"Abarat" – a review

I have never read Clive Barker. This was a huge mistake on my part. Let me assure you that in Abarat, he has created an incredible world populated with creatures that are seemingly like dreams. The Abarat, an Archipelago of 25 islands (one for each hour of the day, plus one mysterious one) is a fabulous setting. Candy Quackenbush, fifteen and bored with Chickentown Minnesota, finds that leaving her unsatisfying home life for the Abarat is fraught with wonder and peril beyond imagining. For not everything is as it seems.

Escorted by John Mischief, whose eight brothers live on the horns of his head, she is pursued by Mendelson Shape. Working for Christopher Carrion the Lord of Midnight, he is bound to bring her to his master. It seems as if Carrion is interested in her even though Candy has never seen or heard of the Abarat. This is a prime mystery that gives the reader many questions. The surreal setting draws you in quickly and you end up reading 60+ pages a day; at least I did. I am fascinated and mesmerized at the richness of detail and characterization Barker has wrought. There is subtle subtext here, as you can read all sorts of things into the story. But the best thing are the mysteries: Why is Candy so at ease in the Abarat ? There are hints that she has been here before. Why does Christopher Carrion want her so badly ? Certainly not to kill her. And many more.

This book is listed as Young Adult, and it does fit that classification, but it has a dark side in later volumes. This is Clive Barker we’re talking about after all. If my instincts are correct (and they are seldom wrong) this book should rival the popularity and complexity of Lord of The Rings. There are heroes galore and many villains, not just Lord Carrion. We have Rojo Pixler, who reminds one of Walt Disney gone bad. Pixler, you see, has this dream of controlling everything for profit. He wants entrance to Candy’s world so he can expand his market. It’s not enough that he has taken Carrions birth island of 3 in the morning and made it into Commexo City, brimming with light. He wants more power and this includes banning magic. Except his magic. This does not sit well with Carrion !

Then there are the Requiax. The race that is prophesied to rise up from the depths of the ocean one day and overturn the world of Abarat. This is a multi-layered piece of work that, if you choose to read it, will not disappoint. I suggest buying the hardcover editions so you see all of Clive Barker’s paintings of the characters. It greatly adds to the enjoyment of the story. There is much that I’m leaving out, as I don’t want to spoil anything for you. Suffice it to say that I intend to read book two as soon as possible. Yes, it is that powerful and wondrous.
Come, visit Abarat ! You may find yourself unwilling to leave. Or unable to.

– Philip Leighton