Not a review, really - just some thoughts.

By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes.

This novel is not only a rather creepy story but also a lament for the passage of time and the ending of things. Take Jim Nightshade, for example. At the age of thirteen, he has decided never to have children.

‘You don't know until you've had three children and lost all but one.' ‘Never going to have any,' said Jim. ‘You just say that.' ‘I know it. I know everything.' She waited a moment. ‘What do you know?' ‘No use making more People. People die.' His voice was very calm and quiet and almost sad.

This passage resonated incredibly strongly with me.

Something Wicked This Way Comes is pretty melancholic and poignant in its own fashion, and Bradbury’s lyrical writing style underlines that fact. It is also pretty creepy.

A bad thing happened at sunset.

Bad things do happen in this story. Maybe not the same “bad things” as you would expect in a contemporary horror novel (for example, there is no evisceration), but bad enough in its own way. Whether you can identify with the America of Bradbury’s youth or not (this should be considered a moot point, since we can’t identify with Dickens’s England or with Middle Earth either, and that’s never a problem), this novel succeeds on many levels. Death and fear are, after all, universal and timeless.

How do you hear it, how are you warned? The ear, does it hear? No. But the hairs on the back of your neck, and the peach-fuzz in your ears, they do, and the hair along your arms sings like grasshopper legs frictioned and trembling with strange music.

Something Wicked is a very, very good story, and written beautifully. It’s a quick read, but it compensates for that in many other ways.

The exact nature of the Carnival is somewhat obscure. It seems to be vested in mysticism and the occult, but it remains open to interpretation. The Autumn People theory is fantastic! Suffice to say, the whole thing remains suitably sinister.

The stuff of nightmare is their plain bread. They butter it with pain.

The first time I delved into Something Wicked This Way Comes, I was just a teenager, and it failed to leave a profound impact on me.

The second encounter made me like it a bit more, yet it still didn't reach the level of my current affection. And I believe I've uncovered the reason. This is a book that belongs to October, to autumn. Perhaps it wasn't until autumn - my autumn, that is, the autumn of my life - that I could fully fathom its essence.

When I first read it, I was in the spring of my life, and on my second reading, I was in my thirties. But now, in middle age, I understand why a tear trickles down Mr. Crosetti's cheek upon catching the scent of licorice and cotton candy. I know what Miss Foley witnesses in the mirror maze. I know the emotions that grip Charles Halloway at three o'clock in the morning. Now, in my autumn, I hear the enchanting call of the calliope.

Surprisingly, what I most vividly recalled from my earlier readings, and with great fondness, were the scenes of Mr. Halloway in the library. That was what spoke to me in my spring and summer: the old man (Old? He's only fifty-four!), "a man happier at night alone in the deep marble vaults, whispering his broom in the drafty corridors" (35). Now, in my autumn, I can finally empathize with the boys, the thirteen-year-olds.

For this is a nostalgic book. Not nostalgia for a time that never truly existed - this is nostalgia for a man who grew up in Illinois in the 1920s and 1930s - but nostalgia for a time that was never mine, a woman who grew up in New York in the 1960s and 1970s. Yet, there is something about the book's atmosphere that transcends generational and geographical boundaries and speaks directly to me.

Bradbury's setting is the fictional Green Town, Illinois around 1928, but his theme is the timeless battle between good and evil for the human soul. And his thirteen-year-olds embody all the hopes and fears of adolescence. Jim, too eager to mature. And Will, afraid that his friend will abandon him.

Where once I was drawn to the quiet library haunted by Mr. Halloway, this time I raced through the night, my heart pounding, my thirteen-year-old legs churning, my young lungs savoring the crisp October air, reveling in the strength and bright freedom of youth.

Nostalgia is not for the young. Not for the Wills and Jims of the world. It's for the boy Charles Halloway once was, "who runs like the leaves down the sidewalk autumn nights" (19). It's for old library janitors, spinster school teachers, and itinerant lightning rod salesmen. It's for those who lie awake at three o'clock in the morning. It's for me. And someday, it will be for you.

New rating: 4.5 stars, rounded up.

So poetic. Especially for a novel about a creepy carnival run by an Illustrated Man. No one writes quite like Bradbury.

That was the entirety of my review when I first read this little book in 2015. And you know what? I think that might be enough.

Or, it should be. But you know me. I always have opinions to share.

I have this deep but slightly conflicted love for Ray Bradbury. It started when I was in high school, when I first read Fahrenheit 451 and one of his short stories, “A Sound of Thunder,” nearly back to back. I was entranced by both stories. The cadence of his writing was truly beautiful, yet there were some stylistic choices and outdated colloquialisms that threw me off. This is a common complaint when reading backlist books, especially those written more than 40 years ago. And in Bradbury’s case, the issue of outdated slang was more noticeable in his less formal works. However, despite the initial struggle with the prose, it became easier with each reading, and the rewards were immense.

This was especially true for me with this book. When I first read it, I appreciated it. But revisiting it was a completely different experience. Knowing the story this time around, I could simply enjoy the prose for what it was, without having to sift through it. This made the story even more enjoyable and powerful than it was the first time.

On the surface, this is the story of Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade, best friends and next-door neighbors born two minutes apart. It’s the story of the October when they were thirteen and an ominous carnival came to town, threatening to tear them apart as it offered to fulfill their dark dreams. But for me, this is really the story of Charles Halloway, Will’s father. It’s about experiences deferred, the fear of losing one’s life, and how it can prevent us from truly living. It’s about facing our demons and finding reasons to laugh and keep on living. It’s about accepting ourselves, faults and all, and enjoying the life we have instead of wasting it trying to recapture what we’ve lost. If there’s a hero to this story, it is definitely Charles Halloway.

Bradbury explored some incredibly deep topics in this book, and in my opinion, he did so without detracting from the plot in any way. One of my favorite themes was the many forms temptation takes and how it dresses itself up differently to appeal to each person. Others included how good triumphs over evil not by might, but by purity of heart; the difficulties of transitional ages; the power of belief and joy in the face of darkness; and the importance of connection, regardless of age. There’s so much food for thought in this little book.

Aside from the outdated colloquialisms and the occasional writing choice that threw me out of the plot, my only complaint about this book was the pacing. Some scenes felt rushed, while others could have been stronger if shortened. However, the atmosphere was second to none, and I can’t think of any other book that so perfectly encapsulates an entire season. Something Wicked This Way Comes is nostalgia in book form, autumn contained in less than 300 pages.

Another reason I love Something Wicked This Way Comes is because I can see so clearly how it, and the rest of Bradbury’s work, influenced other authors I love. As I was reading, I found shades of King, Koontz, and Gaiman, and it was wonderful to read something that I know had an impact on them. Some of the most powerful books in my life are the ones that I know inspired other stories I adore.

There’s something truly special about Bradbury’s work in general, and this book in particular. The way a 60-year-old book can make me feel nostalgic for a time I’ve never known is magical. And there’s just something about a creepy carnival that captures the imagination. If you haven’t read Something Wicked This Way Comes, I highly recommend it. It’s the perfect October read. And if you’ve read it before but it’s been a while, I encourage you to revisit it. I’m very glad that I did.

I have been a devoted fan of Bradbury's for countless years, dating all the way back to my junior high school days in the 1960s. I have delved into numerous of his works and have always found great enjoyment in them. However, for some inexplicable reason, I had never gotten around to reading Something Wicked This Way Comes, one of his most highly esteemed novels. In fact, I have had this paperback copy of the book sitting on my shelves for over ten years, and I am truly glad that I finally managed to read it.

The book is set in the fictional Green Town, which was also the backdrop for one of my all-time favorite Bradbury works, Dandelion Wine. While Dandelion Wine was set during the summer and offered a deeply nostalgic look at the past, Something Wicked This Way Comes is set close to Halloween and is a very dark fantasy novel. It revolves around two 13-year-old friends, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway, who were born just a day apart. These friends are typical boys, always seeking adventure and longing to grow older. When a traveling carnival comes to town, they are the first to venture onto its grounds when it is being set up at 3 am in the morning. This leads to some extremely nightmarish experiences involving the carnival leader, Mr. Dark, who has the power to change people's lives and grant them their desires. But at what price? Dark is covered in tattoos and is also known as "The Illustrated Man" (another outstanding Bradbury collection), and he is truly a malevolent being who enslaves people and feeds off their life forces. So, the boys witness things they should never have seen, which brings the forces of Mr. Dark and the carnival crashing down upon them. But Will's father, Charles, the janitor at the local library, is there to oppose the forces of evil. The question remains: is he strong enough to prevail?

I truly relished this book and am glad that I finally got to it. Although the novel was extremely dark, it also had a strong sense of nostalgia and emphasized life in a small town from the past. It also explored themes that Bradbury has touched upon in his other works, such as the longing to be young again or, conversely, the desire to be older. I know that this novel was also mentioned by Stephen King in several of his works, including The Dead Zone and Needful Things. It was also clearly an influence on his novel, IT. The carnival in the story keeps reappearing after many years, as discovered by Charles Halloway, which is similar to the appearances of Pennywise in IT. There is also a movie version of this made by Disney that I have never seen and that I will be on the lookout for. Overall, I give this book a strong recommendation!

The carnival has come to town.

It brings with it a sense of mystery and excitement that is hard to resist.

I have to admit I love the movie more than the book because, well, I enjoy watching the creepiness! There's something about the way the story comes to life on the screen that makes it even more captivating.

I think I need to dig the movie out now and watch it

\\n  By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.\\n
MacBeth Act 4, Scene 1

This book is a straightforward exploration of good versus evil, and it can be quite terrifying at times! It delves beyond the realms of fantasy and mysticism, reaching straight into the terrifying possibilities that lurk in the darkest corners. If you're in search of a thrilling campfire tale, a spooky Halloween story, or a late-night, nightmare-inducing fright fest, this would be an excellent choice. Some might argue that the scariness gets lost within the poetry of Bradbury's writing, but for those who are attuned to it, I guarantee there will be moments when you'll be holding your breath.

On a side note, I vividly remember as a child being petrified of this movie, yet I don't think I ever actually watched it! It was the mere idea of its existence, with its dark and mysterious allure, that had me frantically changing the channel whenever it came on. The character of Mr. Dark, played by Jonathan Pryce, would appear on the screen, and I would almost wet my pants instantly! The interesting thing is that it was produced by Walt Disney, which made it perhaps the scariest thing on the Disney Channel (apart from some parts of Fantasia). There I was, innocently watching cartoons, when suddenly the programming would shift from daytime to evening, and I would be confronted with this:



Followed by some of the most hair-raising NOPE images ever!







I could continue listing these scary images – it was truly terrifying. Even after writing this, I'm still not sure if I'll ever go back and watch it. I'm still too scared!

Something Wicked This Way Comes: The Thrills and Terrors of Early Adulthood

I didn't discover Ray Bradbury until I was 40, missing out on his poetic, image-rich, and melancholic prose and themes in works like The Martian Chronicles, Dandelion Wine, Fahrenheit 451, and his short stories during my critical early years. Although I can't go back in time to correct this, I'm glad I finally took the time to explore his world.

I'm certain that if I had read him when I was the age of his protagonists, Jim Nightshade or Will Halloway, I would have immediately loved his work. But alas, I'm no longer a bright-eyed teen. My taste in books now leans more towards Neal Stephenson, China Mieville, Philip K. Dick, and George R.R. Martin, and my favorite TV shows include The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones. I'm very much a product of the conflicted and complex world we live in. Seeing my 13-year-old daughter growing up in the concrete jungle of Tokyo, constantly connected to her friends via smartphone and text messages, Bradbury's wistful world of innocent Midwestern teens seems so divorced from today's world that it appears totally irrelevant at first glance.

And yet, I decided to give Bradbury another try. I discovered that I could get his books (including this one) for just $3.50 on Audible since I had the Kindle editions. I hadn't really enjoyed them last year, but considering his legendary status, I knew I must be missing something. When I started listening to The Martian Chronicles narrated by Scott Brick, I realized what had been wrong. Bradbury's poetic prose demands to be read aloud, and it comes to life with the right narrator. His storytelling style makes you feel like a kid curled up next to the fireplace in winter, listening to your grandfather tell stories of his life. In particular, Tim Robbins does a fantastic job with Fahrenheit 451, and Christian Rummel gives an impressive performance with all the characters in Something Wicked, including the innocence of Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade on the verge of becoming young men, the bittersweet wisdom of the father Charles Halloway, and the sinister hiss of the evil Mr. Dark.

The story is simple but filled with vivid and memorable scenes. Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade are two 13-year-old friends growing up in rural Green Town, Illinois, the same setting as Bradbury's Dandelion Wine and modeled after his own upbringing in Waukegan, Illinois. One night, a mysterious carnival called Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show comes to town in late October, well past the usual season. The boys are drawn to it and witness a frightening carousel that goes backwards while playing wild calliope music, reducing Mr. Cooger from an adult to a 12-year-old boy. This metaphor for life and the desire to return to youth (or to get older quickly, as Jim is drawn to it) is central to the story and a very adroit image indeed.

The two boys go through a number of adventures as they are hunted by Mr. Dark and his minions, all the while not being believed by the adults of the town. Will then turns to his father, Charles Halloway, for aid. Initially, he is skeptical, and there is a very touching late-night father-son talk in which they clumsily try to bridge their gap in age and life experiences. Eventually, Charles overcomes years of disillusionment and solitude to confront the sinister Mr. Dark and become a hero for his young son.
There are amazingly described scenes throughout the book, particularly the 3 am arrival of the carnival, Will and Jim's first glimpses of the carousel's powers, Miss Foley getting lost in the house of mirrors, the nighttime hunt of the boys by the Dust Witch in a balloon, Charles' confrontation with Mr. Dark during a parade to hide the boys hiding directly below, a long expository interlude in the library where Charles explains his theories on how the carnival got its start as a parasitical evil force that feeds on fear and despair, the subsequent confrontation with Mr. Dark and the Dust Witch in the library, and the final battle against Mr. Dark and his crew of carnival freaks at the carnival.
The themes of Something Wicked are timeless. For the young boys, the adult world is both enticing and terrifying, filled with dark and sinister forces. At the same time, the older Charles Halloway sees things from the opposite perspective, wishing for his lost youth and the wasted middle years of his life, and the pain of not knowing how to connect with his son. The carnival is also a powerful image of the temptations of dark powers and how they feed on the fears and vanities of people. Thus, when Charles rises to the occasion to battle these powers, it is a titanic struggle between good and evil that is carried out in a very understated way compared to the pyrotechnics of today's books and movies.
The description language of Bradbury is quite colorful, sometimes perhaps too much, but never pedestrian. When I read it first, I found it a bit overwrought and purple, but somehow hearing it narrated really let it sink into my mind's eye. Here's a sample to give you a taste: "Mr. Dark came carrying his panoply of friends, his jewel-case assortment of calligraphical reptiles which lay sunning themselves at midnight on his flesh. With him strode the stitch-inked Tyrannosaurus rex, which lent to his haunches a machined and ancient wellspring mineral-oil glide. As the thunder lizard strode, all glass-bead pomp, so strode Mr. Dark, armored with vile lightning scribbles of carnivores and sheep blasted by that thunder and arun before storms of juggernaut flesh. It was the pterodactyl kite and scythe which raised his arms almost to fly the marbled vaults. And with the inked and stencilled flashburnt shapes of pistoned or bladed doom came his usual crowd of hangers-on, spectators gripped to each limb, seated on shoulder blades, peering from his jungled chest, hung upside down in microscopic millions in his armpit vaults screaming bat-screams for encounters, ready for the hunt and if need be the kill. Like a black tidal wave upon a bleak shore, a dark tumult infilled with phosphorescent beauties and badly spoiled dreams, Mr. Dark sounded and hissed his feet, his legs, his body, his sharp face forward."
In the end, I found myself carried away by the power of Bradbury's writing and also the poignancy of the story of Will and Jim on the cusp of manhood, while Will's father Charles struggles to come to grips with life at the other end of experience. As a father of a teen, I suddenly realized how much I could empathize with Charles, even more so than Will and Jim. It is a story that any parent can appreciate, or anyone who has lived through life's bittersweet experiences but still thinks back fondly of more innocent times.

Leveling any complaints against Bradbury seems like a literary crime.

However, I'm afraid I didn't enjoy "Something Wicked" as much as I feel I should have. The plot was truly interesting and right up my alley. An evil carnival comes to town and preys on the unsuspecting citizens.

The execution, unfortunately, left me desiring more.

The first problem lies in the prose, which is a bit outdated. It's similar to what I encountered with "The Haunting of Hill House." It simply hasn't aged well over the past 40 - 50 years.

It doesn't necessarily decrease the quality of the novel, but it makes one acutely aware that it was written in a different era. For me, this made it challenging to truly lose myself in the story.

The other aspect that prevented me from fully engaging is Bradbury's lyrical writing style. It is indeed very poetic and beautiful, but it's not the most natural way of speaking.

Quite often, I had to reread a sentence one or two times and really focus on the words because my brain didn't naturally follow what was being read.

The focus seems to be more on the way the story is told rather than the actual story itself. It doesn't draw you in closely to the characters and their situation; instead, it keeps you on the outside as you watch what unfolds. I couldn't immerse myself in it, which is what I prefer when reading.

Finally, the resolution is just a little too feel-good for my taste. I understand that good conquers evil, but Bradbury didn't handle this concept very subtly.

This review might sound more negative than my actual feelings about the book, but these issues did somewhat detract from my enjoyment. I still really liked the plot and the characters from the carnival. Mr. Dark, the tattooed proprietor of the carnival, is definitely a villain to remember.

If you're looking to experience some of the classic American authors, I'd recommend Bradbury over almost everyone else.

Hmm, I find myself in a dilemma, torn between awarding this book 4 or 5 stars.

It truly is creepy, and as Stephen King put it, “darkly poetic”. It has this captivating allure that seems to draw you in, perhaps like the Dust Witch. The writing is exquisite, filled with wonderfully descriptive passages that paint vivid pictures in your mind. Above all, it is a work by Ray Bradbury, a master of the craft.

However, in my opinion, it doesn't quite reach the level of “The Martian Chronicles”. There could be two reasons for this. Firstly, I read TMC when I was young and impressionable, and my love for that book has endured. Secondly, while this book is written just as beautifully in Bradbury's typical style, TMC contains an element of science fiction, which is my favorite genre.

The story centers around Green Town and the events that unfold when the carnival arrives, affecting two young boys and one of their fathers. Written by the maestro of prose, this book is an absolute joy to immerse oneself in, to experience, and to read.

Oh, alright then, it's definitely 5 stars ⭐️.

Ray Bradbury was an exceptionally gifted writer. His choice of words was meticulous, and each sentence was beautifully crafted with great care and precision. However, when it comes to the plot of Something Wicked This Way Comes, it seems to lack the depth and complexity that one might expect from a work of such renown. In fact, it has as much finesse as a Goosebumps book.

The story follows two boys, Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade, as they encounter a mysterious traveling carnival that brings with it a host of strange and terrifying events. While the premise is intriguing, the execution falls somewhat short. The characters are not fully developed, and the plot often feels rushed and contrived. There are moments of great tension and excitement, but these are few and far between.

Overall, while Bradbury's writing style is undeniably beautiful, the plot of Something Wicked This Way Comes leaves something to be desired. It is a book that could have been so much more, but ultimately fails to live up to its potential.

Summer is now just a distant memory, and autumn has arrived at our doorstep.

There is a desperate cry for help, seeking answers.

A factory of dreams emerges from the darkness, a sordid purveyor of nightmares.

The eyes of the youth betray the sadness of time slipping away.

Two boys, a mysterious amusement park, and the people of autumn all come together in this strange tale.

The atmosphere is reminiscent of Stephen King's works, with a blend of the weird, the fantastical, and the horrific, yet without being overly verbose.

Through the eyes of the two young protagonists, Will and Jim, who are lost in their childish fantasies, we bear witness to extraordinary events that will soon turn their dreams into terrifying nightmares from which they must flee.

I am not easily impressed by horror novels, but if I were a writer, I would have loved to pen this story. It has a unique charm and an ability to draw the reader in and keep them on the edge of their seat.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury is a classic that I regrettably waited far too long to read. However, I'm extremely glad I did, especially as part of a large buddy read!

What it's about: A dark and menacing carnival known as Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show arrives in the small town of Green Town, Illinois, in the dead of an October night. The only witnesses to its setup are two young boys, Jim Nightshade and Will Halloway. Both 13, almost 14, born just 3 minutes apart, they are as different as light and dark, yet the best of friends, living right next door to each other. Initially, they are both intrigued by the carnival, though for different reasons. But this interest soon evolves into a battle of good and evil, with Will's father emerging as a surprising ally.

This book is truly unique. At first, I thought I was too dense to understand much of what was happening, and perhaps that's still somewhat true. I found Something Wicked This Way Comes to be simultaneously highly illustrative, verbose, and philosophical. Bradbury's descriptions are incredibly vivid, spending a great deal of time ensuring the reader can not only envision the scenes but also feel them.

It is written in a style that, when I first began, felt like a series of riddles. The flow seemed choppy to me, and I really had to sit down and read for a while before I could get into it and make sense of what I was reading. I believe Something Wicked This Way Comes would be best read in one sitting to avoid being pulled out of the narrative. Once you're immersed, it's difficult to return to other books you might be reading.

I also highly recommend buddy reading it! I was part of a group hosted by @outofthebex on Instagram, and I'm very glad I had the opportunity to discuss it with others. This way, I could have the parts I didn't understand explained by someone else and ask questions when I was confused. It's just so different that I think it requires discussion with others.

Final Thought: While not overly creepy in today's book world, Something Wicked This Way Comes still has some solid elements of creepiness (especially if you can decipher the writing!). I really liked the edition I had because it included the story behind the book and why Bradbury dedicated it to Gene Kelly. I think this is an excellent choice for a classic to read in the fall or near Halloween!