Barker has been hailed as the new Lovecraft; unfortunately I can't compare because I haven't read the classic horror writer. However, if his work is anything like this book, I look forward to it. I really enjoyed
Mister B. Gone because it was creative, funny, and I actually fell for the main character, an ugly demon.
Mister B. is a demon from an abusive family (as demons tend to be) who lives in a depressing circle of hell. The narrator has an ironic sense of humor about the whole situation. When he's yanked up through the Earth's crust by demon hunters, Mister B. goes on a rampage throughout medieval Europe, playing tricks and manipulating souls, or just plain terrifying people. Hey, he's a demon; what else was he supposed to do?However, when B goes to Germany in 1450, he witnesses an event that changes heaven, hell, and all of Earth forever.
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| With all these lovely ye olde houses |
'Making friends and eating them' would be the subtitle if this was ever made into a movie. I do wish that the one true friend Mister B. gets would be developed a little more (I think he fell out of the story in a clumsy way) but that B. had such a friend was a nice touch.
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| Even though these guys look more like they came from Where the Wild Things Are |
The ending of this book definitely sneaks up on you- you don't want it to end! Well done, Barker, for the subtly dark humor and well-developed Mister B.
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