Th e H orror of Pre t nt ne s s e ious

TH E GR EAT AND SECR ET SH O W By Cl e Bark e r iv H arpe r & R ow . 550 pp. $ .9 5 19 by D av Fos t r W al id e l ace oday ls s an art t an an indus t a pop e h ry, ge nre l e h orror is ne v rt e ls s it ow n ik e h e s l e rary prov it ince w it it ow n e v uat e h s al iv st andards . Good h orror fict k now s it j ion s ob and proce e ds t do it e fficie nt y. Aim ing t o l o s t ul e pre t y bas ic part of t e re ade rl im at t s h y ps ych e -t t il e , s h ock , agit e , s care , t o it l at at o prov bot e s cape and re as s urance -q ual y ide h it h orror t e s care t s e e m abov al unpre t nak o e l e t : i.e ., t k e e p it conce it s im pl and it ious o s s e s s e t ings banal e nough t be fam il By t o iar. t e s e m ode rn s t h andards , t e fict h ions of St ph e e n K ing up t rough , s ay, "Cuj re pre s e nt h o" ne arl pe rfe ct Am e rican pop h orror: Eny s ould appl e iance s run dark l am ok in a y w orl of Frit , fl ulnce and t e r-park d os at e rail angs t . By t e s am e s t h andards , K ing's put iv at e h e ir, Cl e Bark e r, h as produce d in "Th e iv Gre at and Se cre t Sh ow " a re al dis appoint l y ing nov l A M anich ae an s oap ope ra bil d e. l e by t e aut or as about "H ol ood, Se x and h h l yw Arm age ddon," Bark e r's nov lis re al j t a e l us y de riv iv m ix of K ing's apocal ic "Th e at e ypt St and," t e h e l ne at -s uburbia s h t s of h l -be h ick "Pol rge is t and "Bl t e " ue V le t e v ," t e h ce lbrit e y-bas h ing v uris m of a J ie oye ack Col or Sidne y Sh e l and t e s oph om orl ins don, h ic m e t ys ics of unde rgrad fant y. Pl it aph as us 's pre t nt e ious be yond be l f. ie O ne R . J , an unh appy pos t w ork e r, affe al h appe ns on an ul e cre t cabalof crazie s t ra-s w h o k e e p inform ing e ach ot e r (t rough t e h h h U.S. m ail t at "Am e rica h ad a s e cre t l ... !) h ife t e w orl w as not as it s e e m e d." J h d affe com m it s om e m urde r, doe s s om e t e -h it h ik s im ch ing, m ak e s t e s ort of w indy procl at h am ions t t e audie nce w e as s ociat w it cart o h e h oon v il l , and be fore w e k now it h as coe rce d a ains bril l but fat l fl e d al iant al aw y l -purpos e profe s s or, one R . Flt e r, int de v l e ch o e oping a m ys t rious al e m ical cordial t at s e e m s e ch h abl t e nh ance e v ut e o ol ion, al r body int t e o s pirit induce ps ych os is , rais e t e de ad or , h giv pe opl nas t Ch ris t ik e s t at de pe nde e y l igm a, ing on aut orialw h im . Th is s t t form s h uff rans J affe and Flt e r, now "D ynas t ype e ch y"-t ne m e s e s , int s ort of odd arch e t s of o ype R e al Good and R e al Bad. J l y l y affe is t e h bad one . H e k e e ps announcing t w h oe v r o e w il l t n t at h e w ant t us e "Th e Art t l is e h s o " o draw as ide "Th e V il t re v al"Th e Sh oal e " o e ," "Th e Eph e m e ris " and t e oce anic "Quiddit h y" t at s e parat s "Th e Cos m " from "Th e M e t h e acos m " and t e l t r's s inis t r re s ide nt , "Th e h at e e s Iad Uroboros ." Fe w of t e s e ponde rous t rm s are e v n e xh e e pl d, m uch ls s giv n re fe re nt , e xce pt aine e e s v pronounce m e nt l e : "Quiddit is t e ia s ik y h s e a. And in itare is l , cal d t e Eph e m e rands l h e is "; and "Th is w as an Art in de fiance of fls h . Alt e profounde s tce rt ie s w e re fore lh aint fe itin t e face of it h ."

Am id al t is forfe it of profound ce rlh ure t ie s , t e s upe rh um an but aw ful randy aint h l y J and Flt e r are bus il im pre gnat v affe e ch y ing irgins in t e s m al Cal h l ifornia t n w h e re t e ir ow h bat l's brough t t e m . Th e re s ul te h t ant h ype re v v d offs pring grow up in a fe w page s , ole h at e ach ot e r or fal de s pe rat l in l e , e h l ey ov and in Th e Pre s e nt re las e t e e nt be d s pire h om it of t e ir oppos e d fat e rs on t e com s h h h m unit and t e univ rs e . Th e re s ul y h e t ing m el odram a of s e x, gore , ce lbrit bad s cie y, e nce and w ors e cos m ol ogy, draw n out t an o e xcruciat 500-pl page s , lads t a m ys ing us e o t rious Art e -induce d t ar in re al y's "s cre e n," e it t e e piph any t at "Th e w h ol ... w orl a h h e d's m ov ," an im m ine nt inv ion by m e t ie as acre at s w h o re s e m bl m ount ure e ains cov re d e w it flas , s om e h e roic m ys t h e ical puzzl-s ole v ing by a H ol ood s cre e nw rit r and a l yw e burne d-out t oid j abl ournal t and s alat is , v ion by at ic bl t om as . L s of t ings m ak e t is nov l oo pre t not h h e t e t ious t l e . Th e m is us e of s cie nt o ik ific and ph il oph ic t rm s , for one t ing. Th e re 's l s os e h ot of al ing pros e , h e re , s t l e : "It w as arm uff ik t e nt ye ars s ince t at l -s h at e ring day w y h ife t w h e n h e 'd found t e s ym bolof Th e Sh oal h "; "H e w as n't t e onl one re e l be fore t is h y ing h re v l ion"; "R e as on coul be crue l l e at d ; ogic coul be l d unacy." But m os t of t e pre t ns ion in t is nov l h e h e is a funct of t e fact t at Cl e Bark e r de ion h h iv m ands t at t e re ade r t e h im s e rious l but h h ak y de cl s t do t e art t w ork ne ce s s ary t ine o h is ic o m ak e h is s t ory be l v e or e v n coh e re nt ie abl e . A cont m pt for h is ch aract rs -none of w h om e e e v n com e s cl e t be ing 3-D -is m at e d e os o ch by an odd conde s ce ns ion t ard t e re ade r ow h t at h as Bark e r cons t l t l you h ow t h ant y e l ing o t ink and fe e labout e v ryt ing in t e book h e h h e .g., t e e v ch aract rs "s h am bl" and h il e e "cack l"; t e good guys "s t " and "l e h ride augh h e art y"-and pl il aying fas t and l e w it t e oos h h v ry conce pt and t e orie s h e l t rs t e e s h it e h s t w it . Ph ys icall s are s us pe nde d and ory h aw t e n re s t d (a nuclar e xpl ion can v h ore e os anq uis h cre at s and s e al ols t atare in de fiure h e h ance of al ph ys ics ) as it s uit t e aut or. l s h h O ne m inut pe opl are re e l e e ing be fore h ide ous re v l ions and s h ak ing fis t at t e e at s h s k y and de cl aring t e ir s h at e re d l e s w il h t iv l ne v r again be t e s am e , and t e ne xt e h h m inut t e y're e at e h ing a bol ogna s andw ich and ne got ing w it t e ir e dit about h ow iat h h ors t w rit t e w orl e nd as an Enq uire r e xo e h d's pos e '. Th e nov lis not w it out s om e cools e ce h t : a parodic bat l be t e e n t e TV s t ions te w h ars w h o re pre s e nt h um an dre am s and t e ick y h cat rpil t ate m body our fe ars ;and a w one l h ars de rfulde s cript of a t k -s h ow com e dian's ion al pl unge dow n a h aunt d h ol w oul m ak e a e e d gre at s h ort s t ory: "J nny Cars on in H e l oh l ." But for t e m os t part t e s am e dul dis pir, h , h l it dne s s t e Brit h Bark e r s o re lnt e s s l at e h is e l y t ribut s t h is Am e rican ch aract rs pe rv s e o e ade h is ow n "Th e Gre at and Se cre t Sh ow ." Too l by h al and bas ical j t s il it s e e m s ong f, l us y l y, t e w ork of one of t os e dre ade d com m e rh h cials ucce s s e s w h o'v be com e s o im pre s s e d e

w it t e m s e le s t e y no l r t ink t e y h h v h onge h h h av t w ork at be ing int re s t e o e ing. Pe rh aps , if t is t e doe s n't do w e l Bark e r w il re h om l , l t urn t t e gooe y e nt us ias m for s t o h h raigh t pop h orror t atm ade h im an '80s s t e . h apl
Th e re v w e r's book s incl GirlW it Curious ie ude h H air and, w it M ark Cos t l t e fort com ing h el h o, h Signif ying R appe rs : R ace and Pop in t e U rban h '80s .

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