Clive Barker’s “The Forbidden”
The original illustration for “The Forbidden” from Fantasy Tales by John Stewart.
Today I want to tell you about one of my favorite stories, “The Forbidden” by Clive Barker.
Mr. Barker is one of the best writers, not just of horror. His words are like poetry even when describing grotesque and disturbing imagery. “The Forbidden” is no exception. The story was published in the fifth volume of his Books of Blood series, also titled In the Flesh.
The protagonist, Helen, is a Ph.D. student researching graffiti in a run-down London neighborhood when she discovers something sinister preying upon the tenants.
SPOILERS AHEAD
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The graffiti hints at an entity called “Candyman” that murders the residents in horrible ways with a hook. Barker describes him in his usual gorgeous prose:
“He was bright to the point of gaudiness: his flesh a waxy yellow, his thin lips pale blue, his wild eyes glittering as if their irises were set with rubies. His jacket was a patchwork, his trousers the same. He looked, she thought, almost ridiculous, with his blood-stained motley, and the hint of rouge on his jaundiced cheeks…”
Helen becomes entranced by the stories of the Candyman and the artwork depicting him—until she eventually draws his attention. And when she gets his attention, we readers get some amazing lines from him seducing her into becoming part of his legend:
"I am rumour... It's a blessed condition, believe me. To live in people's dreams; to be whispered at street corners, but not have to be."
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"I am the writing on the wall, the whisper in the classroom. Without these things, I am nothing. So now I must shed innocent blood…"
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"Our names will be written on a thousand walls… our crimes told and retold by our faithful believers."
Helen is eventually burned to death in a large bonfire—a method used by the landlords of the buildings to cover up Candyman’s murders. As she dies she realizes she will become part of his legend in the tales told by the residents of the tenement buildings.
If any of this sounds familiar to you, that’s because this story was adapted into the film Candyman (1992) starring Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen.
Barker uses the story to shine a light on several topics, the most prominent being the nature of legend, how marginalized people deal with terrible things in their lives, and the seductive power of evil.
Many other bloggers have reviewed “The Forbidden” so I’m not treading new ground here but I truly count this story among my favorites. The Candyman is indeed mesmerizing and menacing in equal measure, despite his grotesque appearance.
In the film, the setting is moved to Chicago’s Cabrini Green complex and the Candyman is a wronged man taking out his anger on those who dare to call his name in the mirror five times. Yet, it’s not just anger that drives him, he seems to revel in his status as a legend (as in the story) and many of the lines he speaks are much like his literary counterpart. The tone of the movie retains the dark beauty of Barker’s prose and really brings it to life.
The themes around marginalized people are amplified by the change in setting (Cabrini Green was a predominately black neighborhood) and the casting of Tony Todd, a black man, as Candyman.
Both versions of the story work really well and I adore them both equally…although I do wonder what a live action version of the Candyman from the short story would look like on the big screen.
Rating:💀💀💀💀💀
