Scan barcode
A review by budge
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This novel is wildly imaginative and deliciously spooky in parts. The story seemed to be about both coming of age and coming to terms with our own mortality. <<Spoilers>> I also liked the final reveal of the metaphor for life and simple message of how to cope with the nightmare of existence and resist the temptation to be manipulated by people who like to prey on human weaknesses. I'm glad I didn't read the introduction in this 2015 edition because it reveals that message before you've even started the story, so you wouldn't get that satisfying feeling when everything falls into place. The message is slightly disappointing though in the same way as the resolution of most of Dr Who's cliffhangers are, ie it's a bit too easy and doesn't quite ring true. I also found the style so richly bejewelled with hyphenated meta-adjectives that it was a bit difficult at times to follow the thread of what was going on, although I did enjoy them individually and often went back to savour them a bit, which is meant it took me an awfully long time to read the book.
The other problem I had with it was that I felt a bit excluded as a woman. I had no problem identifying with the two boys who were the main characters in the book and to a lesser extent their Dad, but then they start saying that women don't have trouble sleeping because they can have children and are therefore immortal in a way, so don't have to worry about dying, and they cry a lot. The female characters in the book are a sad spinster who wants to be young again, a crying girly, a terribly sensible mother who doesn't understand things like wanting to escape into the moonlight by climbing down from the bedroom window at night, and a wicked ugly witch who tries to control the main characters and and gets shot by the hero man. At least there isn't a beautiful sexy mysteriously knowing fantasy woman to complete the set.
The sideshow "freak" characters seem to be either possessed or evil as in so many books/ films etc and, as with the women, they are not given any sort of personality that you can relate to. It also has the main characters combatting that evil by singing part of an extremely racist song. Oh dear. <<Spoilers>>
Having read the whole Ray Bradbury section of my local library (they didn't have this one) when I was quite young I fell in love with him and don't remember them being at all problematic in that way, but I have a strong suspicion that it's because it was the seventies and we were so steeped in discriminatory attitudes then that I just didn't notice, so I'm thinking maybe best not to re-read the others now.
The other problem I had with it was that I felt a bit excluded as a woman. I had no problem identifying with the two boys who were the main characters in the book and to a lesser extent their Dad, but then they start saying that women don't have trouble sleeping because they can have children and are therefore immortal in a way, so don't have to worry about dying, and they cry a lot. The female characters in the book are a sad spinster who wants to be young again, a crying girly, a terribly sensible mother who doesn't understand things like wanting to escape into the moonlight by climbing down from the bedroom window at night, and a wicked ugly witch who tries to control the main characters and and gets shot by the hero man. At least there isn't a beautiful sexy mysteriously knowing fantasy woman to complete the set.
The sideshow "freak" characters seem to be either possessed or evil as in so many books/ films etc and, as with the women, they are not given any sort of personality that you can relate to. It also has the main characters combatting that evil by singing part of an extremely racist song. Oh dear. <<Spoilers>>
Having read the whole Ray Bradbury section of my local library (they didn't have this one) when I was quite young I fell in love with him and don't remember them being at all problematic in that way, but I have a strong suspicion that it's because it was the seventies and we were so steeped in discriminatory attitudes then that I just didn't notice, so I'm thinking maybe best not to re-read the others now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Misogyny and Racism
Minor: Death and Violence