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"The Plucker" by Brom |
by David Winnick
There are likely many of you out there who are unfamiliar with the work of Brom. Brom is a well known artist in the Fantasy / Horror world; he has done design work on films such as "Sleepy Hollow," "Galaxy Quest," and "Van Helsing". Four years ago Brom released his first ever novel, "The Plucker". The tale contained within the pages of this book can best be described as a nightmarish version of "Toy Story". The book follows Jack, a jack-in-the-box who has escaped from his square prison in order to protect his owner, a young boy named Thomas from a malevolent spirit that has invaded the boy's room. Jack is forced to fight his way through the unspeakable world of the UnderBed in order to save Thomas and the beautiful porcelain doll Angel.
The novel is a child's book for adults, complete with artwork to go along with the story. The dark and foreboding pictures that Brom paints go hand in hand with the tale he tells. It is only a matter of time before Brom is recognized as one of the greatest artists of the Fantasy world. The characters in the paintings have a certain life of their own that can only be achieved by a true master of the form.
The writing in the novel is good but does not actually hold up to the power of the pictures that Brom has painted. It is almost a shame that the prose were not written by another author in order to better complement the work that Brom has done with his brushes. If the two aspects of the novel had been separated I likely would not be writing a review for the prose since it is merely competent, but with the power of his art and writing combined I found this novel incredibly compelling; the prose functions more as a vehicle for the art than anything else. Over the many years that I have admired the art of Brom, I have often looked at the paintings and wondered at what is the story that goes along with a certain piece. "The Plucker" has filled this void for me.
"The Plucker" is a fairly quick read. At just over 140 pages it is easy to get through in one sitting. I fully recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of horror, art, or children's tales. It is odd to think that the only thing that really separates this novel from the works of children authors is the occasional use of a four-letter expletive. Other than that this isn't much different from the works of artists like Gris Grimly or Tim Burton.
As for the future works of this novelist, I have not yet read his other novel, "The Devil's Rose," but I am looking forward to his new release that will be arriving in stores this August, "The Child Thief," a retelling of the famous J.M. Barrie tale "Peter Pan". I hope that Brom has a long career filling my literary world with his twisted visions.
The Plucker
Author: Brom
Release Date: 2005
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN 13: 978-0-8109-5792-3
David Winnick is a figment of his own imagination. He fears that if he stops believing in himself he will cease to exist.
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