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kgreene17's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
chuckie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
danielledtetreau's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Just scary enough for me, a wimp. I appreciated the themes of friendship and growing up and a little bit apart and learning about the wicked people. Coming of age as they say; but that a parent is there to help when you need them.
kayastray's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-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
3.0
lauraeydmann82's review against another edition
3.0
I’ve heard a lot of good things about Ray Bradbury but have never read any of his books. So I picked this up one day in a little bookshop and thought I’d give it a go. I didn’t find it easy to get into, it took me a while to get into the story. By the end I was much more into it and enjoying the characters and the story, but I wasn’t as gripped as I hoped I’d be.
The book tells the story of Will and Jim, who see a weird carnival coming to town late one October. They meet Mr Dark and Mr Cooger, the proprietors of the carnival - Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show. Over the course of the book they see things they shouldn’t have seen and out eventually hunted down by the carnival folk who are trying to kill them or change them (and Will’s dad, Charles) using sin, temptation, and supernatural powers. They have the ability to turn back the clock (and also to turn the clock forward) and try and tempt people by giving them youth.
Will, Jim and Will’s dad save the day (I won’t say any more as I don’t want to spoil) and there is a general theme of good versus bad, morality prevailing etc. Also, the whole idea of becoming youthful magically, each character is then alienated by their loved one’s as they are younger physically but not mentally, is seen as a bad thing, you only fear things that you let have power over you, and some of these things are ageing, loneliness and getting old.
I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. I love the whole magic, carnival, dark, gothic, Victoriana style stories normally, and this was beautifully written, very poetic and elegant, but I just didn’t quite get it. I’m not sure why. I still think it was a great I enjoyed it but it wasn’t as good as I had hoped. Will’s dad Charles is a great character and the more predominant he became in the book, the more I enjoyed it. His love of books and the library, and his beautiful speeches and ideas, and his behaviour and how he helps the boys save the day are great, and it was what made me enjoy this book.
The book tells the story of Will and Jim, who see a weird carnival coming to town late one October. They meet Mr Dark and Mr Cooger, the proprietors of the carnival - Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show. Over the course of the book they see things they shouldn’t have seen and out eventually hunted down by the carnival folk who are trying to kill them or change them (and Will’s dad, Charles) using sin, temptation, and supernatural powers. They have the ability to turn back the clock (and also to turn the clock forward) and try and tempt people by giving them youth.
Will, Jim and Will’s dad save the day (I won’t say any more as I don’t want to spoil) and there is a general theme of good versus bad, morality prevailing etc. Also, the whole idea of becoming youthful magically, each character is then alienated by their loved one’s as they are younger physically but not mentally, is seen as a bad thing, you only fear things that you let have power over you, and some of these things are ageing, loneliness and getting old.
I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. I love the whole magic, carnival, dark, gothic, Victoriana style stories normally, and this was beautifully written, very poetic and elegant, but I just didn’t quite get it. I’m not sure why. I still think it was a great I enjoyed it but it wasn’t as good as I had hoped. Will’s dad Charles is a great character and the more predominant he became in the book, the more I enjoyed it. His love of books and the library, and his beautiful speeches and ideas, and his behaviour and how he helps the boys save the day are great, and it was what made me enjoy this book.
bigcandle's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Sometimes you read the right book at the right time.
I've read very little Ray Bradbury, the only work by him I read before was All Summer in a Day, a short story about a colony on Venus, and a little girl who doesn't really fit in. I read it as a kid and it stuck with me, not for the plot, but the emotions and experiences he draws out so seemlessly that you don't realise you're getting choked up til you close the book. 15 years later and nothing has devastated or resonated with me quite like those 6 pages.
I wasn't expecting to have a similar experience reading a horror story about a creepy carnival, but here we are. Something Wicked This Way Comes is a wild and strange exploration of aging, mortality, friendship, parenthood, and loyalty, and it works so so well. The final few pages draw out the themes and smack you right in the face so you understand what you've just read. And it's just really great. And good to smack some sense into people who, like me, get too scared of death to enjoy life.
I'm reading the 1977 edition but alas can't find that version on here. It's my mum's copy, what she read when she was a kid.
I've read very little Ray Bradbury, the only work by him I read before was All Summer in a Day, a short story about a colony on Venus, and a little girl who doesn't really fit in. I read it as a kid and it stuck with me, not for the plot, but the emotions and experiences he draws out so seemlessly that you don't realise you're getting choked up til you close the book. 15 years later and nothing has devastated or resonated with me quite like those 6 pages.
I wasn't expecting to have a similar experience reading a horror story about a creepy carnival, but here we are. Something Wicked This Way Comes is a wild and strange exploration of aging, mortality, friendship, parenthood, and loyalty, and it works so so well. The final few pages draw out the themes and smack you right in the face so you understand what you've just read. And it's just really great. And good to smack some sense into people who, like me, get too scared of death to enjoy life.
I'm reading the 1977 edition but alas can't find that version on here. It's my mum's copy, what she read when she was a kid.
dragey74's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
ilman002's review against another edition
3.0
An enigmatic carnival is visiting Green Town, Illinois and weird things are happening. Can you imagine being a teenager and going for a sinister ride and leaving it as a very old man or a child? Well, that's essentially what happens in Ray Bradbury's critically acclaimed Something Wicked This Way Comes. The book deals with two teenagers James Nightshade and William Halloway who explore this magical carnival and things get spooky real quick.
I liked this book. As usual, Ray Bradbury's prose is phenomenal. His evocative language quickly sets the mood for the novel and doesn't let the reader go. It was hard to put this book down. I finished this novel in two sittings. While I enjoyed this book, I still think that Bradbury's short stories are his strongest suit.
I would recommend this novel to any fans of creepy stories and horror. I think this book is best enjoyed around Halloween. It's creepy and at times disturbing but not terribly scary. If you enjoy coming-of-age stories, you will probably like this book. The writing style is lyrical and stylistically complex. One critic said: "...this is a tale that everyone should read once before they forget what it is to have been young..." and I cannot agree more. Overall, I liked this novel but it wasn't Bradbury's best.
I liked this book. As usual, Ray Bradbury's prose is phenomenal. His evocative language quickly sets the mood for the novel and doesn't let the reader go. It was hard to put this book down. I finished this novel in two sittings. While I enjoyed this book, I still think that Bradbury's short stories are his strongest suit.
I would recommend this novel to any fans of creepy stories and horror. I think this book is best enjoyed around Halloween. It's creepy and at times disturbing but not terribly scary. If you enjoy coming-of-age stories, you will probably like this book. The writing style is lyrical and stylistically complex. One critic said: "...this is a tale that everyone should read once before they forget what it is to have been young..." and I cannot agree more. Overall, I liked this novel but it wasn't Bradbury's best.