Book Review: The Great And Secret Show by Clive Barker

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My favorite original mythology about the nature of the universe from Barker.


The Great and Secret Show was imaginative and believable, combining life, death, dreams, and the origin of creativity. It also touches on the familiar religious stories of saviors and resurrections.


There was Lovecraftian homage; Barker’s myth wasbinspired by Cosmicism or the idea that our reality is a cover for a more abstract, bendable reality that would drive mundane humans insane.


The two characters that launched the plot, Jaff and Fletcher, especially Jaff, resembled those types in Lovecraft stories that mess with things beyond their comprehension and get out of their depth.


Besides all the human evil that went on, there were also creatures, known as the Iad, comparable to the Lovecraftian monsters from other dimensions and of enormous size and horrifying appearance.


Barker's Cosm/Metacosm isn't limited to the fear of the unknown; there was also the beauty of the undiscovered and the mystery of dreams, imagination, invention, and the mind itself.


Unlike Lovecraft, Barker added a lot of sexuality, in a wide variety of preferences. (I never came across a Lovecraft character who’d ever heard of sex.)


**some light spoilers ahead**


Characters were not multifaceted but believable enough for their role. The number of players increased as the drama continued. I wondered why Barker had Tesla take over Fletcher’s role as the savior, when it felt to me like a more natural fit to keep Fletcher’s arc going that way. Maybe he wanted to make a screenwriter the hero. 


The fantasy of California and Hollywood were incorporated thematically and in terms of setting. Dreams and imagination are what make the film world turn, after money of course. Palomo Grove, the small California town with a facade of normalcy was the perfect blend of everyday American life but right next door to showbiz. The citizens of Palomo Grove tried so hard to keep the biggest scandal of their lives covered up, that it blew up with three times the force.


The famous Comedian’s home as [the center of the big cosmic event was a nice touch. When the townspeople were gifted with a bit of Fletcher’s magic, what did they conjure up from their imaginations? Favorite movie idols (or in one case porn stars). 


The Great and Secret Show is a pleasure to read; the page count is high but the plot moves fast.


Originally reviewed on GoodReads, May 2024

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