Imajica (1991)

If you are a true sci-fi/fantasy fan...look no further than Clive Barker. Imajica is a long book in some ways, but I finished it in a few days. I will read anything by this author. ( )

I have this ed. above and this one; http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1081771.Imajica>(a copy from Al)

Not been able to finish this yet. ( )

A wonderful, awe inspiring trip through the Five Dominions. Earth is the Unreconciled Fifth and as the 200th anniversary of the last unsuccessful Reconciliation approaches two people are drawn into the other Dominions.

Barker has given us a picture of bizarre and compelling worlds. As we journey more and more mysteries are uncovered and the wonders of the Dominions are a delight to read. It is dark in places and there are some sex scenes but it all fits the story. I love Barker's imagination and this was well worth the re-read. ( )

A fantasy epic spanning five Dominions, scores of characters, and over 800 pages, Imajica promises much and, though it does not deliver on all these promises, it is still quite an achievement. Barker is usually thought of as a horror writer in the mould of Stephen King, an idea that is not completely inaccurate, as he has written straight-up horror stories. But neither King nor Barker can be pigeon-holed as mere horror writers; perhaps as popular genre writers, but neither are purveyors of penny dreadfuls. I know King’s work much better than Barker’s, but I have to say that as a first experience of Barker, this book excites me tremendously. It is very well-written, considering its subject matter and literary background, and it also makes good on its picaresque promise, especially in the first half of the book.

The book has two main characters, Gentle and Judith, erstwhile lovers, who both set out on journeys from the Fifth Dimension (our reality) across the Imajica. The dual-protagonist structure is notable, as the book is very concerned with gender roles and expectations of fantastic journeys. The Imajica is a wonderful puzzle-box of the imagination, with creatures of all shapes and sizes inhabiting the world(s). One is constantly assailed by new stimuli – like Mervyn Peake, Barker is also a visual artist – and the visual spectacle is bolstered by other sense information. (I suspect, though it is never made explicit, that the five Dimensions also refer to the senses). As mentioned, this is especially noticeable in the first Book of the novel, in which Gentle and his otherworldly companion, Pie ‘oh’ pah, journey across the Imajica. Pie is a mystif, a being that conforms to one’s desires and expectations of it, but which is essentially androgynous. This gives an even more interesting spin to the gender question, with Gentle becoming ever closer to Pie. Their relationship forms the backbone to the first Book, as Judith tries to reach Gentle across the dimensions. We later learn that no-one is really who they seem; both Judith and Gentle initially suffer from a strange kind of amnesia, which only lifts as they travel and learn more about their histories. What they learn is both distressing and illuminating, and will eventually determine their roles in the Reconciliation of the Dominions. I do not want to give away too much about what is revealed about the characters; not because it would spoil the book, but because it would detract from Barker’s sophisticated smoke and mirrors act. Suffice it to say that characters are doubled and refracted through their histories and families.

Barker makes an interesting point about power relations between the genders, while also commenting on faith and doubt. Without going into too much detail, Barker posits the Imajica as the handiwork of Hapexamendios, a male god (or God) who has subjugated and, in some cases, destroyed, the Goddesses of the Imajica. We get a very intriguing reading of this most-familiar dichotomy, with Hapexamendios and his children representing a very patriarchal and fundamentalist type of religion, while the Goddesses represent the matriarchal and more generous interpretation of religion. But this is not quite the binary opposition that it at first appears to be. Some of the God’s (male) children rebel, some of the Goddesses are dangerous in their own right, and Pie ‘oh’ pah spans the gap that seems unbridgeable.

The book loses some momentum after the first part, but this is understandable in such a long book. Perhaps Barker could have trimmed it a little, but he is such a generously-gifted fabulist that one would be hard-pressed to say what should be left out. After the picaresque journey of the first part, the second part, which is mostly set in our reality, seemed somewhat quotidian. Not a major quibble, but still a bit disappointing. I also found the resolution of the Reconciliation a bit arbitrary and unconvincing. But endings, especially after enjoyable beginnings and middles, are often disappointing.

So, a very entertaining book that considers some heavy topics, without falling into a feminist or masculinist reading of its topics. The book is not perfect – perhaps it worked better as originally published in two parts. Now it is a bit of a shaggy monster. Still, very readable and imaginative.

A note on the edition: if the book sounds interesting, I would get the Perennial edition, as it has a beautifully illustrated appendix that is very useful for keeping track of everything that is going on. Just be careful when looking in it when you read the book for the first time; there are many spoilers! ( )

Enjoyable book, however it started out realistic then suddenly seemed to go completely fantasy. Bit too intense on the fantasy! ( )