Clive Barker: Abarat
"I've certainly put a lot of my life into those books. Particularly as a gay man without children of my own, having inherited a child but not having my own kids, I suppose I'm bound to say that the books are like my kids.
"There's nothing more gratifying in all the world than somebody coming up to you with a beaten old copy of one of my early books and say 'I've carried this around in my backpack I love this book'.
"It pleases me because if you are touching people's imagination you are touching the deepest part of them."
- Clive Barker ic Liverpool article
Gay parent, horror/fantasy writer, artist, and cub, Clive Barker, recently published the second installment of his fantasy series geared towards adolescents of all ages, Abarat entitled Abarat: Days of Magic Nights of War. The story, will unfold over a series of four books that spawned from Barker's interest in oil painting and the 350 original paintings he created that later became The Abarat. (After all four books are published, there will be somewhere between 500-700 paintings). Anyone who's ever picked the book up in a bookstore (including myself) will testify to the fact that the hundred or so colorful paintings in the first book pull you in, but the story keeps you reading.
The series follows Candy Quackenbush through the watery world land of Abarat - an existance somehow suspended in the grassy plains of Chickentown, Minnesota. In this world, distance equals time and it is no longer a question of where one lives, but when one lives. 25 islands, each one representing one hour of the day (plus the 25th hour) makes up Abarat with the sea of Izabella - a sort of omnipotent force throughout the world.
"Don't try to swim," [Mischeif] yelled..."Just trust to Mama Izabella to take us where She wants to take us!"
-Abarat p.87
In Abarat, Candy is forced to learn independence, appreciate the home she's left behind, and fight in a war of good vs evil. The movie link below summarizes the plot of the first book.
In terms of how I think his sexuality plays a role in authoring a book geared towards pre-teens and adolescents, the book is full of characters who are probably gay, although to my recollection, it isn't really discussed. Barker cites "The Wizard of Oz" and (my personal all time favorite children's book) "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" as inspiration. I'm going to have to re-read with a more critical eye this time around.
I highly recommend that if you haven't hopped on the bandwagon yet, that you do so before the craze hits movie theaters in 2005. The rights to the movies and a possible theme park attraction were sold for $8 million before Barker wrote a single word. Here's hoping the second book doesn't prove me to be a liar.
"There's nothing more gratifying in all the world than somebody coming up to you with a beaten old copy of one of my early books and say 'I've carried this around in my backpack I love this book'.
"It pleases me because if you are touching people's imagination you are touching the deepest part of them."
- Clive Barker ic Liverpool article
Gay parent, horror/fantasy writer, artist, and cub, Clive Barker, recently published the second installment of his fantasy series geared towards adolescents of all ages, Abarat entitled Abarat: Days of Magic Nights of War. The story, will unfold over a series of four books that spawned from Barker's interest in oil painting and the 350 original paintings he created that later became The Abarat. (After all four books are published, there will be somewhere between 500-700 paintings). Anyone who's ever picked the book up in a bookstore (including myself) will testify to the fact that the hundred or so colorful paintings in the first book pull you in, but the story keeps you reading.
The series follows Candy Quackenbush through the watery world land of Abarat - an existance somehow suspended in the grassy plains of Chickentown, Minnesota. In this world, distance equals time and it is no longer a question of where one lives, but when one lives. 25 islands, each one representing one hour of the day (plus the 25th hour) makes up Abarat with the sea of Izabella - a sort of omnipotent force throughout the world.
"Don't try to swim," [Mischeif] yelled..."Just trust to Mama Izabella to take us where She wants to take us!"
-Abarat p.87
In Abarat, Candy is forced to learn independence, appreciate the home she's left behind, and fight in a war of good vs evil. The movie link below summarizes the plot of the first book.
In terms of how I think his sexuality plays a role in authoring a book geared towards pre-teens and adolescents, the book is full of characters who are probably gay, although to my recollection, it isn't really discussed. Barker cites "The Wizard of Oz" and (my personal all time favorite children's book) "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" as inspiration. I'm going to have to re-read with a more critical eye this time around.
I highly recommend that if you haven't hopped on the bandwagon yet, that you do so before the craze hits movie theaters in 2005. The rights to the movies and a possible theme park attraction were sold for $8 million before Barker wrote a single word. Here's hoping the second book doesn't prove me to be a liar.
posted by Schitzo at
1:33 AM
