Mister B. Gone

By: Clive Barker

Narrated by: Doug Bradley

Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

The demon, known only as "Jakerbok", is a major force of evil then and now. He taunts the listener to "Burn this audiobook" throughout this satanically autobiographical monologue, for he has embedded his very self inside each word....as a long-dormant vehicle for the dark forces to finally conquer all things good and holy in this world.

A one-man (or, rather a one-demon) narrative, in which this medieval devil speaks directly to the listener, is sure to become an instant classic for all fans of major "good vs. evil" literary works. This is the first known time that the voice of a major demon has ever been realized in audiobook form, in which it speaks directly, as in a poker game, to the listener.

Featuring shockingly crafted dialogue and details of the epic hell that the "author" can - and promised to - unleash if this work is circulated, the storyline of this short fiction has Jakerbok explaining his "roots" in this world to the listener. He goes back centuries, to his childhood traumas at the hands of his own parents, who are themselves super demons.

The story then tells the saga of how Jakerbok rose from being a "minor" demon to a "major" demon. It culminates with his insidious plot to "invade" the minds and hearts of all humankind everywhere via this very book, which contains the ancient demon's actual power deep within every word.

©2007 Clive Barker (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"[An] offbeat novel in the form of a minor demon's diary." ( Publishers Weekly)

Brilliant and captivating!

I've listened to this several times over the last few years and I still love it.

A first person/demon's perspective on life.

I have been a fan of Clive Barker's for a long time now. Mr. B. Gone is a funny, ofttimes horrifying look at the life of a low level demon from the 9th circle of hell.

Told in the first person, the demon, named Jackabob Botch (who knew demons had such names), gets captured by some demon hunters and winds up in the world above (Earth). That's where the fun begins.

Narrated by Doug Bradley, who plays the cenobite Pinhead in the Hellraiser movies, us fantastic. Bradley uses different voices for the various characters and adds a dimension to the story that other narrators might have missed.

The only downside to the audiobook over a hardcopy, is Jackabob's frequent entreaties to burn the book you're reading really don't translate well. But it's a minor nit to pick.

Read, or listen to the book. You won't be disappointed in either case.

Great story

loved it. the way it is written is brilliant. Mr B Gone is speaking to you directly.

First Person Demon Narrative

Interesting tale with some brilliant insights to the barbarity of the dark ages and nature of people. while our main character was not necessarily a likable character certain events left an open-ended question over who or what is evil. Some obvious repetitive themes but a very interesting character study who I did feel sympathetic for in the end.
Doug Bradley had a fantastic performance and I never miss any of his collaborations with Clive Barker, I never skip Mr. Bradley's work at all.

Classic Barker

Would you listen to Mister B. Gone again? Why?

Yes. Very well written. Excellent narration.

What did you like best about this story?

Dark, funny, tragic. Barker's ability to bring humanity to the inhuman, and to bleakly illustrate the inhumanity in humans, is a great gift.

Have you listened to any of Doug Bradley’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

As good as any.

Who was the most memorable character of Mister B. Gone and why?

Mr. B, his father, and Quitoon

Any additional comments?

A fun listen

Excellent

Having been a Mr. Barker fan for years, I was worried about the size of this novel compared to his previous adult novels, pre-Abarat. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Mister B. Gone mixes the joy of adventure found in the Abarat series with the wonder of horror from his earlier adult novels. I found this book to be excellent for the long time reader and a perfect entrance for the new Clive Barker fan.

Fun listen, but not really the Barker we know

Doug did an amazing job on the narration! That alone is worth the listen. The story played out kind of odd though. It felt like a children's story, kind of cheesy, but dark and gory. It didn't really feel like a Barker story. Definitely worth a listen though.

outstanding

love the attention to detail and the suspense of what was about to happen. amazing read! Clive Barker is wickedly amazing author!

Well. Did you do it?!

Excellent story! Clive barker never disappoints. Definitely unlike anything I’ve read. And Doug read it beautifully.

9/10. Honestly, really good.

Incredible narrator. Story was captivating. Cute almost but towards the end I really felt for him. He grew on me. I want to purchase a book and burn it.