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Loading... Clear (original 2004; edition 2005)by Nicola Barker
1   wandering_star | Jun 26, 2012 | 
The activity in [Clear] is focused around a real event - a 2003 stunt by American illusionist David Blaine who stayed in a transparent box, suspended from a crane near to London's Tower Bridge (this photo shows both the box and the crowds who gathered to watch him). This book was written shortly afterwards. Generally, I don't see the point of super-contemporary references in novels - it's as if you're acknowledging that your book has a short shelf-life. But here, what the book is actually about is how people reacted to the stunt, so it doesn't seem as dated as I had feared - the book could actually have been about a fictional stunt. That said, even though I'm a big fan of Nicola Barker, I am not sure how much substance there is to the book. It's narrated by a young man, Adair, who works near to the Blaine event but starts off just going there to pick up girls - and consists largely of a series of conversations between Adair and a few friends - his uber-cool landlord Solomon and Solomon's on-off girlfriend Jalisa (both of whom have slightly different political/racial takes on the Blaine situation) and a mysterious but strangely attractive woman, Aphra, who has a more personal reaction. The conversations touch on the role of art, how people respond to the outsider or the other, the nature of celebrity. Kafka and Houdini crop up as people who have inspired Blaine (apparently the idea for the stunt came from a Kafka short story, 'The Hunger Artist'). As usual, I loved the energy of Barker's writing, and I rather enjoyed these conversations because they are the sort of conversations I have with my friends, although these guys bullshit even more than me and my friends do. But I would have liked to hear more from all three of Adair's friends, and especially Aphra, who starts off an intriguing character but ends up more or less a collection of quirky behaviours without a real personality. I wouldn't recommend this book if you haven't read Nicola Barker before - only for the already converted. (  )1 wandering_star | Jun 26, 2012 | I finished Clear by Nicola Barker on Friday, having only started it on Monday. As I usually read only while on the train two and from work, this is pretty quick. I’m a fast reader, but don’t read too much when at home in the evenings. Not books anyway; I read ridiculous amounts online, but tend not to grab the book out of my bag. This novel was pretty damn good, I have to say. The background is London at the time of David Blaine’s Above The Below endurance event, and in fact Blaine becomes a major theme throughout. The basic story is about a random meeting between a guy and this random girl, and how she begins to take over his life and his thoughts. She’s weird, very weird, but he isn’t exactly 100% on the straight and narrow either. This is the first book I’ve read by Nicola Barker, but I’d heard that she was a very unique writer with her own style. And it’s true, she’s unique. Thankfully, it’s accessible. For me, at any rate. She has constant asides in parentheses (you know, to illustrate further thoughts) and has big, half-page breaks for dramatic effect. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one, even if it’s a little too much style over substance. Not by too much, but the story could’ve been a touch stronger. As it stands, it’s still worth picking up. (  ) gooneruk | Nov 17, 2009 | Another of Nicola Barker's amazing novels which just capture the ways and words of her characters so clearly. Narrated by 28yr old Adair, he works at the GLC and is drawn to watch the spectacle that was David Blaine suspended in a glass box by the Thames in 2003, and meets some interesting people there too. He is cocky and arrogant, but does try to think about things, and close to the start of the book comes out with this amazing simile describing the spectacle and egg-throwing public - I quote: "it's like the embankment is a toilet and Blaine is just the scented rim-block dangling in his disposable plastic container from the bowl at the top." You can picture it exactly can't you! During Blaine's self-imposed imprisonment, Adie meets, falls for and is confused by Aphra a gourmet cook, has many philosophical discussions with his landlord Solomon, and ultimately finds himself - in a sort of I can see clearly now the Blaine has gone kind of way (excuse my awful pun). This novel just draws you in and doesn't let go. (  ) gaskella | May 17, 2008 | |
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Generally, I don't see the point of super-contemporary references in novels - it's as if you're acknowledging that your book has a short shelf-life. But here, what the book is actually about is how people reacted to the stunt, so it doesn't seem as dated as I had feared - the book could actually have been about a fictional stunt.
That said, even though I'm a big fan of Nicola Barker, I am not sure how much substance there is to the book. It's narrated by a young man, Adair, who works near to the Blaine event but starts off just going there to pick up girls - and consists largely of a series of conversations between Adair and a few friends - his uber-cool landlord Solomon and Solomon's on-off girlfriend Jalisa (both of whom have slightly different political/racial takes on the Blaine situation) and a mysterious but strangely attractive woman, Aphra, who has a more personal reaction. The conversations touch on the role of art, how people respond to the outsider or the other, the nature of celebrity. Kafka and Houdini crop up as people who have inspired Blaine (apparently the idea for the stunt came from a Kafka short story, 'The Hunger Artist').
As usual, I loved the energy of Barker's writing, and I rather enjoyed these conversations because they are the sort of conversations I have with my friends, although these guys bullshit even more than me and my friends do. But I would have liked to hear more from all three of Adair's friends, and especially Aphra, who starts off an intriguing character but ends up more or less a collection of quirky behaviours without a real personality.
I wouldn't recommend this book if you haven't read Nicola Barker before - only for the already converted. (