The Davidson/Valentini Award at the 15th GLAAD Media Awards. This award is presented "to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for any of those communities". While Barker is critical of organized religion, he has stated that he is a believer in both God and the afterlife, and that the Bible influences his work.
Fans have noticed of late that Barker's voice has become gravelly and coarse. He says in a December 2008 online interview that this is due to polyps in his throat which were so severe that a doctor told him he was taking in ten percent of the air he was supposed to have been getting. He has had two surgeries to remove them and believes his resultant voice is an improvement over how it was prior to the surgeries. He said he did not have cancer and has given up cigars. On August 27, 2010, Barker underwent surgery yet again to remove new polyp growths from his throat. In early February 2012 Barker fell into a coma after a dentist visit led to blood poisoning. Barker remained in a coma for eleven days but eventually came out of it. Fans were notified on his Twitter page about some of the experience and that Barker was recovering after the ordeal, but left with many strange visions.
Barker is one of the leading authors of contemporary horror/fantasy, writing in the horror genre early in his career, mostly in the form of short stories (collected in Books of Blood 1 – 6), and the Faustian novel The Damnation Game (1985). Later he moved towards modern-day fantasy and urban fantasy with horror elements in Weaveworld (1987), The Great and Secret Show (1989), the world-spanning Imajica (1991) and Sacrament (1996), bringing in the deeper, richer concepts of reality, the nature of the mind and dreams, and the power of words and memories.
Barker has a keen interest in movie production, although his films have received mixed receptions. He wrote the screenplays for Underworld (aka Transmutations – 1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), both directed by George Pavlou. Displeased by how his material was handled, he moved to directing with Hellraiser (1987), based on his novella The Hellbound Heart. His early movies, the shorts The Forbidden and Salome, are experimental art movies with surrealist elements, which have been re-released together to moderate critical acclaim. After his film Nightbreed (Cabal), which was widely considered to be a flop, Barker returned to write and direct Lord of Illusions. Barker was an executive producer of the film Gods and Monsters, which received major critical acclaim.
Barker is a prolific visual artist working in a variety of media, often illustrating his own books. His paintings have been seen first on the covers of his official fan club magazine, Dread, published by Fantaco in the early Nineties, as well on the covers of the collections of his plays, Incarnations (1995) and Forms of Heaven (1996), as well as on the second printing of the original UK publications of his Books of Blood series.
A longtime comics fan, Barker achieved his dream of publishing his own superhero books when Marvel Comics launched the Razorline imprint in 1993. Based on detailed premises, titles and lead characters he created specifically for this, the four interrelated titles — set outside the Marvel universe — were Ectokid,
In 2003, Clive Barker received The Davidson/Valentini Award at the 15th GLAAD Media Awards. This award is presented "to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for any of those communities". While Barker is critical of organized religion, he has stated that he is a believer in both God and the afterlife, and that the Bible influences his work.
Fans have noticed of late that Barker's voice has become gravelly and coarse. He says in a December 2008 online interview that this is due to polyps in his throat which were so severe that a doctor told him he was taking in ten percent of the air he was supposed to have been getting. He has had two surgeries to remove them and believes his resultant voice is an improvement over how it was prior to the surgeries. He said he did not have cancer and has given up cigars. On August 27, 2010, Barker underwent surgery yet again to remove new polyp growths from his throat. In early February 2012 Barker fell into a coma after a dentist visit led to blood poisoning. Barker remained in a coma for eleven days but eventually came out of it. Fans were notified on his Twitter page about some of the experience and that Barker was recovering after the ordeal, but left with many strange visions.
Barker is one of the leading authors of contemporary horror/fantasy, writing in the horror genre early in his career, mostly in the form of short stories (collected in Books of Blood 1 – 6), and the Faustian novel The Damnation Game (1985). Later he moved towards modern-day fantasy and urban fantasy with horror elements in Weaveworld (1987), The Great and Secret Show (1989), the world-spanning Imajica (1991) and Sacrament (1996), bringing in the deeper, richer concepts of reality, the nature of the mind and dreams, and the power of words and memories.
Barker has a keen interest in movie production, although his films have received mixed receptions. He wrote the screenplays for Underworld (aka Transmutations – 1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), both directed by George Pavlou. Displeased by how his material was handled, he moved to directing with Hellraiser (1987), based on his novella The Hellbound Heart. His early movies, the shorts The Forbidden and Salome, are experimental art movies with surrealist elements, which have been re-released together to moderate critical acclaim. After his film Nightbreed (Cabal), which was widely considered to be a flop, Barker returned to write and direct Lord of Illusions. Barker was an executive producer of the film Gods and Monsters, which received major critical acclaim.
Barker is a prolific visual artist working in a variety of media, often illustrating his own books. His paintings have been seen first on the covers of his official fan club magazine, Dread, published by Fantaco in the early Nineties, as well on the covers of the collections of his plays, Incarnations (1995) and Forms of Heaven (1996), as well as on the second printing of the original UK publications of his Books of Blood series.
A longtime comics fan, Barker achieved his dream of publishing his own superhero books when Marvel Comics launched the Razorline imprint in 1993. Based on detailed premises, titles and lead characters he created specifically for this, the four interrelated titles — set outside the Marvel universe — were Ectokid,
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,491 reviews
April 23, 2020
It's fairly unusual to open a book and have it order you to burn it. Not many books though have a demon inside of them just waiting for release.
When you pick up Mister B. Gone, you are not holding a book in the traditional sense. You are holding a demon. A demon that needs you to release it. The only way it can be released is for you to burn it. He will try to tempt you, he will try to trick you. Don't burn the book. Don't listen to his lies. He will tell you his story, and he will lie. Remember, he's a demon.
He knows things. Don't listen. Put it down... just don't put it down near a burning candle. Who knows what he will try.
______
I have frequently heard people list this as Barker's worst work. Personally I disagree (that dishonor belongs to The Scarlet Gospels which was a MASSIVE disappointment to me). This is a book though that I think a reader needs to be ready for before they start. This is not the work people would probably expect.
Mister B. Gone was when initially released advertised as Barker's return to horror. As such, it disappointed a lot of people. The book is certainly a horror novel mind you, but it is much more comedic than Barker's other horror works and is more of a writing experiment than anything else.
As I had a little fun with above, the book is written as if you're holding a demon who has been trapped inside the book. He's a snarky asshole to be blunt, and he's going to try to trick you into letting him out. You can practically hear Barker cackling while writing as the book it's clear he's having a ball writing this.
That said, those coming for something frighting, such as The Hellbound Heart or Books of Blood: Volumes One to Three may be disappointed. Those also looking for an epic Weaveworld or The Great and Secret Show will also be disappointed. Frankly the book was bound to disappoint many of his readers as it is just so different from everything else Barker has written.
Now, if you go into the book on Barker's terms, ready for a comedic, only slightly gruesome horror yarn, written in an experimental style, then the book is a hell of a lot of fun. No, it is not Barker's best, but I find it far from his worst. It's been years since I read it, but the book is so vivid in my mind that I'd happily add my laughter to Barker's cackle. It would be a hellish chorus, but I'm sure he would approve.
Hopefully, dear read, you will too. Just remember... keep the book away from a fire. Wouldn't want any accidents, now would we?
4/5 stars
When you pick up Mister B. Gone, you are not holding a book in the traditional sense. You are holding a demon. A demon that needs you to release it. The only way it can be released is for you to burn it. He will try to tempt you, he will try to trick you. Don't burn the book. Don't listen to his lies. He will tell you his story, and he will lie. Remember, he's a demon.
He knows things. Don't listen. Put it down... just don't put it down near a burning candle. Who knows what he will try.
______
I have frequently heard people list this as Barker's worst work. Personally I disagree (that dishonor belongs to The Scarlet Gospels which was a MASSIVE disappointment to me). This is a book though that I think a reader needs to be ready for before they start. This is not the work people would probably expect.
Mister B. Gone was when initially released advertised as Barker's return to horror. As such, it disappointed a lot of people. The book is certainly a horror novel mind you, but it is much more comedic than Barker's other horror works and is more of a writing experiment than anything else.
As I had a little fun with above, the book is written as if you're holding a demon who has been trapped inside the book. He's a snarky asshole to be blunt, and he's going to try to trick you into letting him out. You can practically hear Barker cackling while writing as the book it's clear he's having a ball writing this.
That said, those coming for something frighting, such as The Hellbound Heart or Books of Blood: Volumes One to Three may be disappointed. Those also looking for an epic Weaveworld or The Great and Secret Show will also be disappointed. Frankly the book was bound to disappoint many of his readers as it is just so different from everything else Barker has written.
Now, if you go into the book on Barker's terms, ready for a comedic, only slightly gruesome horror yarn, written in an experimental style, then the book is a hell of a lot of fun. No, it is not Barker's best, but I find it far from his worst. It's been years since I read it, but the book is so vivid in my mind that I'd happily add my laughter to Barker's cackle. It would be a hellish chorus, but I'm sure he would approve.
Hopefully, dear read, you will too. Just remember... keep the book away from a fire. Wouldn't want any accidents, now would we?
4/5 stars
July 12, 2008
It was atrocious. I was so excited to find that Clive Barker came out with a new book too, especially what with the fancy packaging. The very juvenile bit of "don't read this, burn this book" repetition got tiresome really fast. His writing was horrible, it's like he didn't even try... like he just sat down at a computer after a few drinks and dumped whatever he wanted on it and called it a book. While some points of the book were mildly interesting (I liked the idea of the demon and Quintoon's love/hate relationship, even though Barker butchered it), it was overall his worst piece of work that I've read. Yes, even worse than Cold Heart Canyon. I've become quite disappointed with his recent works; there's been no trace of his old brilliant self in them. By the end of the book - and the only reason I even finished it was because it was short, and written as if for a simpleton to understand - I really wanted to burn this poor excuse of a novel and ask for my brain cells back.
December 23, 2018
Not one of his best for sure.
Jakabok, a demon, tells his tale of fantasy and fiction in the pages of this book that is not really a book at all but instead is his tale of woe.
The narrator of the book is also the main character and he continuously breaks the reality of the book and tries to make it seem like the book is real to the reader. It comes off as rather annoying in the manner in which he does this. Plus it breaks from the story and in my opinion takes away from the story itself. It would have been more entertaining to read if not for that.
I personally can't get past the first 50 pages of this book. The narrator is just too annoying in constantly telling you to burn the book. He stops so periodically that it makes you want to actually throw the book in the fire. Which may actually have been Clive Barker's intention. So kudos for that. But I just can't do it. This is not one of his best works in my opinion.
I can't say that I'd really recommend this book but for someone who doesn't mind the narrating style it would be a fun read.
Jakabok, a demon, tells his tale of fantasy and fiction in the pages of this book that is not really a book at all but instead is his tale of woe.
The narrator of the book is also the main character and he continuously breaks the reality of the book and tries to make it seem like the book is real to the reader. It comes off as rather annoying in the manner in which he does this. Plus it breaks from the story and in my opinion takes away from the story itself. It would have been more entertaining to read if not for that.
I personally can't get past the first 50 pages of this book. The narrator is just too annoying in constantly telling you to burn the book. He stops so periodically that it makes you want to actually throw the book in the fire. Which may actually have been Clive Barker's intention. So kudos for that. But I just can't do it. This is not one of his best works in my opinion.
I can't say that I'd really recommend this book but for someone who doesn't mind the narrating style it would be a fun read.
May 1, 2017
It must take some balls to directly insult & harangue your audience/reader. The demon inside this book (this is LITERAL) goes to the trouble of berating the reader for doing his job, reading; tells him to “Burn this book”—and this has the inverse effect for the reader of course, who simply continues, persists on. The narrator of this confessional (reminds me of that interview with the vampire of once upon a time) recounts the horrors he’s seen, how he got out of hell, how there is a celestial/satanic controversy surrounding Johannes Gutenberg’s marvelous invention. Although I’ve seen Barker at his best before (“The Forbidden” just happens to be as masterful a short story of horror as Shirley Jackson’s beloved “The Lottery”!), it is the postmodern detail of making the reader an active participant in the whole enterprise which deserves some applause. It is incredibly difficult to write with so much pomp and circumstance, & the subject matter is a wee bit adolescent—yet it is quite a (mild, interesting, speedy, readable, okay) success.
February 12, 2015
Clive Barker and Humor must maintain a distance of at least 50 yards in between one another at all times under penalty of writing another crapstack like this one.
March 28, 2013
This book lured me in with its appealingly gothic cover and a blurb on the back which described it as a terrifying insight into the earthbound battle between good and evil, narrated by the alternatively malignant and seductive voice of a medieval demon.
What I was hoping for was a sort of satanic antithesis to CS Lewis' devilish epistle The Screwtape Letters where a senior devil exhorts a junior devil to greater levels of malignant mischief via a series of detailed letters. What I got was less devilish and more deviled eggs (ie less evil but still with that slightly sulphorous smell), for it seems that the man who brought us the spikey-faced slash fest that was The Hellbound Heart (other discerning cinema goers will know it as Hellraiser) has taken a heavenly chill pill which has nulified his descriptions of satanic carryings on and generally horrific torture.
The resultant visions of the ninth circle of hell were described as towering mounds of rubbish and broken glass with horrific, ugly looking prone corpses strewn around the landscape. Personally, I think this sounds less like Hades and more like Liverpool City centre after Ladies Day at Aintree. I'm assuming that Barker's idea of hell doesn't include Primarni Maxi dresses...
The tone just didn't ring true and the devilment carried out by Jakobok Botch, the eponymous Mr B, was sadly lacking in convincing evilness. An interesting stab at metafiction but I think in an evil-off I might beat Mr B.
What I was hoping for was a sort of satanic antithesis to CS Lewis' devilish epistle The Screwtape Letters where a senior devil exhorts a junior devil to greater levels of malignant mischief via a series of detailed letters. What I got was less devilish and more deviled eggs (ie less evil but still with that slightly sulphorous smell), for it seems that the man who brought us the spikey-faced slash fest that was The Hellbound Heart (other discerning cinema goers will know it as Hellraiser) has taken a heavenly chill pill which has nulified his descriptions of satanic carryings on and generally horrific torture.
The resultant visions of the ninth circle of hell were described as towering mounds of rubbish and broken glass with horrific, ugly looking prone corpses strewn around the landscape. Personally, I think this sounds less like Hades and more like Liverpool City centre after Ladies Day at Aintree. I'm assuming that Barker's idea of hell doesn't include Primarni Maxi dresses...
The tone just didn't ring true and the devilment carried out by Jakobok Botch, the eponymous Mr B, was sadly lacking in convincing evilness. An interesting stab at metafiction but I think in an evil-off I might beat Mr B.
April 2, 2023
4.5/5
I went into this after having read numerous negative reviews, ready to dive into something not of Barkers usual style & I’m glad I did. I actually really enjoyed this. Reading from the perspective of this demon Jakabob Botch. I didn’t know where the story was going but was enthralled in his telling of his experience as a demon dragged against his will to earth.
The story telling was really imaginative and layered. There’s a lot of themes here, especially at the end that are still incredibly relevant present day. A battle of above vs below. Right vs Left so to speak and the story of those stuck in the middle. Without spoiling anything, this book feels extra special on my shelf now. I know I will be thinking of this novel for months and years to come.
I went into this after having read numerous negative reviews, ready to dive into something not of Barkers usual style & I’m glad I did. I actually really enjoyed this. Reading from the perspective of this demon Jakabob Botch. I didn’t know where the story was going but was enthralled in his telling of his experience as a demon dragged against his will to earth.
The story telling was really imaginative and layered. There’s a lot of themes here, especially at the end that are still incredibly relevant present day. A battle of above vs below. Right vs Left so to speak and the story of those stuck in the middle. Without spoiling anything, this book feels extra special on my shelf now. I know I will be thinking of this novel for months and years to come.
Read
October 29, 2017DNF
Oh no! *covers my face with my hands* I'm sorry Clive Barker! This just was the wrong book to start with. Someone on bookstagram listed all the books I *should* read of his and then told me "Mister B. Gone is for the birds."
He was right.
UGH.
I just can't with this book anymore. Especially when there are countless books I really wanted to read in October. This was a buddy read with my dear friend, Emily. (book.happy) she managed to finish and I believe she rated it 2 stars. If I were to rate, it would be the same, maybe 1.5
There are no characters to relate to or invest in, there is no plot, really...it's just a discombobulated journey of a demon told in first person narrative and it gets old pretty fast.
Oh no! *covers my face with my hands* I'm sorry Clive Barker! This just was the wrong book to start with. Someone on bookstagram listed all the books I *should* read of his and then told me "Mister B. Gone is for the birds."
He was right.
UGH.
I just can't with this book anymore. Especially when there are countless books I really wanted to read in October. This was a buddy read with my dear friend, Emily. (book.happy) she managed to finish and I believe she rated it 2 stars. If I were to rate, it would be the same, maybe 1.5
There are no characters to relate to or invest in, there is no plot, really...it's just a discombobulated journey of a demon told in first person narrative and it gets old pretty fast.
January 29, 2008
I haven't read a Clive Barker book for about 10 years, so I was pretty excited to read this one when I saw it on the shelf. Unfortunately, the book didn't live up to my expectations.
I felt that Barker's vision of hell and the demons who populate it was a bit superficial and ill-concieved, leaving the reader with more questions than answers. Jakobok Botch (a minor demon who occupies the pages we read), who begs the reader to kill him by burning the book, ranges infrom a petulant child to a raging blowhard. Unfortunately, neither approach really felt real. Essentially, the book is 200 pages of the demon alternating between persuading the reader to kill him and telling the reader of his life here on earth. Only the sections about his life are even remotely interesting and even that story isn't all that interesting.
The demon's constant begging for death gets old fast. Even as the demon is threatening the reader (who continues to read), I felt not the slightest twinge of fear or apprehension. Not even a goosebump. I just kept thinking, "Ok, I get it. Get on with it." The asides served more to annoy than they did to build suspense. In fact, the opposite was true. As Botch warns that with each page he is a step closer to slicing my throat (over and again), I really questioned how Barker could go from the likes of Imajica to this.
The bulk of the plot deals of an escape from hell that is pretty stupid, a relationship with another demon that goes absolutely nowhere, and his encounter with Gutenberg and his press. The story does not build. Most of the violence and gore is pretty juvenile and contrived. As the demon drains the corpses of babies, I thought, "Clive, you're trying too hard (or not hard enough)." It read like it was written as a scary story for middle-school kids. The last couple of pages are the only ones that are even remotely insightful or thought provoking. I enjoyed the concept of the negotiations surrounding the printing press and of demons and angels angling for a satisfactory arrangement of things. However, beyond that, the book was fluff.
In the future, if I wanted to read a book dealing with the Christian conception of demons and angels, I'll read C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters. Clive Barker doesn't even come close.
I gave it two stars only because at times, I found it mildly entertaining.
I felt that Barker's vision of hell and the demons who populate it was a bit superficial and ill-concieved, leaving the reader with more questions than answers. Jakobok Botch (a minor demon who occupies the pages we read), who begs the reader to kill him by burning the book, ranges infrom a petulant child to a raging blowhard. Unfortunately, neither approach really felt real. Essentially, the book is 200 pages of the demon alternating between persuading the reader to kill him and telling the reader of his life here on earth. Only the sections about his life are even remotely interesting and even that story isn't all that interesting.
The demon's constant begging for death gets old fast. Even as the demon is threatening the reader (who continues to read), I felt not the slightest twinge of fear or apprehension. Not even a goosebump. I just kept thinking, "Ok, I get it. Get on with it." The asides served more to annoy than they did to build suspense. In fact, the opposite was true. As Botch warns that with each page he is a step closer to slicing my throat (over and again), I really questioned how Barker could go from the likes of Imajica to this.
The bulk of the plot deals of an escape from hell that is pretty stupid, a relationship with another demon that goes absolutely nowhere, and his encounter with Gutenberg and his press. The story does not build. Most of the violence and gore is pretty juvenile and contrived. As the demon drains the corpses of babies, I thought, "Clive, you're trying too hard (or not hard enough)." It read like it was written as a scary story for middle-school kids. The last couple of pages are the only ones that are even remotely insightful or thought provoking. I enjoyed the concept of the negotiations surrounding the printing press and of demons and angels angling for a satisfactory arrangement of things. However, beyond that, the book was fluff.
In the future, if I wanted to read a book dealing with the Christian conception of demons and angels, I'll read C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters. Clive Barker doesn't even come close.
I gave it two stars only because at times, I found it mildly entertaining.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2018
2 1/2
Mister B Gone starts out with a dire warning (though not dire enough to scare me away unfortunately).
I wish I’d listened. Not that I advocate burning books but I do savor my free time and I really wasted it here.
I had high hopes for this when it began. It’s read by none other than Doug Bradley of Pinhead fame and he has such a lovely accent and manner of speaking that I figured I’d fall in love with this story. It didn't happen. I haven’t read a recent Clive Barker novel in ages but I have recently reread his Books of Blood (both 1 and 2) as well The Hellbound Heart and was expecting, I suppose, something remotely similar. But again, it didn't happen. There were no lush descriptions, no interesting story-line or characters, no wild imaginative fantasy worlds. Really there was nothing at all that made me want to keep going.
But I did anyway.
So here’s the gist. Jakabok Botch is a demon born and raised in the 9th ring of hell (which is hardly described, I might add). Jakabok starts off things by sharing his tale of childhood woe. His parents, both lower level demons, weren't very nice to him and as a child he fell face first into flames and burned himself to an ugly crisp before dad bothered to pull him out. Later, through a strange series of events, he finds himself removed from hell and making his way among humans. He then shares his recollections of life among them in first person but surprisingly, though he does some nasty things and meets some nasty beings, it’s all rather uneventful and ho-hum in the telling. I didn't find it clever, or darkly funny or even disgustingly gory. It was just “meh” and I never felt a part of the action. In between his recollections he threatens to skin me and crap because I'm so brazen as to keep reading. This silliness got very tiresome, very quickly and really fell flat in audio format.
It is with much sadness that I can only give Mister B Gone a 2.5 (and that’s being a wee bit generous). I had to force myself to listen and had to rewind several times because I kept drifting away and could not stay focused. Doug Bradley does a great job with the narration but even he and his musical accent couldn’t save this lackluster story for me.
Mister B Gone starts out with a dire warning (though not dire enough to scare me away unfortunately).
Burn this book. Go on. Quickly, while there’s still time! Burn it. Don’t look at another word. Did you hear me? Not. One. More. Word.
I wish I’d listened. Not that I advocate burning books but I do savor my free time and I really wasted it here.
I had high hopes for this when it began. It’s read by none other than Doug Bradley of Pinhead fame and he has such a lovely accent and manner of speaking that I figured I’d fall in love with this story. It didn't happen. I haven’t read a recent Clive Barker novel in ages but I have recently reread his Books of Blood (both 1 and 2) as well The Hellbound Heart and was expecting, I suppose, something remotely similar. But again, it didn't happen. There were no lush descriptions, no interesting story-line or characters, no wild imaginative fantasy worlds. Really there was nothing at all that made me want to keep going.
But I did anyway.
So here’s the gist. Jakabok Botch is a demon born and raised in the 9th ring of hell (which is hardly described, I might add). Jakabok starts off things by sharing his tale of childhood woe. His parents, both lower level demons, weren't very nice to him and as a child he fell face first into flames and burned himself to an ugly crisp before dad bothered to pull him out. Later, through a strange series of events, he finds himself removed from hell and making his way among humans. He then shares his recollections of life among them in first person but surprisingly, though he does some nasty things and meets some nasty beings, it’s all rather uneventful and ho-hum in the telling. I didn't find it clever, or darkly funny or even disgustingly gory. It was just “meh” and I never felt a part of the action. In between his recollections he threatens to skin me and crap because I'm so brazen as to keep reading. This silliness got very tiresome, very quickly and really fell flat in audio format.
It is with much sadness that I can only give Mister B Gone a 2.5 (and that’s being a wee bit generous). I had to force myself to listen and had to rewind several times because I kept drifting away and could not stay focused. Doug Bradley does a great job with the narration but even he and his musical accent couldn’t save this lackluster story for me.
January 30, 2022
Jakabob Botch, also known as Mister B, is a troublesome demon sealed inside of a book: the book you hold in your hands. Jakabob addresses the reader directly throughout the entire story, begging you to burn the book to set him free from his misery while reluctantly recounting his disastrous life story full of suffering and tragedy. The further you read, the harsher his threats toward you become. The further you read, the more insight you gain from the dark secrets and wicked deeds of the demonic narrator.
Mister B. Gone is a very experimental horror novel, fascinating in some ways and frustrating in others. The most interesting aspect of the book is how the evil protagonist constantly addresses you personally, insulting you and threatening you the longer you refuse to heed his warnings not to read further. For such a gruesome and depressing story, the way it's delivered is full of humor and devilish sarcasm that keeps it from ever feeling truly dark.
It does start to feel annoying and gimmicky after this repeats at the end of every chapter. It starts to feel less like a professional horror novel and more like a try-hard creepypasta written by some kid on the internet trying to be edgy and meta. The storytelling is also very haphazard and chaotic, jumping from random point to random point as the demon grows more angry at your curiosity for continuing to read his story after begging you to burn the book so many times.
The beginning where the narrator recounts his fallout with his abusive father and neglectful mother during his escape from the bowels of Hell was compelling and emotional, but everything that comes after that feels like an afterthought. It becomes too meandering and random.
Has some good moments and works as an interesting experiment in defying typical literary form and wordplay, but its unusual style also hurts its own narrative in several glaring ways.
Mister B. Gone is a very experimental horror novel, fascinating in some ways and frustrating in others. The most interesting aspect of the book is how the evil protagonist constantly addresses you personally, insulting you and threatening you the longer you refuse to heed his warnings not to read further. For such a gruesome and depressing story, the way it's delivered is full of humor and devilish sarcasm that keeps it from ever feeling truly dark.
It does start to feel annoying and gimmicky after this repeats at the end of every chapter. It starts to feel less like a professional horror novel and more like a try-hard creepypasta written by some kid on the internet trying to be edgy and meta. The storytelling is also very haphazard and chaotic, jumping from random point to random point as the demon grows more angry at your curiosity for continuing to read his story after begging you to burn the book so many times.
The beginning where the narrator recounts his fallout with his abusive father and neglectful mother during his escape from the bowels of Hell was compelling and emotional, but everything that comes after that feels like an afterthought. It becomes too meandering and random.
Has some good moments and works as an interesting experiment in defying typical literary form and wordplay, but its unusual style also hurts its own narrative in several glaring ways.
August 4, 2019
My first Clive Barker was not a raging success. I should've come to Goodreads and read some of my friends' reviews before picking one. If I had, I would have avoided or at least been prepared for this book's annoying idiosyncrasies: the "burn this book" constant refrain. I'm not a big fan of breaking the 4th wall and I'm really not a fan of unnecessary repetition. Honestly, Mister B. Gone could have been a lot shorter. It's just a bloated novella.
All complaints aside, the writing is solid. I liked the characters and the word usage is enjoyable. I liked this just enough for me to seek another of Barker's novels. I'll probably go for one of his older books next.
All complaints aside, the writing is solid. I liked the characters and the word usage is enjoyable. I liked this just enough for me to seek another of Barker's novels. I'll probably go for one of his older books next.
December 4, 2022
3.5 ⭐️
Probably my least favorite Barker yet, but I still liked it! It breaks the fourth wall throughout, begging the reader to stop reading, burn the book, and actually threatens you pretty regularly along the way.
It was a bit anticlimactic, a lot of the exciting stuff at the end was happening more off page, and it was more fantasy than horror, but I thought it was fun overall!
Probably my least favorite Barker yet, but I still liked it! It breaks the fourth wall throughout, begging the reader to stop reading, burn the book, and actually threatens you pretty regularly along the way.
It was a bit anticlimactic, a lot of the exciting stuff at the end was happening more off page, and it was more fantasy than horror, but I thought it was fun overall!
November 16, 2007
I liked the simplicity of this novel. It reads more as fairytale than horror, although there are echoes back to the excellent short story The Yattering And Jack . I really enjoy the artificial aging of the paper. It adds to the novels device of having the demonic narrator trapped inside the pages, begging you to burn the book. I wish I could take the dust jacket off, remove the copyright page and any mention of title or author, distress the cover until it looks ancient, than plant it in a used book shop for someone to stumble across and get freaked out by. I know, I know- fat chance. But it could still really scare a little kid!
I loved the narrative style. Barker's writing here isn't as lush as I'm used to. I had to adapt to the more conversational voice. But as the narrator became increasingly frantic, I really got into the groove. Loved the 'start counting the pages' bit. Barker's approach became a bit repetitive in the last twenty pages, but I definately admire it.
The plot was straight forward. I wasn't crazy about the weirdly suburban version of hell, but all the traveling scenes through Europe in the 14th century were amazing, and gave me that old Bloody Barker glow.
I work at the New York Public Library, where we have a Gutenberg Bible on display. There's also a painting of Gutenburg and the original printing press in the hallway, and I pictured the entire final section of the book happening in that exact setting.
I loved the narrative style. Barker's writing here isn't as lush as I'm used to. I had to adapt to the more conversational voice. But as the narrator became increasingly frantic, I really got into the groove. Loved the 'start counting the pages' bit. Barker's approach became a bit repetitive in the last twenty pages, but I definately admire it.
The plot was straight forward. I wasn't crazy about the weirdly suburban version of hell, but all the traveling scenes through Europe in the 14th century were amazing, and gave me that old Bloody Barker glow.
I work at the New York Public Library, where we have a Gutenberg Bible on display. There's also a painting of Gutenburg and the original printing press in the hallway, and I pictured the entire final section of the book happening in that exact setting.
May 30, 2022
Es un libro cortito, que sigue la vida de Jakabok Botch, un demonio del noveno círculo. Me hizo reír bastante, aunque el humor es bastante negro y retorcido, y creo que justo por eso me gustó. Se queda con cuatro estrellas, porque me habría gustado más que profundizara en la historia.
July 4, 2009
"Burn this book," insists the narrator of this particular book.
Being a demon of some effect, narrator Jakabok Botch demands that the reader cease reading his memoir - or else. You see, the words within go far beyond telling tales of damaging proportion. The words are, in actuality, Jakabok himself, the demon having been trapped within the literal pages since the fifteenth century.
Pure gimmickry.
The book begins as a somewhat amusing romp through the mind of a "demon." And then the reader is brought out of that state by a sudden tale of childhood abuse, drunken spousal beatings, and a fierce mutilation of a child (albeit a demon-child, but a youngster nonetheless) via fire, causing oozing, unrepairable facial disintegration.
Ha, ha.
Though the book (or at least, its fictitious guise) was written some six hundred years ago, the demon "speaks" to the reader in the vernacular. This is explained away by the concept of the narrator "living" within the words on the page, having been unable to escape for this duration of time, lying in wait for some (ahem) "unsuspecting reader" to pick up the book and have the demon speak to them. This also explains the "real-time" nature of the one-sided dialogue: "Hell and damnation! I let that slip without meaning to," says Jakabok, upon revealing his true nature. The words are "live" just as the demon is within them.
Yeah. To have a demon speak directly to a reader, simply pick up a mass-produced hardback from HarperCollins Books. Why not?
The demon goes on, beseeching the reader to destroy the book, interrupted by schisms of anecdotes regarding his abuses and evil deeds, performed both by and on him: "I'll give you just one more piece of my life and then we're going to get this book cooked. Yes?"
(Remember primary school? Your teacher had her own bookshelf in the back of the classroom, and during indoor recess one day you discovered that Grover, the Friendly Monster from Sesame Street, had his own Little Golden Book called The Monster at the End of This Book. So you read it in about seven minutes, and laughed as Grover begged you not to turn the pages because there was a bona fide monster waiting for you both by book's end? You turned them anyway, despite Grover's pleas, only to discover... well, not to spoil the ending for those of you who haven't read The Monster at the End of This Book, but that particular breaking of the fourth wall was much more clever than Clive Barker's grown-up oriented title of the same theme.)
Jakabok describes his grotesquely melted features - with which, remember, he no longer lives since taking up exclusive residence within the printed word of this book - in an attempt to elicit... perhaps pathos? horror? morbid bemusement? It's altogether unclear. But it is not funny.
Boredom sets in, and the reader notices the half-toning on the artificially-aged pages. The reader flips the pages in an attempt to see whether or not the book redeems itself later. Page 106: "You're going to set fire to this book very soon, aren't you?" Page 117: "Burn the book, please, just burn the book." Page 169: "All you have to do is burn these words - and me with them - so we are never again seen on the face of the earth." Page 238: "Burn this book."
Burn the book? Better yet - simply don't buy it. Let it rot for six months in the remainder bins at a conglomerate national book chain before seeing the front cover rendered from the spine, the book marked with a big black "SURPLUS" line, and thrown into the Dumpster behind the spray paint-tagged brick building, destined for some stinking landfill outside the city limits.
Do this in the name of Jakabok Botch. Amen.
Being a demon of some effect, narrator Jakabok Botch demands that the reader cease reading his memoir - or else. You see, the words within go far beyond telling tales of damaging proportion. The words are, in actuality, Jakabok himself, the demon having been trapped within the literal pages since the fifteenth century.
Pure gimmickry.
The book begins as a somewhat amusing romp through the mind of a "demon." And then the reader is brought out of that state by a sudden tale of childhood abuse, drunken spousal beatings, and a fierce mutilation of a child (albeit a demon-child, but a youngster nonetheless) via fire, causing oozing, unrepairable facial disintegration.
Ha, ha.
Though the book (or at least, its fictitious guise) was written some six hundred years ago, the demon "speaks" to the reader in the vernacular. This is explained away by the concept of the narrator "living" within the words on the page, having been unable to escape for this duration of time, lying in wait for some (ahem) "unsuspecting reader" to pick up the book and have the demon speak to them. This also explains the "real-time" nature of the one-sided dialogue: "Hell and damnation! I let that slip without meaning to," says Jakabok, upon revealing his true nature. The words are "live" just as the demon is within them.
Yeah. To have a demon speak directly to a reader, simply pick up a mass-produced hardback from HarperCollins Books. Why not?
The demon goes on, beseeching the reader to destroy the book, interrupted by schisms of anecdotes regarding his abuses and evil deeds, performed both by and on him: "I'll give you just one more piece of my life and then we're going to get this book cooked. Yes?"
(Remember primary school? Your teacher had her own bookshelf in the back of the classroom, and during indoor recess one day you discovered that Grover, the Friendly Monster from Sesame Street, had his own Little Golden Book called The Monster at the End of This Book. So you read it in about seven minutes, and laughed as Grover begged you not to turn the pages because there was a bona fide monster waiting for you both by book's end? You turned them anyway, despite Grover's pleas, only to discover... well, not to spoil the ending for those of you who haven't read The Monster at the End of This Book, but that particular breaking of the fourth wall was much more clever than Clive Barker's grown-up oriented title of the same theme.)
Jakabok describes his grotesquely melted features - with which, remember, he no longer lives since taking up exclusive residence within the printed word of this book - in an attempt to elicit... perhaps pathos? horror? morbid bemusement? It's altogether unclear. But it is not funny.
Boredom sets in, and the reader notices the half-toning on the artificially-aged pages. The reader flips the pages in an attempt to see whether or not the book redeems itself later. Page 106: "You're going to set fire to this book very soon, aren't you?" Page 117: "Burn the book, please, just burn the book." Page 169: "All you have to do is burn these words - and me with them - so we are never again seen on the face of the earth." Page 238: "Burn this book."
Burn the book? Better yet - simply don't buy it. Let it rot for six months in the remainder bins at a conglomerate national book chain before seeing the front cover rendered from the spine, the book marked with a big black "SURPLUS" line, and thrown into the Dumpster behind the spray paint-tagged brick building, destined for some stinking landfill outside the city limits.
Do this in the name of Jakabok Botch. Amen.
January 14, 2024
A wickedly fun read, if a bit overbearing, but then Barker must've had a clear vision. Telling the reader to burn the book and put Mister B. out of his misery was something the book simply had to do; or it might've risked losing some of its original voice. So, while I, like many, found it a bit irritating to constantly be asked by the book to light it up and let Mr. B be consumed by a final blaze, I see why the request kept being made.
That aside, it's a fun story told in the 1st person, sometimes 2nd person, cynical and irreverent. Despite the protagonist being a mutilated, conniving, murderous demon, I rooted for him the whole time.
The beginning is especially witty, remarking about the demons special talents while creating a family that, sadly, might be recognizable for some: one with a drunken, abusive father and a resigned, mean-spirited mother. Mr. B's two tails are mentioned often, and with cleverness, adding humor to a not-too-optimistic tale.
The great conspiracy at the end is a nice nod to the gray areas between 'good' and 'bad.' The world isn't simply divided into good and evil, of course. This is by no means a new theme. But it is treated well here. While there may be a spiritual battle of sort going on around us all the time, which side is right is not quite clear, and certainly not as clear as some would like to think.
While there is a historical context, the story is not based on any real history, other than perhaps the approximate date of the advent of Gutenberg's press. But the medieval setting is appropriate, and the asides by the narrator about human nature are sharp little aspersions meant to temper the current popularity of human worship--the love we have for ourselves--Oh wonderful human beings.
That aside, it's a fun story told in the 1st person, sometimes 2nd person, cynical and irreverent. Despite the protagonist being a mutilated, conniving, murderous demon, I rooted for him the whole time.
The beginning is especially witty, remarking about the demons special talents while creating a family that, sadly, might be recognizable for some: one with a drunken, abusive father and a resigned, mean-spirited mother. Mr. B's two tails are mentioned often, and with cleverness, adding humor to a not-too-optimistic tale.
The great conspiracy at the end is a nice nod to the gray areas between 'good' and 'bad.' The world isn't simply divided into good and evil, of course. This is by no means a new theme. But it is treated well here. While there may be a spiritual battle of sort going on around us all the time, which side is right is not quite clear, and certainly not as clear as some would like to think.
While there is a historical context, the story is not based on any real history, other than perhaps the approximate date of the advent of Gutenberg's press. But the medieval setting is appropriate, and the asides by the narrator about human nature are sharp little aspersions meant to temper the current popularity of human worship--the love we have for ourselves--Oh wonderful human beings.
April 6, 2022
On paper this one had so much potential and I was incredibly excited for it. Sadly it did not live up to the very high hopes I had for it. I’m a huge fan of Clive Barker and this one just sounded so good. The idea practically had me salivating and when it first started to unroll I was pretty damn into it and sitting back to enjoy the ride. And then that’s where it started to get messy and a bunch of little things started to really bother me. I won’t nitpick and go into all of them but there’s 2 main things that really brought this from a yay to nay. First, at one point I got pretty tired of the little interjections speaking directly to us as readers. The first few times it was funny but it got old real quick. Second, I didn’t connect with any of the characters which made it hard for me to enjoy as I’m a very character driven reader. The story had so much potential and I really wanted to love it but the execution just lacked for me. All that being said I do still adore Barker, this just isn’t his best work.
March 6, 2008
I suppose it is tempting to call Mister B. Gone the long-awaited return of Clive Barker to horror, as many are doing (hell, even the inside jacket says so). But, after reading it, I'm not sure that's 100% accurate. Sure, it's about a demon, and has quite a few gruesome moments. But, overall, it's never really terrifying, and its whimisical nature actually has more in common with Barker's more recent fantasy work than with his Books of Blood days, in my opinion. That's not a criticism, though - just an observation. Mister B. Gone is a fun, undemanding read, with a nifty concept. The idea that Mister B. is actually trapped within the pages of the book, pleading with the reader to burn the book, adds a unique element to the tale...although the sequences where he does talk directly to you start to get a bit tiresome about halfway through the book. My only other complaint is the book's climax, which never feels quite as epic or interesting as I think Barker believes it is. Still, it is nice to see the man writing about some truly nasty stuff again, and the fact that you can finish it in about 2 days is also a plus. Hopefully this was just Barker gearing up for a REAL return to horror, but until then Mister B. Gone will suffice just fine.
June 24, 2016
Es el primer libro que leo de C. Barker.
En general, me ha gustado bastante la forma en la que está escrito, el prota,... pero el final me ha fallado un poco. No por el final en si, si no por la forma de desarrollarlo. Muy precipitado.
Otra cosa, que no se si es un fallo o no, es que, pese a algunas descripciones macabra y explícitas, no acababa de inspirarme terror, aunque supongo que eso ya es más algo personal.
Por muy malote que se ponga el señor B. no acaba de darme miedo. No se por que se me hace simpático y en ocasiones inspira ternura y compasión.
En definitiva, tiene mi puntuación media. Libro entretenido y ágil para leer, pero sin llegar a ser de los mejores que haya leído, para mi gusto.
En general, me ha gustado bastante la forma en la que está escrito, el prota,... pero el final me ha fallado un poco. No por el final en si, si no por la forma de desarrollarlo. Muy precipitado.
Otra cosa, que no se si es un fallo o no, es que, pese a algunas descripciones macabra y explícitas, no acababa de inspirarme terror, aunque supongo que eso ya es más algo personal.
Por muy malote que se ponga el señor B. no acaba de darme miedo. No se por que se me hace simpático y en ocasiones inspira ternura y compasión.
En definitiva, tiene mi puntuación media. Libro entretenido y ágil para leer, pero sin llegar a ser de los mejores que haya leído, para mi gusto.
December 24, 2007
Definitely "earns its R", as well as your heart.
*
There's A Monster at the End of this Book, 'cept it's This Book is a Bound Demon.
*
Is "Clive Barker" a pseudonym for Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman? Seriously, though, I'm getting a Good Omens vibe, here. Perhaps it will become movie directed by Terry Gilliam, featuring the work of Jim Henson's, uh, people.
*
The demon-catchers scene was tedious. For me, at least. I suppose a bunch of idiots unable to get their shit together to contain one, small burnt-to-Hell demon is supposed to be fine, fine slapstick...but I ended up falling asleep on the couch. In my snow jacket. With my snow shoes on. I lost eight hours of my life because of three pages of bad writing. Nice, Clive. Nice. And I was going to make an evening production of reading. Complete with hot chocolate.
***
The pre-review; the discovery review:
The pages have been artifically aged: nice touch. I perused a volume at the local B&N until some Cold/Flu Patient Zero goth kid came sneezing by.
I slammed the book back onto the shelf, gave the bastard a dirty look, and left the store.
Actually, I gave him two dirty looks. One for being a public sneezer (parents, I urge you to teach your children to cough and snot and blow into a handkerchief...a handkerchief which should always be on their person...) and the other for wearing a Matrix trenchcoat, a backwards baseball cop (sic) and thickly-lensed eyeglasses.
"Hey, kid, why don't you reach into that pouch of dice around your neck and try rolling out some hit points, or a...a sneezeguard, sneezeshield. And some charisma for that chattering goblin horde around you. What? Oh, those are your girl friends. Don't fool yourself, buddy. We all know your lovelife is nothing but NPCs."
*
There's A Monster at the End of this Book, 'cept it's This Book is a Bound Demon.
*
Is "Clive Barker" a pseudonym for Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman? Seriously, though, I'm getting a Good Omens vibe, here. Perhaps it will become movie directed by Terry Gilliam, featuring the work of Jim Henson's, uh, people.
*
The demon-catchers scene was tedious. For me, at least. I suppose a bunch of idiots unable to get their shit together to contain one, small burnt-to-Hell demon is supposed to be fine, fine slapstick...but I ended up falling asleep on the couch. In my snow jacket. With my snow shoes on. I lost eight hours of my life because of three pages of bad writing. Nice, Clive. Nice. And I was going to make an evening production of reading. Complete with hot chocolate.
***
The pre-review; the discovery review:
The pages have been artifically aged: nice touch. I perused a volume at the local B&N until some Cold/Flu Patient Zero goth kid came sneezing by.
I slammed the book back onto the shelf, gave the bastard a dirty look, and left the store.
Actually, I gave him two dirty looks. One for being a public sneezer (parents, I urge you to teach your children to cough and snot and blow into a handkerchief...a handkerchief which should always be on their person...) and the other for wearing a Matrix trenchcoat, a backwards baseball cop (sic) and thickly-lensed eyeglasses.
"Hey, kid, why don't you reach into that pouch of dice around your neck and try rolling out some hit points, or a...a sneezeguard, sneezeshield. And some charisma for that chattering goblin horde around you. What? Oh, those are your girl friends. Don't fool yourself, buddy. We all know your lovelife is nothing but NPCs."
September 24, 2022
This was my first Clive Barker novel and it isn't what I was expecting. But that's my own issue. What I was expecting was something dark and daemonic but what I got was something light and not-so- daemonic. I read this as a satire on the life of a demon. I found it all a little gimmicky and childish. That's it! I think this book should have been marketed to a younger audience who could identify with the young Demon. I don't think the book cover is a match for the tone of the book. For this title, I would go for something more Terry Pratchett that clearly gives an indication that humour is a big factor lying amongst the pages. I judged this book by its cover and understood it to be something along the lines of the Barker novella which 1986 (?) Hellraiser was based on, and that film terrified me. Five stars for the writing and the execution (pardon the pun).
September 2, 2015
"There are no words--how can there be?--to describe what it feels like to become words, to feel your life encoded, and laid out in black ink on white paper. All my love and loss and hatred, melted into words. [...] This book, unlike any other from Gutenberg's press or from the countless presses that have followed after it, is one of a kind. As I am both in the ink and in the paper, its pages are protean."
Its pages are protean? I like the sound of that. I think that best describes Clive Barker's writing, his genius. This book, by all accounts isn't anything you'd expect of Clive, I mean, yes, it's scary as fuck, but the unlikely thing about it is, it's terribly humorous, (not to say Clive's not capable of humour, but this is the bloke that brought you HELLBOUND HEART, TORTURED SOULS PRIMODIUM, HELLRAISER, BOOKS OF BLOOD, you don't expect him to give you a puny demon with a sense of humour and great potential for empathy). For a large part of the book, Jakobok Botch, the protagonist begs you to stop reading and set the book on fire, all the while threatening to slit tour throat if your don't, it's a kind of reverse-psychology thing, and you know should stop reading, but you keep reading just to find out how a low-level demon like him, gets trapped inside the pages of a book. It's tragic, it's funny, not the deepest, most poignant bit of literature you're ever going to read, but it's enjoyable just for enjoyment's sake.
Its pages are protean? I like the sound of that. I think that best describes Clive Barker's writing, his genius. This book, by all accounts isn't anything you'd expect of Clive, I mean, yes, it's scary as fuck, but the unlikely thing about it is, it's terribly humorous, (not to say Clive's not capable of humour, but this is the bloke that brought you HELLBOUND HEART, TORTURED SOULS PRIMODIUM, HELLRAISER, BOOKS OF BLOOD, you don't expect him to give you a puny demon with a sense of humour and great potential for empathy). For a large part of the book, Jakobok Botch, the protagonist begs you to stop reading and set the book on fire, all the while threatening to slit tour throat if your don't, it's a kind of reverse-psychology thing, and you know should stop reading, but you keep reading just to find out how a low-level demon like him, gets trapped inside the pages of a book. It's tragic, it's funny, not the deepest, most poignant bit of literature you're ever going to read, but it's enjoyable just for enjoyment's sake.
September 1, 2019
“Whether it’s slashing or reading, the motion’s the same. Backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards. If the job’s done well, life comes pouring out, doesn’t it?”
This was a fun book. Aside from some interesting ideas about words, however, it’s ultimately forgettable.
This was a fun book. Aside from some interesting ideas about words, however, it’s ultimately forgettable.
May 4, 2025
Quando si dice: ecco un libro che mi ha fatto riamare la lettura! Sarà davvero il libro o sei tu lettore a far rinascere la passione letteraria? Che poi cos'è un libro, se non una serie, più o meno lunga, di parole messe una dietro l'altra a formare frasi, capitoli, parti ecc...? Con questo non vorrei, per niente al mondo, sminuire il valore assoluto di qualsiasi libro, non sia mai!! Ma pensiamoci bene per qualche tempo, quello che ne abbisogna: un libro, quell'insieme di parole di cui dicevo sopra, potrà davvero mai esistere se mancassero i lettori? In un certo qual modo sì, alla fine c'è un pezzo di vita di chi lo ha creato e messo su carta. Ma un libro prende vita ogni volta che un essere umano ci mette sopra le mani e soprattutto gli occhi coadiuvati dal cervello. E quella vita è ogni volta diversa, la metamorfosi che assume ogni lettura è un piccolo tassello a formare un grande mosaico, l'insieme delle letture di un determinato libro, per me, creano il libro stesso. Le storie di lettura, ogni singola storia di lettura, è unica ed inimitabile. Perchè ciò che ci narra un determinato scrittore o scrittrice, è un voler mettere a nudo una parte di sè e gridarlo al mondo esterno. Poi sarà il mondo esterno, ogni singolo essere umano, che deciderà autonomamente se leggere quel libro e sarà puramente casuale se quella lettura aggiungerà o meno quel tassello al mosaico. Ma il mosaico che continua, da millenni, a formarsi, che cos'è? Che cosa rappresenta? Sarà, per caso, la vita sottaciuta nella nostra esistenza quotidiana?
Ecco, in questo libricino, Clive Barker ha voluto narrarci proprio questo. Questa è ovviamente la mia personale interpretazione o anzi, la mia storia di lettura di quest'opera!
La lettura è stata un continuo di alti e bassi, perchè la vita non lo è?
Passando da periodi noiosi e tediosi ad altri adrenalinici od altri ancora, rivelatori od ancora, statici? Perchè la vita non lo è, in un certo qual modo?
Clive Barker mi stupisce sempre, anche con questo libricino, perchè fa riflettere sulla vita e la morte e lo fa in modo più unico che raro!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G02Bm...
Ecco, in questo libricino, Clive Barker ha voluto narrarci proprio questo. Questa è ovviamente la mia personale interpretazione o anzi, la mia storia di lettura di quest'opera!
La lettura è stata un continuo di alti e bassi, perchè la vita non lo è?
Passando da periodi noiosi e tediosi ad altri adrenalinici od altri ancora, rivelatori od ancora, statici? Perchè la vita non lo è, in un certo qual modo?
Clive Barker mi stupisce sempre, anche con questo libricino, perchè fa riflettere sulla vita e la morte e lo fa in modo più unico che raro!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G02Bm...
September 17, 2010
MISTER B. GONE BY CLIVER BARKER: The moment you pick up this book, you know you’re in for a treat. It’s small and compact, inviting, around 200 pages long. On the front black cover is the title in Gothic type: Mister B. Gone, with Clive Barker carved in rough letters beneath. Between the two lines is a strange pictograph making one curious and interested. On the back is the same symbol and not another word. Turn the cover and there is a strange marble page design, which kind of looks like a webbing of veins and arteries, followed by two title pages, then the book begins with these words: “BURN THIS BOOK.”
Bestselling author Clive Barker hasn’t released a book in some time, and is currently in the middle of his four-book Abarat series, as well as the third book in the Art trilogy due sometime this decade. And yet the concept for Mister B. Gone suddenly occurred to Barker one day and he was supposedly unable to do anything else until he got this book out of his head.
The is a book about a demon. In fact, it’s a book written by a demon; it’s his story, because he’s trapped in the book. He has but one request for the reader: to burn the book and free the demon by killing it, presumably sending it back to the ninth level of hell. His name is Jakabok Botch, and as he continuously tries to convince the reader to burn the book, he reveals more of his life story.
It is the sixteenth century, and when the demon is trapped and scooped from the ninth level of hell to the surface by a group of people looking to make a profit from selling demon skins, Jakabok’s adventure begins. He soon befriends another demon, Quitoon, of a much greater size and power than him, and their friendship lasts over a hundred years, as they spend their time terrorizing and demonizing the world. The story builds and builds to a crescendo involving Joahnnes Gutenberg and the invention of his revolutionizing printing press which will irrevocably change the world.
While Mister B. Gone lacks the depth, development and sheer incredulity that one is used to with Barker’s work, it is nevertheless a great little horror story. And each time Jakabok threatens on the page that he is coming up behind you with a knife, the reader can’t help but reflexively stop and look behind them.
For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.
Bestselling author Clive Barker hasn’t released a book in some time, and is currently in the middle of his four-book Abarat series, as well as the third book in the Art trilogy due sometime this decade. And yet the concept for Mister B. Gone suddenly occurred to Barker one day and he was supposedly unable to do anything else until he got this book out of his head.
The is a book about a demon. In fact, it’s a book written by a demon; it’s his story, because he’s trapped in the book. He has but one request for the reader: to burn the book and free the demon by killing it, presumably sending it back to the ninth level of hell. His name is Jakabok Botch, and as he continuously tries to convince the reader to burn the book, he reveals more of his life story.
It is the sixteenth century, and when the demon is trapped and scooped from the ninth level of hell to the surface by a group of people looking to make a profit from selling demon skins, Jakabok’s adventure begins. He soon befriends another demon, Quitoon, of a much greater size and power than him, and their friendship lasts over a hundred years, as they spend their time terrorizing and demonizing the world. The story builds and builds to a crescendo involving Joahnnes Gutenberg and the invention of his revolutionizing printing press which will irrevocably change the world.
While Mister B. Gone lacks the depth, development and sheer incredulity that one is used to with Barker’s work, it is nevertheless a great little horror story. And each time Jakabok threatens on the page that he is coming up behind you with a knife, the reader can’t help but reflexively stop and look behind them.
For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.
November 6, 2007
"Mister B. Gone" is rather unique in that it goes beyond the normal first person narrative, stating clearly that not only is Mr. B the story-teller, he is actually the book itself. Mr B (also known as Jakobak Botch) is a minor demon who tells a tale of coming up from Hell and dealing with humans, angels, and other demons on Earth.
Most of the story takes place in the 14th and 15th centuries, leading to the town of Maize, where heavenly and demonic forces are focused on the new invention of German Johannes Gutenburg.
It's a pretty original idea, and there's lots of good dark humor throughout the book, but "Mister B. Gone" isn't typically anything more than amusing and entertaining. Barker has said that this book was meant as a somewhat light-hearted break for him, as he continues working on "The Scarlet Gospels" (which will likely be his real "return to horror," what the publishers are calling "Mister B. Gone"), and as such, it isn't nearly as involving as his short story collections and a large amount of his novels, but is very entertaining nonetheless.
Most of the story takes place in the 14th and 15th centuries, leading to the town of Maize, where heavenly and demonic forces are focused on the new invention of German Johannes Gutenburg.
It's a pretty original idea, and there's lots of good dark humor throughout the book, but "Mister B. Gone" isn't typically anything more than amusing and entertaining. Barker has said that this book was meant as a somewhat light-hearted break for him, as he continues working on "The Scarlet Gospels" (which will likely be his real "return to horror," what the publishers are calling "Mister B. Gone"), and as such, it isn't nearly as involving as his short story collections and a large amount of his novels, but is very entertaining nonetheless.
March 12, 2017
Why all the hate for this book? It's the best Clive Barker book that I've ever read. Jakabob asking me to burn the book repeatedly after every 10 pages or so got somewhat old and the last 50 pages got a little boring but the rest of the story more than made up for it. Otherwise I would have given it a 6 star rating. It was a delightfully evil book that I'm glad I didn't burn after the first page as I was asked to do so again and again and again. And as Jakabob Botch has asked me, I would like to pass this book on to the next person to read.
June 27, 2016
Κουραστικό βιβλίο, ο Μπάρκερ σου πρήζει το συκώτι λέγοντάς σου να κάψεις το βιβλίο από την πρώτη ως την τελευταία σελίδα! Αν αφαιρούσε κανείς όλες αυτές τις ανούσιες κι εκνευριστικές προτροπές που δεν είχαν σταματημό, θα έμενε μια ιστοριούλα 10 σελίδων για έναν κάποιον δαίμονα που πάει ένα ταξίδι, μια ιστορία που τελικά δε σου χαρίζει τίποτα, πέρα από τις αηδιαστικές προσπάθειες να σου αποδείξει πως ως δαίμονας μπορεί να μιλάει γραφικά για ξεκοιλιάσματα, βγαλμένα έντερα, αιματηρά μαχαιρώματα κλπ. Σίγουρα δε πρόκειται να διαβάσω ποτέ κάτι άλλο δικό του!
January 22, 2016
Clive Barker is my favourite author, because he's been taking my mind to places I didn't think possible, since I was ten years old!!! I'd love to re-read many of his books.
I was so excited about the release of this book. The way it was written was so intriguing. Unfortunately, this book didn't torment my soul or traumatise me as much as I was expecting, leaving me a little disappointed with it. It seemed somewhat tame in comparison to many of the other books Clive Barker has written.
I was so excited about the release of this book. The way it was written was so intriguing. Unfortunately, this book didn't torment my soul or traumatise me as much as I was expecting, leaving me a little disappointed with it. It seemed somewhat tame in comparison to many of the other books Clive Barker has written.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,491 reviews