Reviews

algo sinistro vem por ai by Ray Bradbury

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duffypratt's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I could have sworn that I had read this before, but I guess I only saw the movie. And from the little I remember of a thoroughly mediocre movie, it bears only a slight resemblance to the book.

I'd also heard great things about this, that it was one of Bradbury's best. I haven't read enough of him to be the judge, but I was actually a bit disappointed. As with Fahrenheit 451, the prose was sometimes brilliant, and sometimes terribly overblown. I had expected that. And while it didn't always strike me the right way, I also didn't find it particularly off-putting.

My bigger difficulty with the book basically comes from its structure. The way the book is put together, we are led to believe that Will is the protagonist. First off, that seemed a problem because Will is basically passive and a follower. But OK. Then, it turns out about 2/3rds of the way through that the story actually belongs to another character, who had been relatively minor all along. For me, this didn't work.

It feels like an early YA book, but the two youths in the book are there largely to serve the function of getting saved. I suppose that can work, but I typically don't like that sort of thing, nor do I generally like main characters who are almost completely passive.

Jim is slightly more interesting that Will, but he felt like a stereotypical amoral bad boy (and not in the pleasant Huck Finn sort of way). He is slightly more active than Will, but again, his actions only lead him into even worse trouble.

The villains in the book are fairly one dimensional, but much cooler in conception than the main characters. I especially liked the Illustrated Man and the witch. Moreover, the horror in the book, while being low-grade, and completely non-graphic, had a few moments that were genuinely creepy. And finally, I think Bradbury did an excellent job of writing in a way that puts the reader into an adolescent boys perspective, and an even better job of portraying a small town in rural America.

So I liked the book, but nowhere near as much as F451. And I'm on the fence about whether this tempts me to read more from Bradbury. I suppose at some point I will pick up The Martian Chronicles.

jess_mango's review against another edition

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3.0

While it was no Fahrenheit 451 (loved, loved, loved that book), Something Wicked This Way Comes was a quick enough read and just enjoyable enough that I didn't feel like I wasted a good portion of my life reading it. I guess for me dystopian book burning trumps creepy carnivals.

greenidmnstr's review against another edition

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5.0

This book took longer to read even though its one of the shorter ones. When I read novels, I watch a movie; this particular visualization came in strobe flashes of images and made it incredibly creepy but also difficult to read. It took a while to get through the book because of the syntax but I really enjoyed the unsettling feeling that grows as you move with the story. The depiction of the Dust Witch was probably my favorite and her interaction with the kids sent shivers down my spine. I really enjoyed this novel and although it seems like a light, quick read, I would warn you that it's much more than anything you can expect. Bradbury is proves that he's a master of his craft.