Mister B. Gone

I actually heard of Clive Barker from a comic book author whom I like a lot, and he praised Clive as "The Master of Macabre." It took me awhile to get around to actually reading a book by Barker, but after I finished Mister B. Gone, my breath was taken away. The premise of having a demon tell you his story was interesting, the story itself was tantalizing and I was actually kind of scared after I finished the book.

I read the whole book in one afternoon, which isn't the most impressive thing considering the size, and I've reread it so many times since I could probably receit the scene where Jakabok is bathing in infants blood. This is the first book that I've read by Clive Barker and still my favorite after all the Books of Blood, Coldheart Canyon and the first two Books of Art.

This book's presentation is clever: it breaks the '4th wall' and speaks to the reader directly. Unfortunately, the trick didn't work for me. I found the storyline so outlandish (demons and angels interacting with real human historical figures) that I couldn't connect with the narrator (a "minor demon")-- and slugging through pages and pages of the narrator's repetitive and persistent pleas/threats, made reading parts of the book irritating to the point of excruciation.

On the other hand, some sentences in this book are extraordinarily crafted and are delightful to read. These occasional gems were enough to make me ignore Mister B's advice [and keep reading].

The ending of the book is anti-climactic: I was anticipating the hyped-up 'secret' whose revelation would tie the book together; but, what did I get instead? Just more mysticism about demon versus angels, unicorns versus fairies: a cop-out of ridiculous nonsense!

Mister Botch's first story (about his writings being torched) reminded me of an anecdote about the great horror author, HP Lovecraft. Lovecraft, like Mister B. (Barker's purported alter-ego), was highly critical and burned many of his early works.

Perhaps unlike Clive Barker, Lovecraft had the keen ability to capture horror without always stepping outside of reality. I'd love to see Clive apply his literary talents to construct a horror that is realistic and convincing!

The book pleads with you, threatens you, and tempts you to burn it.

A demon is forced to exist as a book, and this isn't so much a book as a tacit conversation between you and that demon. His life's story, from growing up in an abusive family (big surprise there) in the Ninth Ring of Hell, to his wanderings on Earth with another demon for a companion, to his role in the (arguably) most important technological innovation of the second millenium, common era.

A remarkable innovation in format from one of the best horror writers of the past century. It's fast moving, and I enjoyed it. The demon's appeals, threats, and tirades could have been toned down a little bit while preserving the flavor and enhancing the impact, but overall, it worked.

E.M. Van Court

I absolutely love Clive Barker, he's visions and concepts have long been a dip into the canny and surreal. His taste of a vivid and gruesome description has always been a delicious read for many of his books, this however is not among them. For starters, the concept of a "live" book is intriguing and I initially thought that it would have been a far sharper and smarter one. The idea that as a dreadful tale is being told thru the pages as it comes alive before you, is a nuance not often experimented with. After a chapter or two, I felt the creeping sense of a half-assed book, something phoned in as it were. The usage of words, dialogue and more importantly the world invented in this book....are terribly bland and just do not have the hooks that his other novels provide.

Even despite this, I trudged on, hoping that something would spark my interest, something that would have made it worthwhile, sadly the big reveal/climax is painfully obvious long before and is quite honestly.....just there. It sort of happens with little impact on the reader and serves as a crux to leave the reader with questions. For me however, it was a hollow and vacant read, without any memorable characters or interactions. The implications and events that are linked to the story are mildly interesting, but the constant shift of concept and the quality of the main character/design just kept me from being fully invested or immersed.

There are far better books out there, especially from Clive Barker, his Books of Blood, Hellbound Heart and Weaveworld are more suited for your time and money. It's disheartening to have to put a negative, a stain on one of my favorite writers, but i just feel that this was an after thought or a struggle to fully envision. Perhaps if the book was a full satire, or a sarcastic, hateful thing with real quality and not a flimsy personality of a 2 dimensional puppet, it would have been an engrossing read, instead it was a quick but painful experience.

While I consider myself a huge fan of Clive Barker and his creations (novels and art), I can't say that this book ranks too highly on that list. It was missing a lot of the magic usually found in his worlds.

The story is about a demon named Jakabok Botch who is trapped in the book being read. He is somehow stuck and wants you to burn the book to set him free. While a cool way to start and catch me as the reader, I did get tired of being asked to burn the book. It quickly became repetitive and lost it's cleverness. The demon's story of how he was pulled out of Hell, complete with Dante's vision of multiple circles, and then how the outside world viewed the demon were both cool ideas. But they weren't carried through in a way that kept me past the idea. No fantastical visions or world descriptions as in Imajica or Weaveworld. No strong characterizations to pull me in and make me care about what happens next. About the only thing that kept me reading was the curiosity of how Jakabok was trapped in the book. The how was good but the journey to get there wasn't.

The novel wasn't horrible and will still be read by most existing Barker fans. I'm afraid though that he won't be creating too many new fans based on this book.

It has been more than five years since the prolific horror writer Clive Barker has published an adult novel. And it has been almost 20 years since the film Hellraiser made him an icon. This fall he is back with another scary tale, MISTER B. GONE.

The titular Mister B. is Jakabok Botch, a demon born and raised in the ninth circle of hell, where his abusive father tends the trash heaps of Demonation. The sensitive young Botch takes to writing down his dreams of torture machines and revenge on his father and neighborhood bullies. However, all that stops when his mother discovers his journals. She demands he burn them, but before they are completely destroyed, his father, Pappy Gatmuss, reads a few choice passages. Pappy turns on his son in anger, and Botch falls into the raging fire. Later, the hideous narrator is fished out of hell, along with his father, by a corrupt priest. He seizes the opportunity to kill his father, letting him fall back through all the circles of Demonation to his death.

Now, Botch is on earth's surface and fleeing those who would do the not-very-supernaturally-talented demon harm. He finds himself in medieval Europe, a place where demons and angels are as real as any human, and eventually joins forces with another demon, the powerful and charming Quintoon Patheea. For a couple hundred years the two travel Europe, slaying priests and bathing in the blood of babies.

But they also are always on the lookout for the next great invention. Quintoon believes that a man in Mainz is about to change civilization with his invention, and the two head in that direction. They part bitterly on the road but meet again in the home of Johannes Gutenberg, where they witness a violent battle between good and evil and a secret big enough to seduce Botch's readers. Why does Botch need to seduce the reader? Because he wants, desperately wants, the book burned. See, the book itself has been the prison of Botch since that day in Mainz, and he wants to be released into death; the only person capable of delivering him is the person reading the book.

Barker's gimmick, that Botch is trapped in the book and is trying to convince the reader to burn it, is interesting, but it is a gimmick nonetheless. MISTER B. GONE is flat where it could've been exciting and cliché where it could've been innovative. It lacks the intensity, spirit and horror of his better works. Botch pleads and cajoles endlessly for the reader to just stop reading and burn the book, but never really digs deep into his own potentially intriguing tale.

MISTER B. GONE is not without some charm: Barker's humanization of demons is engaging. His relationship with his soulmate Quintoon and the idea of the power of words as one that heaven and hell are willing to fight over are promising, but the author never really delivers. Despite these criticisms, however, hardcore fans of Clive Barker will be happy to have their hands on this quirky book (with wonderfully yellowed pages).

--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman

Clive Barker has returned to the horror genre with his new novel, Mister B. Gone. To say he's returned with a bang is a bit of an understatement. The novel has Clive Barker bleeding through every page, but the real charm is how it's written.

Mister B. Gone begins with a simple request: Burn this book. Jakabok Botch is a demon from the Ninth Circle of Hell and is now trapped in the pages of the novel cradled within the reader's sweaty palms. The entire book is in his words and is written as if he is talking directly to whoever decides to read it. He tells stories of his parents, his first love, his battles, his companions, and a Secret so big it has Angels and Demons fighting over its possession. Mister B., as he likes and is known to be called, doesn't just tell these stories willingly. Chapters are completely absent from this book. Mister B. continues to plead with the reader to burn the book with every turn of the page and threatens him or her with consequences if they don't. Once he realizes that his prison won't be set to flame, he decides to tell his tale pausing every so often in hopes of convincing the reader to burn the words on the pages he's become.

I've always enjoyed Clive Barker's work, but Mister B. Gone goes above and beyond my expectations. It's written an incredibly original way that makes it unique and will have anyone wanting to read from beginning to end in one sitting. On top of Barker's fantastically vivid writing style, it's written in a way that's never been done before. So if you're looking for an original take on the horror novel, look no further than Mister B. Gone.

A demon who has been imprisoned within the pages of a book (this book) tells the story of his adventures in 14th century Europe in the hopes of persuading the reader (you) to end his misery by burning it.

There are some interesting ideas here, such as the conceit that great developments in human culture (in this case, Gutenberg's invention of the printing press) become the catalyst for frenzied warfare and consultation between Heaven and Hell. However, for the most part, the novel didn't work for me. Clive Barker's conception of demon psychology and society was largely incoherent and inconsistent. Our "hero" enjoys bathing in the blood of infants and killing untold multitudes at some points of the story, yet at other times defends individual humans at the risk of his own life and speaks disapprovingly of spousal abuse. Like so many other reviewers, I also became bored with the frequent and lengthy injunctions to burn the book. Barker is a talented writer, but he falters here.

Barker's Mister B. Gone is an engaging, novel concept without enough payoff. Though it would have benefited from a deeper story, it still would have suffered for its lead character and anticlimactic revelation.

The demon imprisoned within the pages of this book is only menacing in the passages where he speaks directly to the reader. The rest of the time it's a sob story about his rough childhood, the love/hate relationship with his only friend, and the exposure of religion - and more beyond that - as a sham.

Botch's abrupt transition from pitiful would-be tormentor to heartless monster just doesn't bridge the gap between the present-day character and the naive, abused demon-child of the narrative. And again, the plot with Gutenberg is clever and promises a great "Secret" to be revealed, but it's just not the visceral kick to the gut, heart and mind that Barker has delivered so many times before. I also have to mention the many typos and the way they took me out of the story.

I very much look forward to The Scarlet Gospels, and feel that epic will be Clive Barker's true & triumphant return to horror.

Clive Barker is back. The man who brought us such masterpieces as Imajica, The Hellbound Heart, and Sacrament has returned to adult fiction for the first time since 2001. In recent years, he has been writing his series of young adult novels, the magnificent Abarat books.

His return brings us one of his most original characters, a demon trapped in a book that details his own life story, Jakabok Botch. Mister B. to his friends.

The book is presented as an unearthed autobiography where the reader quickly realizes that Mister B. is speaking directly to them.

Mister B. Gone begins with the simple command to "Burn this book." It starts as a request and soon becomes a demand, a plea, a negotiation, and an ultimatum.

Our demon friend wants nothing more that for his printed prison to be charred asunder.

Between his demands for a fiery end he tells us his story of how he went from a lowly demon in the ninth level of hell to the imprisoned wretched force that he is now. It is quite a journey. At times funny and sad, endearing and horrifying, it certainly is Mr. Barker at the top of his game.

In less capable hands Mister B. Gone probably would have been convoluted mess of a book trying to be different and utterly failing. But in the hands of Clive Barker, it elevates to a wildly entertaining, if not paranoia inducing, romp from a Hell not much different than our own neighborhoods to the creation of a world changing invention.

Barker has given us a character to love and hate; to fear and pity. Mister B. is a character who speaks to us so plainly and sincerely that it is hard to remember that this is only a book. It is hard to keep yourself from glancing over your shoulder to make sure he isn't about to make due on his promises. You may even find yourself searching for the flame that Mister B. so desperately craves.

I'd ask you not to grant his wishes. If only to see how his journey ends. What shocking secrets he has to reveal. It's well worth his torment.

It's quite a trip and a helluva read.

[...]

Clive Barker is without doubt a remarkable imaginer. This powerful gift of imagination that he possesses provides us mere mortals such as me some of the most wonderful stories available. One of Clive Barker's strengths as a novelist to my mind is that while most of his stories are contained within the realms of dark fantasy fiction each one is unique. Many of the books that are on the top ten bestseller lists are stories by authors who follow a formula from book to book, tedious, boring, tired, aged old repetitive narratives. Clive Barker is not predictable in this manner and his latest offering, the excellent "Mr B. Gone" yet again gives his readers something fresh and whimsical to savor. "Mr B. Gone" is a little gem of a book, and a worthy 5 star entry to my review list. I also would like to tip my hat towards HarperCollins publishers, as they have done an exceptional job on the production of the book; it really is quite an amazing object. It's a facsimile of a book that could have been printed in the epoch that "Mr B." is set in. They did a brilliant job of the "Abarat" hardcover books also. Speaking of Abarat, Abarat 3 will hopefully be with us next year! I certainly hope so!

This little book came as a plesant suprise to me. It's rather short yet fairly emmersive in its plot and characters. The book itself speaks to you through the trapped soul of a demon from the ninth circle who constantly begs the reader to "Burn this book" and let me tell you their where a few times when the hours grew late and quiet that the thought did cross my mind despite how silly my confession might come across .

For this verry brillant and sinister idea mister Barker gets an A+ from me.
The execution was a step behind but still worth every minute of the ride.

I read this book with no expectations. Unlike many of the other reviewers, I have not read a lot of previous Barker novels (I am sure that explains some of their disappointment--high expectations for a great writer). So I found this to be an amusing little diversion--not great literature by any means (I personally think the typos were intentional, by the way), but a good story with a memorable protagonist told from his point of view. I didn't mind all the "burn this book" stuff, I thought it was clever for the most part, and I especially loved the earlier part of the book (more humorous, twisted, involving...the latter part of the book slowed down a bit, which was curious considering it was the "climax" of the book). I would recommend this, but maybe not at full price as it is a quick read and more of a "novella" than anything else.

Some people get this book, and some people don't, and that's ok. It's not *for* everyone, I don't think. The premise and writing are witty, dark, and smart. It's so delightfully Goetic in nature, it's a real romp through the Lower aspects, and watching as the Lower is brought Higher. It's a complete departure from a typical novel, it doesn't fit neatly into a genre, and it's kind of a disturbing read. For all those reasons and many more, I loved it. I read it, thinking "if this is the direction Barker is going, sign me up, I'm ready for the ride."

This was an interesting tale of a tortured demon that goes on to leave his home and venture into the human world, finding that the human world is also comprised of angels and demons.

A lot of fun gorey details mixed with a few minor comedic moments, this was a very good story, but I couldn't help be VERY annoyed by the demon pleading with you every chapter to "burn this book" sometimes going on and on with all of the horrible things he is going to do to you if you don't burn the book. I'm a big fan of Clive Barker, but this wasn't my favorite book, based onthat alone.

If you can choose to ignore those parts, the rest of the story was pretty good. And my personal opinion is that the typo's were on purpose, because it only makes sense.

It's not something that seems at all logical, but now that it has happened there is something about it that seems both fitting and inevitable. Horror icon Clive Barker has written his own version of C. S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters."
Not that Barker has borrowed Screwtape. He has invented his own demon, one who most definitely speaks with his own voice. As in:
"Hanging from the branches around the fire were the stretched skins of several demons like me, except, of course, their skins were not burned as mine was."
Barker also isn't much interested in the serious examination of Christianity that underlies Lewis' work. He's more interested in a straight, dark fantasy.
It's a very welcome book. Barker has been publishing nothing but children's books (yes, it's true) since about 2001. This was a surprising move from the author of some of the most bold and twisted pure, gut-wrenching horror ever published. Compare the children's series "Arabat" to his early "Books of Blood," for instance.
That said, there are bound to be a great many people who won't like this book because it isn't what they want Barker to write. Barker is a prime icon, so "fans" want him to write what THEY want him to write and probably won't be content to let him write what HE wants to.
"Mister B. Gone" is a dark, ugly book. Well, not physically ugly. As a physical entity, it is extremely well designed. The actual pages of the book look old...a faded brown, with creeping age and moisture damage around the edges. A wonderful element that adds to the verisimilitude of the story. Because the story, a chronicle of past and future evil more horrendous than most of us can imagine, seems real.
Now, that's disturbing.
In other words, that's vintage Clive Barker.
Welcome back, Mr. Barker.

Good entertaining book, but a novella rather than a novel more reminiscent of Barker's short stories than his larger novels. This is more an elongated tale similar to his "Books of Blood" tales than say, Weaveworld. Although the underlying premise bares a similarity, i.e., life forms (in this case a demon) locked up inside an inanimate object. In "Weaveworld" it was a rug. In this case the demon is trapped inside the very book you're reading. A demon pleading with you, the reader, to burn the book so as to end its miserable life.

By the way, cudos to the publisher, the book is made to look like an old tome complete with yellowed stained pages and its "worn" cover. Nice touches.

It's simply entertaining. It is an original and inventive work, that is written to simply entertain. I have read many books in my life, I read for pleasure and information, and I consider myself an educated individual who can appreciate good literature, but sometimes you just want to read something for the sake of being entertained and saying "well, that was interesting". There may be a few typos and extra words lying around but it didn't stop me from wanting to find out what would happen next or in the end. The tale of Jakabok Botch is one I'm glad to have divulged in and I would urge others, who are looking for a good old fashioned tale to be spun for them, to delve into it as well.

Clive Barker makes a less than triumphant return to the morbid horror story that gained him so much praise in the early days of his career. the novel itself could have stood up against any of the short stories that appeared in his legendary Books of Blood anthology, but its sense of humor leaves much to be desired. the pun is something of a statement to Barker's age, perhaps purposely senile and very cynical. clive barker always shows an understanding of demonmology and Mister B. Gone has a certain Lovecraftian brilliance. You would be wise to purchase the hardcover edition if not just for the sake of being in on the jokes. the book is very premeditated and not to be seen as a 100% return to the brutality of his earlier fiction, but it does deserve to be valued by Clive Barker fans.

I have read and enjoyed everything Barker has written. So what happened to him? He used to be cutting-edge, sharp, not afraid to shock and terrify his readers. But now, he offers us something so bad, so completely pointless that it took me everything to finish this one. Honestly, it reads like the discarded outline for a bad Anne Rice novel.

Mister B is a demon who is fished out of hell by a group of humans. With his two tails and his burnt flesh, his scales and his distorted features, he cannot pass as a human on his planet. Once he escapes his captives, he travels on his own, wrecking havoc whereever he goes.

He meets a friend (another demon) who tells him about this major even that is about to take place on earth, about this new invention that will change the world forever in a radical way. And what is this amazing invention you ask? The plane? The car? Medical discoveries? Oh no... it's the first printing press! And this very invention, which is so obsolete and unimportant in this age of technological wonders, will create a sort of battle between heaven and earth.

You'd think that Mister B would have a crucial role to play in this battle, but he's just a mere bystander. As a matter of fact, B isn't much at all. He's annoying, and very repetitive and never truly interesting. After every section, he begs us to burn the book or else, burn the book or else, destroy the book or else. By then end, I knew which sections to skip entirely cause they were just so trivial to the story. Why did Barker feel the need to add so much filler is beyond me.

Even the writing is poor at times. There are many plot holes in this book and too little is explained. The action sequences are so busy and misleading that, most of the time, you're just lost. Barker is a writer who has a way with words. He knows how to describe events or things in beautiful prose, how to take his readers through an amazing journey. But none of that is to be found this time around. It's almost as if he's writing another young adult novel but with adult themes. None of it works.

It really saddens me that I feel the need to give this book a negative review. But when a book this thing (barely 250 pages long) takes you two weeks to read because you're just not into it that much, because reading it actually frustrates and bore you, then there isn't much to be found that would be positive. Maybe this story would have been great as a short story, but as a novel? Well, it isn't much at all.

Barker's latest is by far his best since SACRAMENT and is, honestly, too short by at least a hundred pages (hence, one star short of excellent).

This minor demon's memoir builds to an utterly original and clever climax that makes you look heavenward, or maybe cast a glance down at the other place, and say "I always suspected it goes down that way."

Jakabok and Quitoon's relationship echoes Dante and Virgil at times and I certainly would have enjoyed spending more time with them on their journey toward a wild and ultimate Truth.

Cheers.

but, unfortunately, I got it from the library. I was suckered in by the blurb on the jacket, promising a return to "bone-chilling horror," but all I got instead was a quirky, autobiographical story of a minor demon, escaped from Hell, to wreak chaos on Earth. As others have mentioned, the whole "please burn this book" thing gets really old, really fast. And the unusually high number of grammatical and typographical errors is astounding, since they obviously took great care in other aspects of the design and binding of the book. I know others are suggesting these mistakes are a deliberate thing on the part of the author, but I don't think so. They really give the whole thing a slapdash air that isn't worthy of Mr. Barker. I wish he'd get back to his other adult series and leave trifles like this behind. If you really must read this, get it from a library or buy it from a remainder table in a few months' time. Disappointing.

MISTER B. GONE by Clive Barker (Harper Collins). 2007. Fiction. Horror. 248 pages. Toiling away in hell, a nobody demon suddenly finds himself fighting for his life after being pulled up to Earth's surface. Employing his demon ways, Jakabok Botch not only defeats his enemies, but is able to inflict deep scars while doing so. After creating a fiasco he can't escape, Jakabok is saved and befriended by another Earth walking demon, Quitoon. A century later, Jakabok and Quitoon come to blows and go their separate ways, until they are drawn to a location where angels and demons prepare to battle over an invention that'll change the world.
Not only does Jakabok Botch, the narrator of Mister B. Gone, entertain with first hand accounts of nastiness, the lil' douchebag makes demands of his readers and even threatens those who refuse to comply! Nobody will accuse Mister B. Gone's story of being as complex as Barker's past work (Imajica, The Great and Secret Show), but complexity gives way to a thoroughly engaging journey of wild imagination. While many things I've read in the past has left their mark on me, one paragraph within this book made me shudder and forced me to reread it several times; each time shuddering even more. Showing many sides of the narrator, Clive Barker weaves plenty of terrible and irrational, if you're not a demon of course, actions while exposing Jakabok's softer emotions through thoughts of love and need for companionship, even in a homosexual sense. The hardcover version is presented with a worn looking cover and pages riddled with a yellowish look of age which, though the words are plenty sufficient, helps enhance the atmosphere while reading Mister B. Gone. I honestly had a ball reading this book, and when Mister B. Gone became Mister B. Done, I was most sad. - Denis Sheehan (askewreviewsdotcom)

Pretty awesome. My first Barker book to read and maybe it was just me but I felt compelled constantly to give into the demands of the book. There were a few points that I had to go back and re-read but it could be that I was just reading too fast. Have recommended this book to many other folks.

Really, not that impressed... I think too much of the story has already been done, particularly the "big secret" in that heaven & hell aren't really at war and that there are just tense negotiations occurring over major advancements in human existence.

The main character of Mister B. wasn't really that endearing... But then again why should he be, he's a demon... Well if that was Barker's intent he certainly pulled it off. Although, to a point where I couldn't have cared less and could have put it down at any point and not picked it up again - except for my promise to myself to always finish a book that I start.

The ending was predictable, the characters weren't that engrossing and the whole "shtick" about the Mister. B. actually being the book rang a little thin.

Might work as a young reader's selection though.

Other reviewers have already given an excellent synopsis of Mr Barker's novella, so I won't add to the repetition. Yes, there were some proof-reading issues but sadly, this seems to be a regular occurrence in modern publishing.

I decided to ignore Jakabok Botch's plea to burn "Mister B. Gone", and began reading the same night I was fortunate enough to attend an event where Clive Barker spoke about this book, and other topics (as a side note, I would never have guessed the 'master of the macabre' would be such a genuinely lovely bloke).

Feeling tired, I only read a dozen or so pages before hitting the sack. I repeated the same process the next night. While Jakabok's story piqued my interest, I was sidetracked by a few seemingly glaring grammatical errors, which ended up distracting from the story itself.

So, I put the book away until yesterday, when I had the chance to devote a few hours in the afternoon to starting over, and immersing myself in the tale. It made all the difference. The proof-reading issues were easily overlooked.

Curled up on the couch on a typically dismal Seattle afternoon, I had a very satisfying sensory experience with this tale -- from the wonderfully crafted character of Jakabok Botch (a gorgeous mouthful of a name) himself, the intimate conversational tone Jakabok employs with the reader; the beautiful, achingly brutal, and sometimes terrifying imagery Barker is so gifted at conjuring; and the lovely presentation of the book itself, which looks like it has been lurking on a neglected shelf for centuries.

Make sure you have a few hours to yourself, free from distraction, to enjoy this creation from a true master of the dark fantastic.

I know that the written version is full of grammatical errors. May I suggest the audio book? I just finished it and I can tell you that the acting from the reader is really good and I think it makes it a better book that way. And you wont get distracted with the errors in the text.

... I was so excited about getting this book... then I began reading and was sorely disappointed. It took so much longer to read as it never took hold of me... it didn't suck me in like most of Clive's other books have. I kept reading little by little, hoping SOMEthing would grab me, but the content just wasn't there. I don't think I ever really felt for Mister B. I'm STILL not going to free Mister B. by burning the book, but it surely wants another owner.
Love ya Clive, no matter.

^..^

A short, at first horrifically funny, then horrifically horrifying, and lastly, horrifically satirical look at the world from a Demon name Mr. B who happens to be trapped inside the book you are reading.

Watch out. . .he'll taunt you, threaten you, and beg you for fire. Don't give in! Finish the book!

Have loved Clive since the first book I read (and have read everything) but sadly must say this is his worst novel, judging him against his own high standards. It is average. And I'm getting rather tired of the publishing date for Abarat 3 being constantly pushed back.

PS. C.S Lewis's: 'The Screwtape Letters' is in a similar vein and vastly predates this book.

For years, I have read and reread Barker's books, especially his short stories. Because I think he is one of the most talented writers in America today, I was thrilled when I saw this book in my library. I rushed home to read it, and by page twenty, I realized that this is not what many people have come to expect from Barker. This is drivel. I honestly cannot believe that he even allowed it to be published under his name. VERY DISAPPOINTING.

Mister B. Gone presents the reader with a discussion of the importance of words in the world through the tongue of a very minor demon. This book is hardly what I would call scary, but it's interesting nonetheless. The book also tests out the power of suggestion and, unfortunately, fails in its suggestions.

Having read several books from Mr. Barker's canon, I found myself astonished at the lack of creativity found within these pages. The prose was unexceptional, the characters base and simple and the plot was marred with unnecessary sexual content. I'm not against such vehicles being used to spice up a story, but it seemed like the inclusions were merely a distraction, a means to give this less than stellar experience some gravitas. The demon protagonist's narrative was trite and petty, and the story plodded along with plentiful amounts of interstices, from which Barker's demon begs us to "Burn this Book!" Believe me, after the umpteenth time I read his plea, I did in fact want to follow his instructions.

-Joseph DiCristofano
Author of Paths to Divinity

Where's youze guyz sense of humor? Clive Barker's new book is one of the most entertaining and amusing books I've read in a long long time. It is clearly written with tongue-in-cheek. I read it with a smile on my face throughout and, often, with an out loud laugh. When was the last time you read a book narrated by a minor demon with both an evil and a humerous side? I've read all of Henry James, Edith Wharton, Dickens, Proust,Richard Russo and the John's Cheever & Updike as well as several others of Barker so I have something of a background against which to compare this book. It's not a masterpiece but what a refreshing change of pace! Nice work, Clive! Any chance of making it the first installment of a series?

Are where this book belongs! An extreme letdown from one of my fav. authors. This is by far the worst Clive Barker book I have ever read and I have read many. The book is told from the demon Jakabok's view and prob. could have been written in 100-120 pages if that, for his ACTUAL story. The whole rest of the book is a non-sensical tirade aimed at the reader from jakabok, begging you to burn the book and set him free. It borders on pure silliness from an author that has defined and shaped the horror and fantasy genres with many of his past novels. Very poor indeed, Clive. Mr. Barker should condemn his editors and publishers who allowed this "book" to be printed to the Ninth Circle. An utter and dismal failure of a book.