Rawhead Rex - Clive Barker

I've never read any Clive Barker, nor have I seen any of his movies.  So I didn't know what to expect going into this story.  I think it was partly because of this lack of preconceptions that it was such a roller coaster ride of love and hate for me.  First off, let me focus on the things I loved.

Barker's use of language and particularly description were exceptional.  I definitely felt like I was there with whatever character he was using at the time.  His initial descriptions of Rawhead himself were great and painted a very vivid image in my mind.  I also really enjoyed the entire opening sequence, with the man trying desperately to get this stupid rock out of his field only to awake the ancient evil and succumb to it.  It's a bit of a trope, but it is one I enjoy.

Unfortunately there was probably more about this story I didn't care for than things I enjoyed.  For one, I was just never really scared, or even creaped out by Rawhead.  Well I guess I can't say never.  Initially, I was.  He was a giant elder evil thing.  I had no idea what he knew or what he was capable of but he was obviously violent and hungry.  That was intimidating.  But the longer the story went on, the more I just didn't care about him.  After all, he was just a stupid giant that eats people and can't control his own urges.  There really wasn't anything frightening about that.  Barker seems to confuse disgusting, with horrifying.  And while Rawhead is certainly disgusting, even repulsive, he's really not very terrifying.

Then there is the way Barker brings about his creature's demise.  Burned by the fire that he caused.  And off stage at that.  Sure he's mobbed by people he could easily toss around like pillows before.  And sure he's somehow debilitated by a statue he admits has no real power.  But none of that would happen if he hadn't already, by his own stupidity, burned half his body.  It just wasn't satisfying.  I suppose you could say that his own ignorance of fire did him in the same as his first victim's ignorance, but it doesn't make it any more satisfying as a climax.

There was some good here, a lot of it actually, which caused me to enjoy whole scenes before just sighing my way through others.  For instance, the scene where the little girl screams and you just know its because Rawhead is there.  But wait, no.  He's at the car eating the boy.  I really liked that turn about.  Barker did an excellent job setting that up.  In fact I'd have to say that was my favorite part of the whole story.