Scan barcode
rhimojo's review against another edition
It’s super misogynistic. I was going to try and get through it anyway bc I wanted to know how to story panned out, and he does write well (if a little pompously, and—as mentioned—misogynistically), but then the 2024 election happened and I just couldn’t stomach any more misogyny. Decided I wasn’t going to spend any more time on it as I have plenty of books by awesome female authors to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Ableism and Racism
drone232's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
A classic of children's literature. Reminded me of a kids Stephen King or of an RL Stine with adult vocabulary. PG 13 work with high verbiage and lots of references to other classical works. Best for well read people. The plot itself was very nice, I liked the characters, I liked the atmosphere. The mystery of it all and the creepy ideas. It does suffer some from the culture of its age with the shallow racism and sexism. That teacher in the story got done dirty.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism, Sexism, and Kidnapping
solypoly's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Feel like I have a lot to think about with this one. I’ve noticed several reviews where people say they feel like they would have liked this book if they had read it when they were ~13 (the age of two of the main characters) but I think there is a lot I would have missed from this had I read it as a child.
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Death, Racism, Violence, and Kidnapping
jayisreading's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
2.75
I think the best way to explain how I feel about this novel is that I wish it was written by someone else. I really liked the premise and overall atmosphere of the novel, considering that it had an autumnal setting with the right amount of eerie and unsettling. Unfortunately, I think Bradbury’s delivery of the story fell short, and I would say his writing style is somewhat to blame. There were some instances when his distinct lyricism worked in his favor, but in most other cases, I found it strange and cumbersome, which made it difficult for me to fully immerse myself into the story. Regarding plot and characters, it was hard for me to get a lot out of either because of Bradbury’s writing style, or I felt that they lacked substance, particularly the characters. Another issue I had with the novel was the language, which I found really dated. To be fair to Bradbury, this isn’t his fault— It’s just how things go as language about certain things and ideas change over time.
I really wanted to like this novel, but it didn’t work for me. I also think it’s quite possible that I’m just not a fan of Bradbury’s writings, despite being interested in the themes and ideas he has. (This is also likely why I started this review with the wish that someone else had written this novel.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Misogyny and Racism
Minor: Alcohol
felofhe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Confinement, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, and Gaslighting
olavboi1003's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Beautifully written and wonderfully imaginative, but suffers from some indulgent writing and poorly aged politics. Bradbury was a fantastic writer, but he did once describe Ronald Reagan as "the greatest president we ever had." That conservatism makes his work slightly less pallatable for me, especially in his work which glorifies childhood and "simpler times" but luckily he was also very talented and insightful.
I'm somewhat mixed on the book, but I'm glad I read it. Mr. Dark is now one my favourite literary antagonists. He is so great, especially his last scene.
I'm somewhat mixed on the book, but I'm glad I read it. Mr. Dark is now one my favourite literary antagonists. He is so great, especially his last scene.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Racism
rabidteddybear's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Body horror and Xenophobia
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, and Gun violence
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Racism, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol
savvylit's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
Published in 1962, this novel is considered a Halloween classic. It's easy to see why -- Bradbury masterfully blends sci-fi and fantasy to create some very scary forces. At the heart of this book's spookiness is a magical carousel that can age its riders either forward or backward. This carousel, plus the inner monologues of Will's dad Charles Halloway, all point towards the true terror of mortality: aging. This particular theme is incredibly well-executed.
The merits of Something Wicked are evident - Ray Bradbury celebrates both the golden days of youth and father-son bonds. That being said, this book is probably best targeted towards middle grade audiences. I found it to be a little too childish for my taste. On top of that, Charles Halloway's monologues are all a bizarre and distinct brand of mid-20th century sexism. The passages about women being innocent and always sleeping soundly were strange and grating.
Overall, perhaps the best part of this book is Bradbury's talent for poetic prose. Here are a few of my favorite sentences:
"And if it’s around October twentieth and everything smoky-smelling and the sky orange and ash gray at twilight, it seems Halloween will never come in a fall of broomsticks and a soft flap of bed-sheets around corners."
"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 each other."
"The dust was antique spice, burnt maple leaves, a prickling blue that teemed and sifted to earth. Swarming its own shadows, the dust filtered over the tents."
The merits of Something Wicked are evident - Ray Bradbury celebrates both the golden days of youth and father-son bonds. That being said, this book is probably best targeted towards middle grade audiences. I found it to be a little too childish for my taste. On top of that, Charles Halloway's monologues are all a bizarre and distinct brand of mid-20th century sexism. The passages about women being innocent and always sleeping soundly were strange and grating.
Overall, perhaps the best part of this book is Bradbury's talent for poetic prose. Here are a few of my favorite sentences:
"And if it’s around October twentieth and everything smoky-smelling and the sky orange and ash gray at twilight, it seems Halloween will never come in a fall of broomsticks and a soft flap of bed-sheets around corners."
"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 each other."
"The dust was antique spice, burnt maple leaves, a prickling blue that teemed and sifted to earth. Swarming its own shadows, the dust filtered over the tents."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Death, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Racism
chrisljm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
i would’ve appreciated the ending more if i even slightly cared for any of the other parts
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism