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A review by lauraeydmann82
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
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.