Book Review // Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament by Clive Barker

After the disappointment that was Dancing Chickens, I needed to move swiftly on to something else. Thankfully, the next story is by Clive Barker, so this has to be good… right?

I'm a big horror fan, especially classic stalker-style horror and the cosmic horrors that leave you questioning what the hell you've just read.

So who better to get us back on track than with Clive Barker?

The Details

Title: Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament
Author: Clive Barker
Length: 35 pages
Collection: Clive Barker's Books of Blood

The Review

This is a fairly straightforward story, perhaps a little too straightforward at times. Written in 1984, it offers an early look at the sort of grotesque, otherworldly body horror that would become a recognisable part of Barker's work. At least, that's my interpretation. I could be completely wrong, but that's what I took away from it!

Our lead character, Jacqueline Ess, is an independent and strong-willed woman, but I struggled to connect with her. The story opens with her attempting suicide, only for her husband to save her. The problem is that we never really get enough background to understand why she's reached this point.

We're left with a character who seems frustrated with her life and convinced that nobody understands her, but without quite enough depth to make that frustration resonate.

For me, that missing connection makes it harder to invest in Jacqueline's journey. Perhaps this is an early example of Barker working through ideas he'd develop more fully in later stories, but I wanted a little more from her character.

Following her suicide attempt, Jacqueline is sent to therapy. It's not somewhere she wants to be, and things aren't helped by the fact that her doctor is an absolute arse. He's condescending, toxic and dismissive, blaming Jacqueline's suicide attempt on attention-seeking and suggesting she's failing in her duties as a woman. Helpful bloke, isn't he?

Unsurprisingly, this charming approach doesn't improve matters. Instead, it triggers something unexpected within Jacqueline: the ability to manipulate human flesh with her mind. When she imagines giving the doctor breasts, his body begins to change accordingly. Flesh warps, his body transforms, and things quickly become much more grotesque than anyone in that consulting room could have anticipated. The trouble is that Jacqueline doesn't fully understand or control her new ability. Before long, the doctor suffers a horrific fate, and Jacqueline discovers that she possesses a power capable of reshaping the human body itself.

And this is where Barker's body horror starts to shine.

There's something deeply unsettling about the idea that the human body, something we usually take for granted, can suddenly become something entirely malleable. Flesh is no longer fixed or dependable. It can be changed, twisted and destroyed by the power of someone's imagination. It's nasty stuff, and I mean that as a compliment!

Once Jacqueline realises what she can do, she begins experimenting with her abilities and manipulating the world around her. What follows is a strange, disturbing journey of discovery, power and personal transformation, with a growing trail of bodies left behind. One of the highlights for me was Jacqueline's time as the mistress of a wealthy man. This section gave the story a little more room to explore her character and showed how her life changes as she becomes increasingly aware of her abilities. It's here that I found her journey more interesting. Her powers aren't simply a gruesome gimmick; they become part of how she interacts with other people and navigates the world. Of course, the question of control remains at the heart of everything. Jacqueline can change other people physically, but that doesn't necessarily mean she understands herself or has control over the direction her life is taking.

There's a tragic quality to that idea, particularly as the story moves towards its conclusion. The ending is sad and rather depressing, but it feels appropriate for the journey we've been on. This isn't a tale about discovering an amazing new power and living happily ever after. It's much darker than that.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament was a solid read. It has its faults, particularly when it comes to Jacqueline's backstory and the difficulty I had connecting with her early on. I wanted more insight into her motivations and a stronger emotional foundation for the events that unfold. However, Barker's body horror is disturbing, the central idea is fascinating, and Jacqueline's journey gives me plenty to think about.

Let's be honest, any story that leaves me considering the terrifying possibilities of someone being able to reshape human flesh with their mind has certainly made an impression! It might not have been a perfect read, but it gave me plenty to write about, and that's a win in my book.

After the disappointment of Dancing Chickens, I'm happy to report that Clive Barker has got me back on track. Now, let's see what horrors I can get myself into next!

Cheers for reading, and I'll see you on the next adventure!