It was a reading that was much harder than I had ever anticipated.

For example, I had really liked Bradbury's "Halloween" book, but it seems to be overshadowed by the magnificence of the title "Something Unlucky is Coming This Way" and the cover signed by Hamdi Akçay. When the Ithaki Dark Library Series was launched, especially with this work, I had high expectations and wanted to read it. But those first 150 pages were like trying to enter the minds of two children living in a small town, trying to understand the allusions, and trying to find a way in a dense forest. It was full of the stream of consciousness we would expect from Faulkner, with local confusions. So what happens after 150? The text unfolds, the setting, characters, and time become clear, the heroes and anti-heroes define their sides, and the conflict and the concept of existence-nonexistence deepen. However, I think the catharsis of the work, that is, the finale that makes it reach its peak, seems to be diminished in our eyes. I don't know, I talked to a few friends who also read the book. They also said they had a really hard time. It's a book worth getting for the effort of the Ithaki Foreign Literature team, given that it's a work by Ray Bradbury, but one should enter this struggle knowing that not everything will be all roses and gardens when reading it.

I had an incredibly arduous time perusing this book.

Especially when one considers that it's a 300-page linear narrative about an evil circus descending upon a small town.

I believe it's because, unlike Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury overwrote this book to such an extent that it reads more like dense poetry than prose.

The dialogue is scarce and stilted, while the descriptions seem never-ending and are difficult to follow.

When reading the opening chapter, the language initially excited me.

I wrongly assumed it was merely being used to set the mood and would abate in due course, but alas, it never did.

I wanted to shout at the book: "I understand - the story is dark, macabre, spooky, and ethereal. Enough already! Let the story unfold!"

For instance, consider this passage: "It was indeed a time between, one second their thoughts all brambled airedale, the next all silken slumbering cat. It was a time to go to bed, yet still they lingered reluctant as boys to give over and wander in wide circles to pillow and night thoughts. It was a time to say much but not all. It was a time after first discoveries but not last ones. It was wanting to know everything and wanting to know nothing. It was the new sweetness of men starting to talk as they must talk. It was the possible bitterness of revelation."

And here's another example, this time during an action sequence: "Then the arrow, a long hour it seemed in flight, razored a small vent in the balloon. Rapidly the shaft sank as if cutting a vast green cheese. The surface slit itself further in a wide ripping smile across the entire surface of the gigantic pear, as the blind Witch gabbled, moaned, blistered her lips, shrieked in protest, and Will hung fast, hands gripped to wicker, kicking legs, as the balloon wailed whiffled, guzzled, mourned its own swift gaseous death, as dungeon air raved out, as dragon breath gushed forth and the bag, thus driven, retreated up."

By the final third of the book, I was skimming entire paragraphs just to get through it. Sadly, an interesting premise has been lost somewhere within this muddled mess. I am eagerly anticipating reading the graphic novel adaptation to see if a shift in medium can remedy the problem caused by the overly bloated prose.

4.5 stars!

I truly believe that this book is extremely good. It is written in a prose style that is highly eerie and spine-chilling.

It has been an excellent read for Halloween. Although I am a little late in picking it up, it is still very suitable for the season.

The author has done a great job of creating an atmosphere of mystery and horror, which keeps the reader on the edge of their seat throughout.

The prose is beautiful and descriptive, painting vivid pictures in the reader's mind.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good horror story or enjoys reading prose that is both engaging and disturbing.

Overall, it is a great addition to any Halloween reading list and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

This was a truly unique reading experience for me.

The writing style is quite extraordinary. It jumps around haphazardly, repeats certain phrases, skips from one idea to another, dances around the central theme, and yet still manages to deliver a powerful impact.

The story is skillfully nestled within the language. The author uses language in such a clever way that it refuses to be mundane, making itself known in a distinct and captivating manner.

Complete sentences are few and far between. There are so many commas, commas where one might expect semi-colons. It's as though the sentences are like a runaway train, hurtling forward with such speed that there's no time for semi-colons, only commas. The comma becomes the only pause that can be afforded in this frenetic pace of the narrative.

The limited dialogue in the story serves an important purpose. It brings the story back to reality and injects a sense of fear into it by creating a very real presence for the menacing Mr Dark and his ominous carnival of terrors.

Two boys, Will and Jim, find themselves caught up in this strange and terrifying world. They are haunted and chased by these bizarre characters that we never really fully understand, yet we absolutely appreciate their otherworldly nature.

The terror in the story is subtle, tangled within the description, insinuation, allusion, and repetition. Personification, similes, and symbols all come together in a masterful way to express the horror of the situation, causing some very real chills to run down the reader's spine.

It was so beautifully written that I thought I might be lost in the complexity of the language. But here I am, unable to get its voice out of my head. I find myself borrowing its patterns and thinking about the individual elements that created this forest of nightmares.

Meanwhile, this is one hella creepy story. I'll be turning this one over in my head for a little while, I think. It is so brilliantly written, and so much better than I was expecting. The story itself is great, but the true genius here lies in the way the story is told. I highly recommend it.

3.5 Stars

This was a truly unique and captivating coming of age story. On one hand, it was sweet, filled with the innocent charm and naivety of youth. However, on the other hand, there was an underlying creepiness that added an unexpected layer of depth. I have always been a fan of Bradbury's prose. His writing is so vivid and descriptive that it can transport you to another world. But I must admit that I think I have a slight preference for his science fiction works.

While I did appreciate this particular story, it didn't quite manage to trigger the intense nostalgic emotions that I typically expect from a coming of age tale. There were moments that came close, but overall, it fell a bit short in that regard. Nevertheless, I am very glad that I finally got around to reading this iconic classic. It has given me a better understanding of Bradbury's range as a writer and has added another interesting piece to my literary collection.

The Ray Bradbury I recall reading many decades ago was not this poetical.

Something Wicked was truly a pleasant surprise. His evocative language worked wonders in capturing the mood of early fall and the various seasons of life, both in a literal and metaphorical sense. It is evident that he has a deep love for words in all their forms. Equally clear is his gift for using those words to craft a delicately layered tale about two thirteen-year-old boys when the carnival arrives in town.

These boys are on the verge of change, yearning to be older, to do more and become more. The father of one is a bit lost in the memories of what he once was, haunting their background and the library. Change is in the air, and a few unusual events in the town seem to foretell a larger shift. A lightning-rod salesman pays a visit; the barber falls ill; a found playbill describes a carnival coming to town.

The boys偷偷溜出卧室去看它的到来，他们带着既着迷又恐惧的心情看着嘉年华搭建起来。危险随之而来——但这是成长的危险吗？还是恐惧的危险？亦或是更邪恶的东西？

The language is a charming blend of specificity and metaphor.

"One year Halloween came on October 24, three hours after midnight... both touched towards fourteen; it almost trembled in their hands."

Each brief chapter is almost like a poem, an image; a scene described so perfectly as to capture that fine line between recklessness and safety, age and youth, mystery and knowing. Threads of both exuberance and loss run through, along with hints of change.

And the characters! In just a few brief sentences, he encapsulates the complexity of a life:

"And the first boy, with hair as blond-white as milk thistle, shut up one eye, tilted his head, and looked at the salesman with a single eye as open, bright and clear as a drop of summer rain."

"Jim stood like a runner who has come a long way, fever in his mouth, hands open to receive any gift."

"What was there about the illustrated carnival owner's silences that spoke thousands of violent, corrupt, and crippling words?"

Bradbury's ability to uniquely characterize extends to the carnival as well, arriving at the dead hour of 3 a.m. and setting up in the dark:

"For somehow instead, they both knew, the wires high-flung on the poles were catching swift clouds, ripping them free from the wind in streamers which, stitched and sewn by some great monster shadow, made canvas and more canvas as the tent took shape. At last there was the clear-water sound of vast flags blowing."

Then there is the added bonus of the library. Clearly, Bradbury loves libraries and books, which ensures affection in my eyes (I know, I know - the puns!).

"The library deeps lay waiting for them. Out in the world, not much happened. But here in the special night, a land bricked with paper and leather, anything might happen, always did. Listen! and you heard ten thousand people screaming so high only dogs feathered their ears...This was a factory of spices from far countries. Here alien deserts slumbered. Up front was the desk where the nice old lady, Miss Watriss, purple-stamped your books, but down off away were Tibet and Antarctica, the Congo."

How perfectly that meshes with my own memory of the library!

During the second half of the book, the tone increasingly shifts from that cusp of fall into the fear of winter, of death. People change, quite drastically. Will's father has been hearing the carnival's calliope as well, and feeling every one of his fifty-some years in the distance from his son. Between the boys and the father, Charles Halloway, the viewpoint of the reader is identified, explored, and honored. Do we rush forward? Gaze backwards? Which way will we ride on the most sinister merry-go-round? (

"Its horses...speared through their spines with brass javelins, hung contorted as in a death rictus, asking mercy with their fright-colored eyes, seeking revenge with their panic-colored teeth.")

It is even more astonishing that a book first published in 1962 has withstood the test of time so well. In my opinion, nothing about it seems dated. Bradbury's thoughts on the meaning of life, aging, and fear are well worth reading again. An amazing book that wholeheartedly deserves a second read and a place in my own library.

Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2012/1...

In a small town, two boys have a curious encounter with a mysterious lightning rod salesman. He presents one of the boys with a rod that is inscribed with strange markings. This event sets in motion a series of unusual late-night activities that the boys decide to investigate. Their exploration leads them to a carnival filled with a maze of mirrors, a carousel, and a host of evil characters such as Mr. Dark and The Dust Witch.

Will, Jim, and Will's dad find themselves facing off against this new and menacing darkness. The story is a dark fantasy that combines elements of horror suitable for all ages. It delves into themes of life and death, aging, time, and coming of age. The bond between the best friends, Will and Jim, as well as the relationship between Will and his dad, are central to the narrative. It explores the concepts of friendship, good and evil, and even has a touch of the spooky atmosphere associated with Halloween.

This captivating tale takes readers on a thrilling journey through a world where the line between reality and the supernatural is blurred.

I first read this book approximately 25 years ago. At that time, I was nearly the same age as James Nightshade and William Halloway. Now, as I reread the novel, I find myself closer to Charles Halloway’s age, who is Will’s father. Interestingly, my son is of the same age as Jim and Will. What an extraordinary experience it has been to return to the works of the master of October. Something Wicked This Way Comes strikes a deeper chord within me as I grow older.

“God, how we get our fingers in each other's clay. That's friendship, each playing the potter to see what shapes we can make of the other.” This profound statement by Ray Bradbury beautifully encapsulates the essence of true friendship. It shows how we influence and shape one another in the journey of life.

“So, since we cannot shape Time, where does that leave men? Sleepless. Staring.” This line makes us ponder about the limitations of human existence in the face of time. It highlights the sense of helplessness and the restless nature of man when confronted with the unyielding passage of time.

“But no man's a hero to himself.” This simple yet powerful phrase reminds us that often, we are too critical of ourselves and fail to recognize our own heroic qualities. It is a humbling reminder that we should be kinder to ourselves and appreciate our own worth.

Ray Bradbury's famous allegorical novel, which is a follow-up to "Dandelion Wine" and features many of the same characters based on his own childhood, still has a powerful impact today.

It tells the story of Jim and Will, two almost 14-year-old boys who live next door to each other. When the Carnival comes to town, it's no ordinary one. There's something sinister about it. The Carnival is filled with a wonderful collection of characters, such as Mr Dark, who is tattooed all over and co-runs the carnival, Mr Cooger (his partner), the dust witch, the skeleton, Mr Electrico, and more.

However, the real hero of the story is Will's father, Charles Halloway, who is in his 50s. There are suitably nasty sideshows and rides, and the danger that one might become a permanent part of the Carnival as it travels around the country.

The themes of the novel are age-old, including the struggle between good and evil and coming of age, but also the importance of being young at heart. The power that things and people have over you depends on how much power you invest in them. While not entirely convincing, the real message is to live life with enthusiasm, zest, and an open heart. Evil is defeated by laughter and a smile (if only it were that easy). It's a good read, with a suitably atmospheric and chilling feel.

So why am I reading it at my age instead of in my teens? I wouldn't have been allowed to read it when I was younger. By the time I left home for university and could read what I liked, I was reading Camus, Sartre, and Kafka, so this one was overlooked. However, it was rather gratifying to have a character of my age at the center of the story. There's still hope! Not only that, but the hero was a librarian and loved books.

Overall, it's a simple, heart-warming tale that has, for the most part, stood the test of time.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury is a 1998 Avon publication - originally published in 1962.

I can't believe it's already October, yet I'm glad it has arrived. October is one of my favorite months of the year! One reason for this is that I get to pick out a spooky or scary book and create fun blog posts for Halloween.

The downside is that there are so many books to choose from, and so little time to read them. Usually, I only manage to read one horror novel out of the dozen or so I planned to read.

This year, however, deadlines be damned, I'm going to cram in as many horror stories as possible.

Since I'm such an avid reader, it's terribly embarrassing to admit there are so many 'classic' horror stories I haven't read. I've seen movie versions but never got around to reading the book. This book falls into that category.

It's been many years since I watched the movie version starring Jason Robards, but I do still remember parts of it. Still, I had forgotten more than I remembered, so reading this book felt like a fresh experience. However, this book may have shaken my enthusiasm for October and the beginning of autumn...

“For some, autumn comes early, stays late through life, where October follows September and November touches October and then instead of December and Christ’s birth, there is no Bethlehem Star, no rejoicing, but September comes again and old October and so on down the years, with no winter, spring, or reviving summer. For these beings, fall is the ever normal season, the only weather, there be no choice beyond. Where do they come from? The dust. Where do they go? The grave. Does blood stir their veins? No: The night wind. What ticks in their head? The worm. What speaks from their mouth? The toad. What sees from their eye? The snake. What hears with their ear? The abyss between the stars. They sift the human storm for souls, eat flesh of reason, fill tombs with sinners. They frenzy forth. In gusts they beetle-scurry, creep, thread, filter, motion, make all moons sullen, and surely cloud all clear-run waters. The spider-web hears them, trembles - breaks. Such are the autumn people. Beware of them.”

Jim Nightshade and Will Halloway are very best friends. But, when a late season carnival arrives in Green Town, their friendship, and maybe even their very lives are in jeopardy.

This short book is packed with so much imagery, imagination, and intense suspense that it's hard to put it down. For me, the writing was a little hard to adjust to, with chopped sentences separated by commas. It did force me to slow down and read more carefully, but didn't really affect the suspense once I got into the groove.

Horror stories and movies can often be taken strictly at face value. There may not be much depth or symbolism to them - it is what it is. But, quite often there's an underlying theme, a moral to the story that gets overlooked if you aren't looking beneath the surface or with a more critical eye. In this case, I think time is a central theme, and the book is full of clocks and references to them.

Charles Halloway, Will's father, is quite concerned about his age, having become a father later in life. Clocks are referenced metaphorically, and the town clock is a prominent prop.

There are other noteworthy allegorical symbols sprinkled throughout, all of which I will leave for you to decipher.

For me, though, the story has a more basic appeal. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the library and how often books are referenced. But, this isn't a book about books - I just happened to enjoy seeing two boys enjoy reading books.

But, more importantly - how do the boys and Charles beat Dark and his minions? I think they come through to the other side of their ordeal armed with familial love and trust and the ultimate power of friendship.

While Bradbury has written books that speak of true horrors, cautionary and powerful, this one may not reach that level, but it is the perfect fireside tale of good versus evil. 4 stars

"By the pricking of my thumbs,

Something wicked this way comes." pg 171

Ray Bradbury truly excelled in presenting a story that encapsulated the essence of autumn, October, and the anticipation leading up to Halloween. This supernatural terror and dark fantasy novel revolved around a menacing carnival. Jim and Will, two inseparable best friends in a small town, had their seemingly ordinary lives disrupted by the arrival of this mysterious carnival. Bradbury's use of short and straightforward structuring, combined with rich syntax and vivid metaphors, enhanced the story significantly. The abundance of descriptive imagery painted a vivid picture of the end of summer and the transition of seasons, while also highlighting the deep emotional connections among the characters. As the story unfolded, there was a palpable sense of good versus evil and the theme of coming-of-age emerged. I discovered that this novel was adapted into a Disney movie in 1983, although I have never had the opportunity to watch it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and to be frank, I found it more captivating than Fahrenheit 451 due to its eerie October atmosphere. I would highly recommend both novels to anyone who has a penchant for a great story.

Books, much like numerous other things, have their own season.

They possess a certain time about them, a moment within the slipstream when they are most ideally read.

Of course, one can read a particular book at any time, but to enhance the experience to the fullest, it is highly advisable to discover the optimal position in the continuum, that moment in the chronology of life that makes the reading experience completely immersive.

And thus, I find myself drawn to tomes that signify a specific segment of the wheel of the year.

In this particular instance, it is that captivating transition from the long and sweltering days of summer to the cooler and shorter days of the harvest, with the promise of Autumn in the air.

Such is the case with Ray Bradbury’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” a classic of dark fantasy and horror that essentially defines this juncture of the year.

However, one should read Bradbury’s “Dandelion Wine” first.

“Something Wicked” is not an official sequel, but the two books are thematically and geographically linked.

They both mark a specific point on the calendar and both take place in Bradbury’s fictional Green Town, Illinois, which serves as a proxy for his early childhood hometown of Waukegan.

Whereas “Dandelion Wine” wallowed in soft nostalgia and a longing for the seemingly never-ending days of summer, “Something Wicked” presents us with a fable of duality and the possibilities of the future and the regrets of the past.

The plot is easily recognizable, filled with familiar tropes.

Two best friends, Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade, find themselves on the verge of their fourteenth birthdays.

It’s October, and school and upcoming holidays are on their minds when a mysterious carnival and its strange occupants arrive in town at 3:00 in the morning on one fateful Saturday.

Right from the start, things begin to get strange as curious and perhaps occult events start to plague the unsuspecting town and its citizens.

The boys become deeply embroiled in the subtle menace of the carnival, and it is up to them and Will’s father to save the day.

Who, or what, is Mr. Dark, the tattooed (or more precisely, ILLUSTRATED) proprietor of the show?

What about his partner, Mr. Cooger?

Who are the freaks and sideshow denizens who menacingly appear throughout the narrative?

What secrets does the Dust Witch hide?

No spoilers here, you will have to read for yourself and find out.

“Something Wicked This Way Comes” is truly a masterpiece of its genre.

It virtually defined the archetypal “dark carnival” plot device, although it was certainly not the first literary work to do so.

Part dreamlike fantasy, part menacing horror, it progresses at an almost breakneck pace, packing a great deal of action into its weekend timeframe.

Jim and Will, of course, are the opposites that attract and complement each other as characters.

Their light and dark dance provides a catalyst for the story as Will’s desire for safety and compliance contrasts with Jim’s thirst for adventure and the things that the carnival might promise to a soul out of place in his own time.

Will’s father, Charles, gets pulled into the story as a makeshift savior for the boys, his own life a reflection of the turn of the season, a metaphor for his 54 years of age.

Jim’s mother and Will’s mother are hardly seen or heard from, and in fact, the only female character of any real consequence is the doomed schoolteacher, Miss Foley.

Her fate is to be drawn into the carnival’s evil charms, her desire manifested in a way she hardly expected.

As such, this is clearly a book about boys and men, and how those seasonal changes affect them, those transitions from boyhood to incipient manhood.

As for Charles, he must navigate the careful and treacherous path from lost youth to middle age, battling his own fears of growing old as he fights the good fight.

There is certainly nothing even remotely homoerotic going on here, but there is a definite quality of the masculine to this book.

First published in 1962, “Something Wicked This Way Comes” is a product of its era, a cultural point where women were still striving to break free from the home and assume more prominent roles in society.

Bradbury has created strong female characters in much of his work, but there is little of the feminine to be found here.

None of that alters the fact that this is a brilliant piece of work by the venerable Mr. Bradbury.

I make it a point to at least skim through both “Dandelion Wine” and “Something Wicked” as the August days come to an end and September and October loom large on the calendar.

It’s all about seeking that moment, that precipice upon which to linger for a few moments as the year progresses in its unrelenting cycle of days.

And of course, all of this is written in that lovely, poetic Bradbury style.

“Something Wicked” was a bit of an anomaly for Bradbury, as it is one of his few continuous narrative pieces.

Even “Dandelion Wine” was a fix-up, a series of interconnected short stories with added connective and thematic material written to strengthen the whole and transform it into more of a novel.

I can’t resist concluding this review with a short bit of prose from the Master himself…….

“So, each taking his part, in their own good time, the boys told of the wandering-by lightning-rod salesman, the predictions of storms to come, the long-after-midnight train, the suddenly inhabited meadow, the moonblown tents, the untouched but full-wept calliope, then the light of noon showering over an ordinary midway with hundreds of Christians wandering through but no lions for them to be tossed to, only the maze where time lost itself backward and forward in waterfall mirrors, only the OUT OF ORDER carousel, the dead supper hour, Mr. Cooger, and the boy with the eyes that had seen all the glistery tripes of the world shaped like hung-and-dripping sins and all the sins tenterhooked and running red and verminous, this boy with the eyes of a man who has lived forever, seen too much, might like to die but doesn’t know how…….”