Matthew A. Clarke: The Meddling Children Grow Up in Sons of Sorrow
There’s a tendency for anything lately that involves kids being tangled up in the supernatural to be compared to Stranger Things. But, the trope is also used in many other books, movies, and shows. It, The Bailey School Kids and Scooby-Doo are all things that come to mind. These are just a few.
Sons of Sorrow by Matthew Clarke is a new book that has similarities to Stephen King’s It. It shows the characters as children fighting supernatural forces in their home and the same kids returning to the town as adults. Sons of Sorrow is a unique book that leans as much into Bizarro fiction as traditional horror. Bizarro is not a traditional horror story, but it does seek to disturb listeners. However, the strange imagery and irrational plotlines can often cause a disturbing effect.
Henk, Dave and Maria, their brother, were children and the heroes of Sorrow in England. This remote town was haunted by monsters and murderers, and other strange people. They spent their time battling the supernatural creatures that terrorized the town. For their bravery, they were nicknamed “The Sons of Sorrow”. On the other hand, Dave and Henk were not motivated to stay with their parents and fled the town at the first opportunity they had. Maria was left alone.
Henk and Dave receive an invitation to Maria’s wedding in Sorrow years later. The town is worse than they found it when they returned. Many of the town’s residents have left or died, many of its buildings have been condemned, and no businesses exist except for tourism. Worst of all, some of the vanquished creatures appear to be returning. Maria’s fiancée also disappears soon.
Clarke keeps the book in a pleasant mood. Although there is a lot of humour in the book, I wouldn’t call it a horror-comedy. Henk and Dave are stereotypical slackers that spend their time smoking and drinking “mo-gro.” This cannabis-like plant is only found in Sorrow. However, the story does not shy away from the painful loss of their parents to the town’s dark forces and Henk’s unresolved feelings towards Maria. They were proud to take down the town’s hauntings as children when they were the Sons of Sorrow. But, as adults, the trauma of what they saw is still fresh in their minds. They remember their nostalgic experiences and understand that they may not have been as crazy as they thought.
You will also see oddities, such as a man wearing a gimp costume walking around Sorrow. These are not only funny but also a little bit threatening. It reminded me of Bentley Little’s horrors, which seem absurd but are even more terrifying because of their absurdity.
This story is also a cross between a realistic portrayal of how people would deal with supernatural horrors and a cartoon on Saturday mornings. Maria, Dave, and Henk run into several creatures, including a vicious beast that kills anyone who is not capable of solving complex mathematic problems. They use an axe to stop it. They also discover that the town has turned into a tourist attraction and wax statues have been made of them. They find this horrifying. They still carry trauma from the encounters and feel uncomfortable being in public, which is not something they would have preferred to do as children.
Sons of Sorrow makes for a very entertaining read. Fans of horror will enjoy it, but there’s enough absurd imagery to appeal to Bizarro fiction and surreal fiction fans. Clarke also wrote more Bizarro works. This book would be a great starting point for anyone interested in diving into this genre.
