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jesus_wept's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
alaskan_bull_worm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Have you ever heard of the phrase “clear before clever”? I’m not sure Bradbury has. He has very rich descriptions in this book, but they are kind of too much. Sometimes I wasn’t sure what was happening because every other word was some metaphor. He also likes to put a hyphen in between two words to create a new adjective a lot. And he says something “was all adj., adj., adj.” I didn’t really like his writing style much. (I’m sure you can tell by now.) It really made it hard for me to get into the story. Occasionally his poetic style really worked, but the fact that is was nonstop was what really spoiled it for me. And that’s the thing, I think he should write poetry, not prose.
There were a few times his descriptions did impress me, such as #1 (in spoiler).
But mostly they were just too much. The plot itself was okay. (Maybe I only say that because I couldn’t get into it.) In terms of characterization, I particularly liked #2.
But by the end of the book, I was counting down the pages until I was done. I kind of feel like I shouldn’t be saying I don’t like this famous author so much, but my rating is as it stands.
And for a final comment, I watched the Disney movie version of this book before reading it. It wasn’t super good either, but it felt so close to being something really cool. Like they just barely missed their mark. And the ending was very different.
1. When he compared women and men to different clocks.
When Mr. Dark offered more time to Halloway.
In the beginning when he described the different months boys liked.
I feel like I’m missing something?
2. Mr. Dark was also the Illustrated Man. The descriptions of him were effective, and him being one of the “freaks” as well I liked. He wasn’t just some ringmaster far away from it all.
There were a few times his descriptions did impress me, such as #1 (in spoiler).
But mostly they were just too much. The plot itself was okay. (Maybe I only say that because I couldn’t get into it.) In terms of characterization, I particularly liked #2.
But by the end of the book, I was counting down the pages until I was done. I kind of feel like I shouldn’t be saying I don’t like this famous author so much, but my rating is as it stands.
And for a final comment, I watched the Disney movie version of this book before reading it. It wasn’t super good either, but it felt so close to being something really cool. Like they just barely missed their mark. And the ending was very different.
1. When he compared women and men to different clocks.
When Mr. Dark offered more time to Halloway.
In the beginning when he described the different months boys liked.
I feel like I’m missing something?
2. Mr. Dark was also the Illustrated Man. The descriptions of him were effective, and him being one of the “freaks” as well I liked. He wasn’t just some ringmaster far away from it all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, and Kidnapping
Minor: Child abuse, Death, and Misogyny
amandaquotidianbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
2022: This is such an odd book. This is some of Bradbury’s most beautiful writing, but it slows down the scenes to a snail’s pace. The book is an uncomfortable read, flip flopping between two boys hiding from relentless horrors to a 52-year-old man’s midlife crisis. Is this book for children or adults? It felt like it went on too long for me to enjoy it very much, though I understand why it is so beloved. (Also was uncomfortable with how the dwarf character was described as well as the overall exoticism that pervades the book.)
2017: This was creepier than I expected. Turns out I'm not a super fan of Bradbury's novels. I prefer his short stories. I found my attention scattered while reading this and so switched to the audiobook, which was better. I didn't love any of the main protagonists, so only 3 stars for this first read.
2017: This was creepier than I expected. Turns out I'm not a super fan of Bradbury's novels. I prefer his short stories. I found my attention scattered while reading this and so switched to the audiobook, which was better. I didn't love any of the main protagonists, so only 3 stars for this first read.
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism and Body shaming
brynn_books's review against another edition
3.0
This is not something I would normally pick up. I had to read it for school. This book was pretty creepy. I don’t know. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great. Maybe it just wasn’t my kind of book?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Misogyny, and Racism
Minor: Body shaming, Racial slurs, and Alcohol