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