Reviews

A Medicine for Melancholy and Other Stories by Ray Bradbury

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lyonnesse16's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

deve2k's review

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5.0

I don't think I'll ever feel joy again after this...

This is one of those stories that makes you want to destroy things... and by "destroy" I mean "kill." I cannot begin to tell you how much I HATE this story. Okay... I'm lying. As you can see by my rating, it's an amazing short story. It teaches you so many things! It's such a short story you wonder, "Why are there not stories written like this in novel format?" To answer your question, friends: Books today suck. But that's not why I'm here today! I'm here to rant and rave and tell you how much this story infuriates me, fascinates me, and taught me, long ago, how to be a person. I think it's vital for everyone to read this. Even if you're an adult or a child (I read this when I was in second grade/six years old), it can benefit you as a person. It'll help you grow, teach you what not to do to a person, and (most importantly) teach you not to crush someone's dreams. Anyone's dreams. That is the lowest of the low you could ever hope to achieve.

In my honest opinion, I think Ray Bradbury did an amazing job with this story. I read it back in elementary school and I remember the HUGE impact it made me as a child. In fact, thanks to this story (and a few other events in life), I was able to grow into the person I am today. I learned how evil it is to be jealous and where that jealousy could go. I never wished harm on anyone (unless they deserved it), I never wanted to destroy anyone's dreams, and it helped me be creative! I know, this last one doesn't seem to fit. However, I'm talking about my personal experiences. Reading this story as a child brought my dreams of a world that didn't include a sun to fruition! It sounds depressing, I'm aware, but I never liked the sun. The sun, for me, symbolizes a false hope. A light shining down on you just to bring unwanted attention. It represents me being in the spotlight, having many adults surround you, expecting everything from you, and going out to the edge just to please them. The sun (besides the God-awful heat, the unbearable brightness to it, the inevitable sweat and smell that comes with it) seems to shine on all the ugly in the world just to emphasize how imperfect everything is. A world where there was absolutely no sun, only rain to wash away all the grime and filth and nothing to emphasize how imperfect everything is... that was a world I wanted. And although the message here is nothing of the sort, I wanted that. This story helped me to believe that it's not impossible to find such a world. Years later, I still feel that way. I understand that the sun represents life, hope, and freedom. However, growing up the way I did... death, deprived, and prisoner was its meaning to me... besides, it just makes you feel so bloody uncomfortable! Who likes that sticky, sweaty feeling it gives someone? Ugh!

Anyway, no more ranting for me. Let's get back to the actual story! The writing was amazing! There's a few lines in this short story that made me go... "Wow... that was written beautifully!" I love Bradbury's depictions of Venus. It brings a smile to my face. And it's bloody Venus! I hate Venus! It's my least favorite planet, aside from Mercury! But he managed to make me want to see it just for how he described the entire thing. I love this story and the message it gets across by the time you read it. This story IS mostly focused on the message more than the actual characters. Mind you, there are some characters worth mentioning. Like Margot. She's this cute little girl who used to live on Earth and had to move to Venus because of her parents' jobs. She's rather depressed because she is a child who absolutely loves the sun. When I was young, I never understood it because I hated the sun (you know why now). However, reading this again as I'm now older, I know exactly how she feels like. I sympathize with her. I know what it's like having something you love so much taken away, having to move to a place that represents your hell, and then having no one understand what you are going through. It hits home... straight home... Also, being the center of other kids' amusement, the target of bullying, it... it's rough. Everything Margot went through, though being in slightly different circumstances, I can relate to. She's a very precious child and I do love her quite dearly. I'm not going to say things like "I hope for the best" because being on the other end of things and knowing how painful they can be, those words mean nothing except an empty promise and more hurt. I will say this, she must keep fighting. For herself and no one else. Giving up is the worst thing to do. I won't tell her to keep fighting but I will advise it. It... will bring something... not sure what... but something will come of it... *Shrugs* Might not be so bad either.

Those blasted kids! I hate them! Truly hate them! Remember how I learned not to wish any harm on others? Yeah, well, I also learned it's okay if they deserve it, and damn it, they deserve it! That whole "Must not be hateful and must always bring peace" bullcrap doesn't go with me. There's no way you can be peaceful in this bloody world. It's not possible. So I say, "BRING THESE BASTARDS DOWN!!!" fits a lot more than that crap. Revenge... is always sweet~ In any case, I'm not saying that's the message here either. No. The message is... a bit depressing and a lot more meaningful... I'm just saying what life taught me! XD Yeah... I want these kids to suffer. But no! They are not the only ones I am mad at! I don't like the teacher either! As a kid, you don't really think about it, but she has just as much fault as those kids! When she was going to let them out into the sun, all she did was ask "Are we all here?" instead of actually checking herself! How irresponsible was that!? Completely! Maybe it's because I studied this for my ECE (Early Childhood Education) degree I was able to pick up on her behavior, but if she was my kid's teacher, I'd have her hanged! No joke about that! That was so careless on her part. If she knew how to be a proper teacher, none of this would have happened to Margot. Stupid teachers... I swear, teachers suck! Anyone who loves their teacher to death are rejects because the majority suck and will turn on you in a second... (Except the rare ones that are actually cool... you guys are excluded in this rant.)

To sum up my rambling, this is a fantastic short story! It helps you turn into a more positive person! (Hard to believe considering what you just read above...) If you have children, let them read this... or better yet!!! Read it with your child and point out all the good and bad. This is such a good educational piece for your child or anyone's child to read. I highly recommend it. It might seem a bit depressing for them but don't shield your child so much! The world is ugly and they must face facts that not everything is going to glow under the rays of the sun. However, if they read this, once they grow up... they might just make it a little closer to it... just a little. Help them grow into worthwhile people. That, my lovely readers, can be the biggest gift you ever give your children. Teach them and maybe... one day... that "sun" you all seem to be so crazy about? Yeah, it could be theirs... if only you let them.

ntembeast's review

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5.0

...yes, I remember now. I read this story many years ago, when I was still just a child. I was probably younger than even the kids in this story who are all nine. I remember reading this because of the impact it left on me for the rest of my life. It's a story that is one of the only ones I remember out of those early years of my childhood. And it revolutionized my world. It introduced me to so many things. It showed me a world that was not mine, a world as foreign and alien as if I had been truly sent to another planet on which to live. It was ugly, it was dark, and it was a trap. My heart screamed with fear and horror when I read this story.... That's what I was introduced to. To fear... and to horror. Fear that something so wonderful like my Sun, my beautiful and health-bringing Sun, could be somehow stolen away from me. But what's worse... is that my fellow classmates could do that to me.

I had a lot of trust issues when I was a kid. Thinking back now, I wonder if this could have influenced me even then. I wonder if it could have thrown my world even more into mortification at the actions that humans--even children who are so wonderful at times, but so cruel at others--can commit. A part of my mind, the more message-aware part makes my brain tick and say: Do you see the political messages they were sending kids those days? *Chuckles* But I'm not here to talk about politics thankfully. We could talk forever about this very debatable topic, and I'd really rather not begin wars, but discussions.

I grew from reading this story, no matter what set of mind it tried to throw me into. It showed me a new and frightening range of the human capacity that my innocent, optimistic mind had never even conceived was possible. Thank you, though I say it with some bitterness, for corrupting that belief with so beautiful and picturesque a story. Though it taught me, and taught me with the least pain possible--I am glad to have read such a story. It was horrible, it was vicious... it tore me to the soul, and still does.... But I learned from it the other end of the possibilities given to us in this life. And I learned it safely. In a classroom with friends. In a class with a teacher I trusted. In a place where we all got the same message, and we all felt the same agony and pain. We were closer because of that story, and we were more experienced because of it.

Perhaps if every person in this world read this story, they might gain more respect for their own actions, and the way others feel. *Smiles warmly* It's an amazing short work, and will pierce you to the soul with its home-hitting message. At only a handful pages, it's totally worth the read. I think you'll be surprised by how amazing a story a few pages can make. Please, definitely give your time to this. You will not regret the experience, no matter how harsh it might be.

mnakka9's review

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5.0

Ray Bradbury is a legend!

rafternorth's review

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5.0

“Captain Hart gave him back the binoculars wearily. “Why do we do it, Martin? This space travel, I mean. Always on the go. Always searching. Our insides always tight, never any rest.”

“Maybe we’re looking for peace and quiet. Certainly there’s none on Earth,” said Martin.
“No, there’s not, is there?” Captain Hart was thoughtful, the fire damped down. “Not since Darwin, eh? Not since everything went by the board, everything we used to believe in, eh? Divine power and all that. And so you think maybe that’s why we’re going out to the stars, eh, Martin? Looking for our lost souls, is that it? Trying to get away from our evil planet to a good one?”

“Perhaps, sir. Certainly we’re looking for something.”

I crave this collection in all formats. After reading “Fahrenheit 451” I realized I needed more Bradbury in my life. As quick as was possible. This was just what I was looking for. Bradbury’s writing is very interesting to me. His stories are more focused on the individual and on feelings than on what you would expect from someone who mainly stays in the Science Fiction/Fantasy world. He’s more vague, not concerned with the scientific explanations like Clarke. He just sort of has ideas and goes with it. Time Machine in the attic? You got it. Alien Mushrooms taking over the world? Why not? Not knowing why things are happening doesn’t bother me as it probably would with other writers. Bradbury’s having fun and so am I, so I don’t care.

I love short stories. When writers pull them off they can be as satisfying; maybe even more so as a tale that takes hundreds of pages to tell. It’s much harder in my opinion to tell a story with less words than it is more. And when it’s achieved, god is it glorious.

Bradbury reaches perfection in many of the stories collected here. Each really deserve their own reviews, but you and I would be here forever if I even attempted it. I will however give a score to each of these stories and will treat them as I would if I were rating each story on their own.

Ratings:

“In a Season of Calm Weather” - 4
“A Medicine for Melancholy” - 4
“The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit” - 5
“Fever Dream” - 4
“The Marriage Mender” - 3
“The Town Where No One Got Off” - 4.5
“A Scent of Sarsaparilla” - 5
“The Headpiece” - 3.5
“The First Night of Lent” - 4
“The Time of Going Away” - 4.5
“All Summer in a Day” - 4
“The Gift” - 3
“The Great of Monday Last” - 3.5
“The Little Mice” -3
“The Shore Line At Sunset” -4
“The Day It Rained Forever” - 4
“Chrysalis” - 5
“Pillar of Fire” - 5
“Zero Hour” - 5
“The Man” - 5
“Time in Thy Flight” - 2.5
“The Pedestrian” - 4.5
“Hail and Farewell” - 4
“Invisible Boy” -2.5
“Come into My Cellar” - 4.5
“The Million Year Picnic” - 4
“The Screaming Woman” - 5
“The Smile” - 5
“Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed” - 5
“The Trolley” - 3.5
“Icarus Montgolfier Wright” - 5
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Rating For Literary Achievement: 4 & 1/2 Stars

However, because it’s an impressive collection of stories and I feel like I would revisit many stories often, I will be placing it on my 5 Star shelf.