The Yattering n' Jack

If all of Barker's writing is like The Yattering and Rawhead I think he might be one of my new favorite writers. I don't know exactly how to pinpoint what it is that I like best about his writing from what I have read so far, but my best guess is it is because the story is always moving forward. I think The Yattering and Jack is an excellent example of the 7-point story arch pattern, except if the Yattering is presented as the protagonist, he never actually finds a way to defeat Jack. There are also more than just three attempts to break Jack, but I would say the main three points can be lumped into his wife’s suicide plus all of the little annoyances in the beginning, the three cat deaths, and then the attack on the daughters at Christmas leading inevitably to the Yattering becoming a servant of Jack. When breaking it down, it becomes a little clearer on how the Yattering was succeeding at breaking Jack, but because of Jack’s awareness of the Yattering, he can defeat his own emotional reactions. It keeps the suspense going because they are both winning and losing the battles at the same time. All the crazy things going on in the beginning have some sort of detrimental outcome which, in reality, is a win for the Yattering. However, Jack’s main goal being to survive and not be taken by the Yattering means every time he doesn’t fall into corruption he has won. I think this back and forth within the scene, and the sympathy the reader can feel for the Yattering, keep the story moving forward at all times.

Like Rawhead, I had a copy of the graphic novel, so the way the story and art was presented felt like a U shaped roller-coaster track where the cars have seats facing forward and backward, and it goes in favor of one then back to the other, over and over up until the end. The denouement even holds this with the Yattering reminding Jack that he’ll be rejected by Heaven for having dealings with him.

I can’t speak for the short story example of the story, but the graphic novel version does an excellent job at presenting two potential villains to the story right from the beginning. Jack is presented in a hanging photo with a wicked looking grin, and the Yattering is also grinning in the same manner. So really, the only thing making the Yattering the antagonist or the monster is the fact that he is what he is. As the story progresses, Jack is shown as just a kind, easy-going, older man with family values. Toward the end, in the Yattering’s final attempt, Jack’s expressions change to be similar to what they were presented as in the hanging photo at the beginning. I know, before having read any of it, I thought the artist was making out Jack to be a creeper of some sort, just by the way his face was presented in comparison to all the other pictures.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I am glad to have read it, as well as viewed it, in its graphic novel format. I’m looking forward to reading more work by Barker.