2 stars = Meh. Intriguing enough to finish, but not enough to like it.

Why, most men jump at the chance to give up everything for nothing. There's nothing we're so slapstick with as our own immortal souls.

Perhaps if I had read this one when I was a middle school aged child, I too would have felt the magic that most reviewers enjoyed. If I had a time machine, I would make sure to have read this beloved classic back then. But now I am a middle aged adult, too cynical to enjoy the farcical plot. It's not just the fantasy elements that I couldn't buy into, but also little details like 13 year old boys recognizing Chopin’s “Funeral March”. It all seemed so unrealistic to me.

They whispered to Caesar that he was mortal, then sold daggers at half-price in the grand March sale.

Written two years after “To Kill a Mockingbird”, the father in this book felt like a ripoff of Atticus Finch. He was unrealistically good, to the point where he felt like a caricature. The dialogue overall was too sweet and sappy, too golly-jinkers for my tastes. And there is not enough caffeine in the world for me to enjoy over 300 pages with loud, exuberant children. Child narrators are not my favorite as a rule, but there are plenty of exceptions. Here, even on the page, these boys were too tumultuous and excited for my sensitive ears. They drained my energy, which was a scarce resource to begin with.

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.

I am glad I finally read this so I can relate to its cultural inclusions, but it was a disappointment for me. I was looking for a mildly creepy book, but this felt more Disney-esque than scary to me. I bet I would have loved it when I was a kid though, and plenty of other adults love and cherish it still, so don’t let my review deter you.

We salt our lives with other people’s sins.

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First Sentence: First of all, it was October, a rare month for boys.

Favorite Quote: Death doesn’t exist. It never did, it never will. But we’ve drawn so many pictures of it, so many years, trying to pin it down, comprehend it, we’ve got to thinking of it as an entity, strangely alive and greedy. All it is, however, is a stopped watch, a loss, and end, a darkness. Nothing.

Mark Twain, a renowned figure, passed away in 1910. Interestingly, Ray Bradbury was born ten years later, in 1920. On that very day, it was as if the shadow of Samuel Clemens (Twain's real name) touched a mark on the baby's head, and nearby, the shade of Charles Dickens looked on approvingly.

Bradbury serves as a bridge to our past, a past that was bright, strong, and colorful. Twain's world was as bold as a young America, filled with steamboats, fishing holes, and jumping frogs. Bradbury, no less an American but a resident of the October Country, revealed the long shadow of Twain's history, which echoed away like a distant train whistle. As a citizen of Fall, Bradbury knew to beware the Autumn People, understood them, and knew how to describe them.

In Bradbury's October country tale "Something Wicked This Way Comes," first published in 1962, Tom and Huck have transformed into Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade. One has a birthday a minute before midnight on October 30th, while the other was born a minute after midnight, on Halloween morning. Injun Joe has become Mr. Dark, the illustrated man, and the proprietor of the shadowy carnival that rolls into town every twenty or thirty years.

Bradbury's rich poetic prose was beautifully described by Robin Williams in "Dead Poet's Society" as being alive, Whitman-like, vibrant, descriptive, and filled with a swaggering electricity. The author draws us in with his illustration of Green Town; here, a simile like the sound of leaves racing down a late summer's sidewalk, there, a metaphor of a witch's brew dark and murky, filled with spider webs and green frog smiles, and the color of a ghost's sigh.

In Mr. Dark, Bradbury has given us one of literature's great villains, but drawn by the Grandmaster with empathy born of long familiarity.

"Something Wicked This Way Comes" is one of the great stories from a great storyteller, and it is a book that everyone should read.

*** 2020 reread - Bradbury's prose is truly timeless and never ceases to be magical. He is the master of metaphor.

This time around, I focused on the friendship between Will and Jim and the relationship Will had with his father.

“Beware the Autumn People” – Stephen King must have been inspired by Mr. Dark and his carnival when he wrote about the pain vampires in "Doctor Sleep."

The soliloquy by Mr. Holloway, explaining the genesis and motivations of Dark, followed immediately and ominously by the dialogue between Holloway and Dark, with the boys, Jim and Will, hiding, was literary gold.

Bradbury’s rich prose must be savored and enjoyed like a heady brew.

Ray Bradbury has two styles of novels.

The first one is the science fiction novel that explores human beings, and the second one is the more fantastic and poetic novel.

This book would fall into the second style, and personally, I don't entirely like it. I admit that I love to read this author because he has a magnetism that others don't have, but I don't fully understand the poetic style of his books.

The idea of this novel I like, and the characters also I like, but not the style. Besides, I thought it was going to be a more adult novel, but rather it is for children entering adolescence. I don't mean that that kind of books are bad, but in this case, the novel would have gained by being more adult (it's just my opinion).

What I have liked the most is that atmosphere that surrounds you, very turbid, dark, decadent, sad... until the end. The end... I didn't like it. Too loose, soft... It doesn't fit with the rest of the plot.

Two boys, Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade, are neighbors and childhood friends. They are very different from each other, yet this difference serves to strengthen their mutual bonds and amend their shortcomings.

Will's father, a wise philosopher, works as a caretaker in the city's library. He spends most of his nights there, returning to read and find answers to his eternal queries.

There is something very wrong with this particular carnival that arrives in the night, but the rest of the city doesn't seem to notice. An eerie feeling of something evil approaching lingers: "By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes."

The three of them will attempt to solve the mystery of the mysterious carnival that brings nightmares of bygone eras.

The "carnival" described in the book is something between a funfair, a circus, and a traveling troupe of giants. It is a festival of strange people and things.

It features spectacles such as: the flying man, the dwarfs, the tattooed man, the skeleton, the witch, Mr. Guillotine, the Egyptian labyrinth with the mirrors, the carousel, the Electric Man, the man who swallows fire, the monstrous Mongolfier (giant balloon), the most beautiful woman in the world, etc.

Such a thing for a small provincial town, on the eve of Halloween, obviously has great appeal. Both for the adults, as it awakens in them the nostalgia of past eras, and for the children, because it piques their curiosity. Yet something is not right with this particular traveling troupe... It is not something certain at first. It is more something that is perceptible sensorially: "By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes."

As the train that pulls the strange caravan arrives in the night, two children watch its mysterious arrival:

"The train of the caravan thundered over the bridge and the musical organ (Calliope) howled. - The music is playing alone! Jim raised his eyes. - Jim, cut the jokes. - By my mother's life, look! As it slowly - slowly moved away, the pipes of the musical organ sparkled with explosions of stars, but no one was sitting at the keys. The wind, only the wind, blew moisture into the pipes and made the music."

The two boys, Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade, are neighbors, childhood friends, and so opposite to each other that they complement each other perfectly. In their company comes Will's father, the wise philosopher who works during the day as a caretaker in the city's library and at night returns there to read and find answers to his eternal questions. The three of them will try to solve the enigma of the mysterious carnival that arrives in the night, carrying in its luggage nightmares from past eras.

This novel, written in 1962, suffers from an outdated bravado that can be rather annoying, where everything is a matter between men, and the women are the weak and at the same time ethereal beings that move on the periphery of the work, with their small weaknesses and the superiority that is conceded to them (and always remains at the theoretical level), as apart from the short passage of the elderly, elderly caretaking teacher, they play no role in the development of the story:

"Oh, what strange, wonderful clocks women are. Time nests within them. Made of the aged flesh that contains eternity. They live within grace, they know power, they accept without having to say a word. Why talk about time when you are time itself and give shape to the eternal moments as they pass, in the warmth and in the action. How often men envy these warm clocks, these wives who know how they will live forever."

The women, then, from the moment they fulfill their purpose and become wives and mothers, step out of the central stage of the work, live in their own safe world and have no participation in the action. And only the unfortunate Mrs. Foley, because she failed to become a wife and mother, makes a small appearance. An example to avoid. A sad exception.

However, precisely because the work was written 56 years ago and takes place in an even earlier era, from the indirect references, there were still no televisions in the houses, only radios, etc. and it is based on the author's memories from his youth (1930 - 40s), it is logical that it reflects the mentalities of a past era.

The essence of the work and its value, however, lies elsewhere. It explores the issue of time, as it leaves its imprint on people through the stages of their life development. The fear of death as an inevitable end. The frustration of a life that is trapped in the dipole "too early" - "too late". And above all, it is imbued with a spirit of optimism and hope. The wisdom of the past and the perspective of the future. The essence of the present that is hidden in the small moments of daily life, where love finds a way to be expressed through the actions and words of people.

And this very optimism, the laughter, the ridicule of our fears is a defense, a shield, a way for man to overcome obstacles and difficulties, traps and misfortunes and to be able to come to terms with his life, himself, and others.

It is a work full of beauty and poetry. It gives some very useful life lessons. Totally in line with the spirit of the era in which it was written, I would recommend it to those who want to read it in the original English, because it uses expressions of American colloquialism to the point where any translation into Greek becomes difficult, as it is difficult to find the equivalent words and expressions that convey the authentic spirit of the text.

The music, Will thought, it's backwards, too!

  By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes!

And just how wicked was it? Carnival was descending upon the town, but friends Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade were not deceived. This was no ordinary carnival, and they were determined not to let the strange autumn people who accompanied it take over their town! So, along with Will's glorious librarian father, they uncovered the autumn people's secret and did everything within their power to stop them.



I first delved into Bradbury's works because of his most renowned story about the burning of books. Then, last year, I continued with his other Halloween book, Something Wicked This Way Comes. Just like last year's Spooktober book, it exudes a marvellous autumn-y atmosphere. It makes you envision the leaves rustling, smell the crisp foggy air, and behold all the splendid colours that this most beautiful season has to offer. Oh, and perhaps in this particular case, you might even catch a whiff of cotton candy. ;P



Once again, we are treated to a wonderful adventure, this time experienced by two boys who grew up side by side (born merely 2 minutes apart) and are the best of friends. That kind of connection brings numerous benefits, as does having a father who is a well-read bookworm and a professional librarian (I absolutely adored Will's dad)! These monsters are surely messing with the wrong individuals. *lol*



In between the suspenseful action, we are presented with a plethora of meaningful and profound (yet never boring or preachy) commentaries on society in general, on fear and regret, on being young and growing old, on life and death - yes, all paradoxes and/or opposites. Truly glorious writing that captivates!



Moreover, I'm certain I recognize the narrator of this audio version, Paul Hecht, but for the life of me, I can't recall from where. Nevertheless, he was brilliant in breathing life into the weirdness and terror of the carnival and its masters, as well as the vivid friendship of Will and Jim.

I read this when I was an insanely romantic teenager. Back then, the world seemed full of endless possibilities and magic. But since then, the cruel world has beaten all that nonsense out of my brain with bars of iron and wires of barb. It has left me bleeding and barfing in a vile ditch.

So, perhaps I should not have plucked my old Corgi paperback of Something Wicked out from my most cobwebbed shelf and thought to wander nostalgically, recapturing the wonder and enrapturement I once perceived herein. In those far-off days, I had such wild dreams. I wanted to be the smile on the bullet, the weathervane, and to run the dark carnival. Above all else, I wanted a calliope so I could play mad twisting melodies at three in the morning from the caboose of a train made out of dead men's bones.

Instead, after a few detours, none of which involved a naked living woman in a block of ice, I got a job in an office. When I did reread this book, I could not shake off the growing realisation that none of it made the least bit of sense. Not a single bit. And the dad is a complete steal - it's Atticus Finch back from the dead. I saw that Ray Bradbury never met a pudding he did not want to over-egg or an emotion he did not want to wring dry.

I had grown old. I didn't recognise the place. I didn't know who the boy was who loved this book so much. I knew his name but I couldn't remember his face.

It was a bad idea, rereading a book which so knocked me out all those years ago. I'll give it 5 stars for the love I used to have for it, but I don't really recommend it to anyone now. The world has changed and no longer has the stomach for Ray Bradbury's 1950s golden-hued renderings of his own 1920s childhood. So goodbye, then, to Dandelion Wine, another one I loved.

What I learned from this book is that Memory Lane has been mined. You walk down that street at your peril.

Though I read this many, many years ago,

it still strikes with metaphor and poignancy into today's times.

The words seem to leap off the page, as relevant now as they were back then.

The author's use of metaphorical language creates vivid images that linger in the mind, making the story come alive in a powerful way.

It's as if the events described are happening right before our eyes, and we can feel the emotions of the characters.

The poignancy of the tale tugs at our heartstrings, making us reflect on our own lives and the choices we make.

Even after all these years, this piece of writing continues to have a profound impact, reminding us of the universality of human experiences and the importance of storytelling.

It serves as a timeless reminder that good literature has the power to touch our souls and stay with us forever.

October spooky read #5!

Creepy and nostalgic? That sounds just perfect! I've adored every Ray Bradbury book I've ever read. So, I was certain that "Something Wicked This Way Comes" would be a wonderful autumnal treat. I'd been saving it for cooler days, for when the weather called for thick scarves, to be savored with a slice of apple pie or a nice, smoky whiskey (or both!).

This is the natural sequel to "Dandelion Wine". It tells the story of a mysterious carnival that arrives in peaceful Green Town, Illinois, just as the leaves begin to change colors. Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade are best friends, and in many ways, two sides of the same coin. One is impatient and reckless, the other more quiet and thoughtful. They're at that precarious age between childhood and adolescence. They witness the carnival's sudden arrival in town, and although they know immediately that this is no ordinary circus, they're delighted. But they'll soon discover that Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show has some disturbing powers.

Will's father, Charles, is an older man. He married a much younger woman and had a child late in life. He often feels there's an unnatural gap of time between himself and his son. The carnival that snuck into town has a very different meaning for him than for the boys. Charles has read enough to know that when something seems too good to be true, there's usually a hidden price tag.

As I've come to expect and look forward to with a Bradbury book, I was treated to a delicious dose of nostalgia for a time that may never have really existed. But I love this enchanted memory lane, even if it only exists in Bradbury's wistful mind. And I can't resist the allure of a carnival. If I'd been born in a different time and place, I might have been that kid who runs off to join the circus. Bradbury brings the smells and noises of this strange carnival to life so vividly that you'll look up from the book and wonder where the candied apple vendors have gone.

Mostly, he paints a vivid picture of the feelings one experiences not just growing up, but growing old. While this book sometimes feels like it's written for younger readers, the character of Charles changes everything because he's a man who, as he puts it, settled and started late in life. Fifty-four years old wasn't old by today's standards, but in the 1930s, it was. Charles feels unable to connect with anyone, especially Will, because of his age. However, being older and having experienced things the boys haven't is crucial to this story and to defeating the darker impulses that tempt them. He's the perfect example that age is greatly influenced by one's attitude towards it. When a maze of distorted mirrors shows you something you don't like, it's tempting to hop on the enchanted carousel that will take a few years off, but Charles knows that would mean losing sight of the good things that come with getting older.

“Dandelion Wine” was about the end of childhood and the loss of innocence; “Something Wicked This Way Comes” is about the discovery of the dark side of human nature, the temptations of growing up, and the importance of keeping a part of your mind young. 4 and a half stars!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG38V...

I remember vividly watching the Disney movie way back in grade school. It had such a profound impact on me that it nurtured my horror of carnivals and men donning top hats. The backward-played music and the eerie unreality of people changing ages as easily as they changed hats truly sent shivers down my spine.

As an adult, when I read the text, I was, understandably, in awe of the rich metaphor and the playful language that it contained. The way the words were strung together painted a vivid picture in my mind.

Re-reading it now, however, fills me with a sense of melancholy. Gone are the bygone years when small towns were filled with friendly neighbors who knew each other inside out. Back then, the death of a barber could actually create a stir and be the talk of the town.

The fact is, this is an extremely bucolic coming-of-age tale that revolves around the choice of being good or bad, with a generous dose of supernatural assistance thrown in. It's like a unique blend of Stephen King's IT, a touch of Mary Poppins, all stirred firmly into a smooth wordplay that is rife with the pastoral charm. And that's Something Wicked This Way Comes from 1961.

I'm truly not sure if it would withstand the test of time for the newer generations. Theoretically, it is designed to be timeless, but despite my own personal memories associated with it, my objectivity makes me wonder if it might fall into a different category.

Mark Twain's works have enduring appeal because they strike the perfect balance between the historical and the universal. But does the setting of Small Town Illinois during a carnival have the same staying power? Maybe. But let me be honest... my tastes have evolved a great deal since grade school. :)

This piece is not flashy, even though it does have some truly great horror scenes. It develops at a slow pace in some parts, yet in others, it goes at a whirlwind speed.

Nevertheless, I'm still giving it 5 stars because objectively speaking, it is a beautiful piece of writing. However, some of its power seems to be slipping away from my heart. Alas.

No choice! I must award this novel 5 stars for its hallucinatory gothic images. The moment I delved into the story, I was captivated by the strange and enchanting world that Ray Bradbury had created. It felt as if he himself was exactly like one of the characters in his haunting tale, Mr. Electrico. Mr. Electrico, who sat on an electrified chair, wheeling an electrifying sword which caused his spectators to be electrified. This unique character added an extra layer of mystery and excitement to the narrative.

Quite a unique novel in a genre all on its own if I may say so, as I am not really a horror reader. However, this book managed to break through my resistance and draw me in completely. The way Bradbury weaves his words and images is truly masterful. Each sentence seems to be carefully crafted to create a vivid and unforgettable picture in the reader's mind.

Such a pity I did not read it in my teens as I now wonder whether I would have been swamped in admiration or scared to death. I had not expected to be so impressed by this deluge of hallucinating words and images. It has opened my eyes to the power and beauty of the horror genre, and I am eager to explore more of Bradbury's works.

**Many thanks to @SimonBooks and Ray Bradbury for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

To Harry Potter fans and Shakespeare aficionados alike: I would wager these words in this title are MORE than a bit familiar. It's truly hard to even read it aloud without immediately联想到 some of the most enduring works of our time. And to simply say this book is legendary in the genre is to do it a great injustice. Often regarded as Bradbury's best and most enticing tale, Something Wicked This Way Comes COULD have been just another dark, macabre story.

but managed to influence the pantheon in ways NOBODY saw coming!

The tale itself is rather straightforward: two 13-year-old boys, Jim and Will, are the best of friends and going about their daily lives in their small Illinois town, Green Town. However, on one particularly eerie autumn night, the boys discover that an eerie carnival, Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show, is arriving in town. \\n  and it's like no carnival they've ever seen before. \\n With a haunted carousel, a terrifying mirror maze, and a creepy 'ringmaster' Mr. Dark at its helm, Jim and Will MAY have found themselves in the middle of more than they bargained for. But can Will's father Charles Halloway save them with some well-timed wisdom? Or will the forces of evil be too strong and unrelenting to let the boys make it until the circus once again rolls out of town?

I understand why this book was influential and popular. Yet, at the same time, learning more about it in the second half and its origin story made it clear WHY this book didn't quite work for me.

In short...it started as a screenplay.

Of course, in subsequent years, film adaptations emerged regardless. But this finished novel still had the feel of being 'meant for the screen' throughout its pages. Combined with some overly heavy prose in parts, this book took me entirely TOO long to read. You can tell it was originally intended for a somewhat wide audience, with relatively short chapters and our two adolescent protagonists leading the way. But once the allusions to religion and such became a bit too heavy, I had trouble fully immersing myself in the creepiness of the premise. Aside from the GENIUS carousel bit (and that part is definitely memorable), the descriptions of the weird and wonderful setting got a bit long-winded, and many of the passages were too verbose for my personal taste, making what could have been a lighter read drag quite a bit.

The flip side, however, is that this particular edition has a fascinating 'epilogue' of sorts, with essays from other authors, the history of the book, and excerpts from original drafts included. THIS expository content alone was worth the price of admission.

This is precisely what I was anticipating. I have always had a rather complex love/hate relationship with Ray Bradbury. On one hand, I am deeply enamored with his stories, the vivid characters he creates, and the thought-provoking ideas he presents. His imagination seems boundless.

However, on the other hand, his writing style is极其 difficult for me to fully comprehend. He often embarks on these long tangents that seem to make no sense whatsoever. No matter how many times I re-read one of his two-page paragraphs, it still remains a mystery to me. I am certain that he knew exactly what he was trying to convey, but unfortunately, I am not so sure.

Despite this, I continue to return to his works, eager to explore different stories. Why? I suppose it is because I am drawn to his captivating plots and the sense of nostalgia that he infuses into his writing. He frequently writes about Halloween, the simplicity of childhood life, and those strange and unusual monsters. Everything he puts down on paper intrigues me. I just have to find a way to get past his somewhat pretentious writing style.

Now, I also have a profound love for stories about carnivals and circuses. So, when I came across Something Wicked This Way Comes, which is被誉为 one of the best of its kind, I simply had to read it. And I was not disappointed. The spooky carnival, with its flashing lights, freaks, and evil intent, was truly captivating. I also found myself liking Mr. Dark, the main villain, as well as all the other characters. Regardless of their age, whether young or old, they all经历了 significant growth throughout the story.

The entire story serves as a powerful metaphor for age and the universal desire that older people have to be young again, while the young long to grow up. The carnival preys on this desire. But in the end, it becomes clear that your age does not define who you are. If you are old, do not be despondent and deny yourself the joy of childhood. And if you are young, cherish this precious time of your life and live in the moment.

This is also a story about friendship and the relationship between a father and his son. What begins as an almost non-existent connection between the two blossoms into something truly beautiful, to the point where I felt a lump in my throat at the end. There are so many meaningful messages here.

In conclusion, I did like this book. I just wish I could have understood more of what Bradbury was trying to say. To all the writers out there: please, just be direct and say what you mean! Do not go on and on without getting to the point.