Darkmans

I say this from the depths of my cerebral cortex: I truly have no idea what this book, in toto, is about. Yes, the editorials and other reviewers are correct in that the past, so to speak, is a definite theme - that is, if you grant that there actually is a past, present, and future existing, as we like to think of them, in a causal fashion - a notion this book seems to play merry hell with, I might add. But the "seepage of the past into the present", or however one wants to phrase it, in not what caught this reader's eye. Faulkner and, more recently, Graham Swift in his novel Waterland, are much better at that sort of thing; nor does Thomas Pynchon seem the main influence here - I noticed no triple integrals or higher mathematics in the book. Rather, Barker's master seems to be Joyce and her main concern to be with words, their power over us, their ability to confound us, our helplessness without them. But I'm getting a tad ahead of myself. Here are the three things that I found most striking: 1.) The verve and panache with which the younger set of Barker's characters (i.e., Kelly and Kane) use the modern British idiom. It's truly spot on and delightful. Yank readers be prepared to look some words up, and don't get chuffy about it! 2.) The humour is blindingly funny. I'm thinking particularly of Kelly's - um - conversion to Christianity. What makes these scenes doubly grand, moreover, is however insane and wavering and comical it comes across. - And it DOES come across that way, Deo Laus. - This is actually the way most people I know find some sense of the numinous in their lives. Even the most orthodox believers seldom experience a road to Damascus experience settling everything for all time. It's filled with doubts and apprehensions and yes, comedy. In short, despite (or because of) the high comedy, Kelly's experience rings extraordinarily true to the psychological reality of belief. I was reminded of Nietzsche's comment that he could only believe in a God that could laugh. 3.) WORDS-Indo-European, werdh, Latin, verbum, Sanskrit, vratam command, law. The characters frequently come to the point of mental breakdown and aphasia through constant groping for the right words, especially when the history of the word occurs to them. A sample from Dory's Diary: "(The whore playing the martyr? What a joke! What a travesty)...Travesty: trans - over + vestire - to dress. I still find myself using words which I can't understand." I might add that "trans" also means "across" in Latin - Crossdresser? The book is permeated with etymological breakdowns (in both senses) like this one. This is why I say Joyce is Barker's true master. Ever had a go at Finnegans Wake? But, more importantly, these are the passages of the book (and they are legion) that struck home most piquantly to me. I know EXACTLY how these characters feel, and Barker, needless to say, does as well. They feel as if they are losing their hold on what connects them to

First, a big THANKS to Nicola Barker for writing this book! Excellent! The people in her book are a little reminiscent of those in Joyce Cary's First Trilogy (real people, with eccentricities), but she defines them in a more interesting way. Her writing is also reminiscent of Thomas Pynchon's writing in Gravity's Rainbow (another deep thinker with a desire to entertain). But her writing stands on its own, and her style is singular. Her understanding and creation of people and their dialog is awesome. Her writing is almost cinematic in style; it could easily be transferred to a script - not that it's simplistic, but rather that it's fully-fleshed (where necessary). The basic plot is deep enough to keep it mysterious throughout the book, and the I was immersed in the lives of the characters to the end.

It took me about 100 pages to realize that I was not ever going to "get it", so I settled in for the ride and just enjoyed the craziness.

A wacky, deranged, baffling, fabulous linguistic romp. How many books can boast that? Nicola Barker is clearly insane and loves language and loves history and loves creating real characters. What a surprising pleasure to read this bizarre book!