Jarv’s Favourite Books. Number 4 Abarat- by Clive Barker

I’ve really got to stop numbering this series, because it gives the wholly erroneous perception that I’ve thought about order of preference regarding these books. I haven’t, rather I’m just penning these reviews in the order that they occur to me. Abarat, for example, is nowhere near number 4. Don’t get me wrong, it is excellent and a wonderful introduction to a truly compelling series, but number 4? That’s ludicrously high.  The real reason that I’ve picked it is that the first 3 novels I chose were all more, well, realistic, whereas Abarat is not only a Children’s book, but also a pure fantasy novel. I really like this book, partially because of the depth of imagery in it, partially because of the coherent and well thought out mythology, but mostly  because it’s damned scary for a kiddies novel, with many a passage that sends a shiver down my spine even as an adult. 

The central character of Abarat is Candy Quackenbush. Candy lives in Chickentown, Minnesota (a town dominated by a hideous chicken factory). One day Candy, having become increasingly frustrated and disgusted at her school, plays truant and wonders the fields bordering Chickentown. There she meets John Mischief, thief extraordinaire and his brothers (I’ll come to them when I talk about the imagery in a moment), and falls into danger at the hands of Mendelssohn Shape, a twisted and disfigured arch-henchman for the dastardly Christopher Carrion. Through a series of events that border on the surreal, Candy calls the magic sea The Izabella which sweeps her and the brothers to the archipelago of the Abarat.

The Abarat is a series of 24 hours, each of which is suspended at an exact hour of the clock. For example, the nightmare island of Gorgossium, swathed in eternal darkness and home to more terrors than the mind can deal with, is located at Midnight itself, or the island of Babilonium (the party island), home to a vast carnival is located at 6pm. All the islands circle Odom’s Spire (a brooding and foreboding place that I’m sure will come to be of more importance later in the series), home of the Fantomya. The novel charts her journey around the Islands, pursued by the forces of Midnight, and the adventures and monsters that she encounters.

First things first: Abarat is a cracking read. It’s simplistic styled, sure enough, but thematically deals with the cusp of adulthood, and there’s a strong sub-theme of balance underpinning the novel. The Izabella was stopped from visiting America (the Hereafter) because the influence of our world on the Abarat was destroying the natural balance. Further on this idea, some of the islands (The Nonce) are literally where life begins for all here, but they are perfectly counterbalanced by the Nightmare Islands at Midnight and 1 AM. It’s cleverly thought out, and Barker cunningly uses the device of an imaginary Almanack to allow the reader to quickly absorb the relevant information about the Islands in short time. He cheekily also has the veracity and accuracy of his guidebook questioned often, which is a nice touch, as many of the islands do try the imagination. As such, there’s limited exposition, and the book can be broke down into a series of dangerous encounters that are both gripping, and strangely funny.

Secondly, the characterisation in this novel is surprisingly deep. Candy’s best friend on the islands is Malingo, the Geshrat, who she frees from slavery. Malingo is a wise and gentle soul, but one with hidden depths. Candy herself, actually, has a deliberate ethereal quality to her, I won’t spoil it, but she seems to fit the Abarat, which belies her constant suggestion that she’s just an ordinary American girl. Fact is though, that depth is not as important for what is essentially a picaresque journey as likability, and on that score Abarat rates really highly. All the characters, even the villains, are essentially likeable, and Barker has written this in a quirky style including imaginary nursery rhymes, moments of enormous absurdity (the Wizard gets his power from wearing many hats at the same time), and genuinely comical lines. It’s a fine balance he’s working here, and for the most part a success. I like that Abarat doesn’t deal in absolute black and white- many of the characters (particularly Carrion) are nuanced, and all have subtle touches that make them jump off the page.

Then there’s the imagery. Abarat drips vivid and memorable imagery. John Mischief and his brothers, who all have clear defined personality, are actually one physical entity- with John forming the body and the main head and the other 12 of them faces sitting on two stag-like horns spiralling up. This is a great image, but the real star of the novel is the descriptions of the various islands. Gorgossium itself is a mountainous and terrifying with a morbid castles set on top of cliffs, while Xuxux is home to a monstrous ziggurat of pyramids. They are all distinctive, and all hold a certain memorable quality that haunts the reader after the novel ends. On the “day” side of the Abarat, however, no island holds a candle to  Yzil, where Princess Breath literally exhales new living beings into the archipelago. This is wonderful writing, and I would imagine entrancing for a younger reader.

Finally on the positive side, Barker is essentially a horror writer. This is the man that gave us such twisted imaginings as the original Hellraiser, Candyman and many, many others. Therefore, Abarat is at heart a horror novel. To this end, there are multiple passages of dark terror spread throughout the book. The notable star is with Carrion “feeding his nightmares”. This passage is absolutely chilling, and an absolutely repugnant image, or the island of Ninnyhammer, with the horde of tarrie-cats that guard renegade wizard Wolfswinkel. This is some fine writing, and there is an overwhleming sense of dread to much of the novel.

And now for my complaint, and this isn’t fair because it’s not a complaint about this book. Abarat is part one of an intended much longer series. The sequel (Days of Magic, Nights of War- which is also a great read) was published years ago. Unfortunately, both novels end on a cliffhanger- and an important one. The story (particularly given the climax of the sequel) is only at an early stage. Now, this is my complaint: the release date of the third novel, Absolute Midnight, has so far been postponed by over two years. Two years! It’s horrifically annoying to see a world as well created as this one just heinously stalled, languishing inside Barker’s mind, and as I know that there are still 3 novels planned for the series, it is intensely aggravating that none of the books actually work as a stand alone story.

To conclude, this is a wonderful novel that creates a coherent and fascinating fantasy world. It’s also populated with memorable characters and contains some of the finest writing of Barker’s mostly illustrious career. However, irritatingly, Abarat doesn’t work as a stand alone, and at time of writing this book the story is so well poised that it’s frustratingly incomplete. Nevertheless, I do recommend reading this, because the good in it far outweighs the bad, but if this was Lord of the Rings we’re poised with Frodo sleeping off his dose of Shelob-Tetanus in the Orc Tower.

Until next time,

Jarv