You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
Some of the stories in this collection I'd read before, like "Skeleton," "Uncle Einar," and "The Small Assassin," but it had been quite a while. Others I didn't remember ever reading before like "The Scythe," "The Wind," and "The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone." That last in particular really caught my attention; as a writer myself, I often wonder about the weird twists of fate and luck and chance that make or break a writer and their reputation. I was expecting a sad or morbid story, but it's actually one of the most hopeful and happy ones in this collection. While some I liked more than others, when it comes to short stories, you can't go wrong reading Ray Bradbury.
A spooky collection of stories. I do think the last two and and The Scythe were my favourite.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
A very good collection from Ray Bradbury. I especially liked The Lake, The Crowd, The Scythe, Skeleton, Homecoming, and The Next In Line.
This is my second read, it has been over 25 years since I last read it. My teacher in high school picked this book for my elective class, Science fiction. I rated here on Goodread many years after I read it, so I gave it three stars and when it came time to reread it I was hoping I would get it to 4 stars but again I am just not loving these stories. There are 19 stories in this collection and I will rate each one below.
I think what disappointed me the most my first time through was that I was expecting sci-fi and got weird and somewhat Twilight Zone stories. I wanted to like this series of stories more than I actually liked them. I read the Illustrated Man a few years ago and loved most of those stories, these ones seemed like his lesser stories. I will give it more of 3.5 and this time I will round up to 4 stars.
The Dwarf: 2.5/5
The Next in Line: 1.5/5 - This one seemed to go on for too long, I kept thinking It was over and then there was more. I also figured out the ending way early.
The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse: 2.5/5
Skeleton: 3.5/5 – One man’s fight with his own skeleton.
The Jar: 4/5 – A story of a carnival attractions in a Jar. Creepy at times and interesting of what people’s imagination had about the Jar.
The Lake: 5/5 – This story was the saddest story in the collection and very good.
The Emissary: 3/5 – I think Dean Koontz would love this story. A story of a boy and his dog.
Touched With Fire: 3/5
The Small Assassin: 4.5/5 – Creepy and another good one.
The Crowd: 2.5/5 – I liked it but not satisfied with the ending.
Jack-in-the-box: 2.5/5
The Scythe: 4.5/5 – I think I liked this one because of the connection to an actual farm with Death.
Uncle Einar: 4.5/5 – An uncle with wings.
The Wind: 4/5 – Creepy in the way some of the Twilight Zone episodes were, was it all in the friend’s mind or was the wind really after him.
The Man Upstairs: 4.5/5
There Was an Old Woman: 4/5
The Cistern: 1/5 – Probably my least favorite, I remembered not like it way back when in high school
Homecoming: 4/5 – A continuation of Uncle Einar
The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone: 4/5
I think what disappointed me the most my first time through was that I was expecting sci-fi and got weird and somewhat Twilight Zone stories. I wanted to like this series of stories more than I actually liked them. I read the Illustrated Man a few years ago and loved most of those stories, these ones seemed like his lesser stories. I will give it more of 3.5 and this time I will round up to 4 stars.
The Dwarf: 2.5/5
The Next in Line: 1.5/5 - This one seemed to go on for too long, I kept thinking It was over and then there was more. I also figured out the ending way early.
The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse: 2.5/5
Skeleton: 3.5/5 – One man’s fight with his own skeleton.
The Jar: 4/5 – A story of a carnival attractions in a Jar. Creepy at times and interesting of what people’s imagination had about the Jar.
The Lake: 5/5 – This story was the saddest story in the collection and very good.
The Emissary: 3/5 – I think Dean Koontz would love this story. A story of a boy and his dog.
Touched With Fire: 3/5
The Small Assassin: 4.5/5 – Creepy and another good one.
The Crowd: 2.5/5 – I liked it but not satisfied with the ending.
Jack-in-the-box: 2.5/5
The Scythe: 4.5/5 – I think I liked this one because of the connection to an actual farm with Death.
Uncle Einar: 4.5/5 – An uncle with wings.
The Wind: 4/5 – Creepy in the way some of the Twilight Zone episodes were, was it all in the friend’s mind or was the wind really after him.
The Man Upstairs: 4.5/5
There Was an Old Woman: 4/5
The Cistern: 1/5 – Probably my least favorite, I remembered not like it way back when in high school
Homecoming: 4/5 – A continuation of Uncle Einar
The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone: 4/5
Sometimes, I prefer authors' long stories over short, and I found this to be the case with October Country. Like most short story anthologies, there were some great stories, but also some that fell a bit flat, and some where I saw the ending coming before the story really got to start. Worth the read for Bradbury fans.
I originally read The October Country during my freshman year of high school in 2011. The book left a big impression on me (I even wrote a song about it with my high school band). But in the 13-ish years since I originally read this collection, I have forgotten how most of the stories end, which allowed me to have a fresh reading experience where I remembered the general ideas of the stories, but not much else.
After re-reading this collection again during the Halloween 2024 season, I am reminded as to why I have always viewed Bradbury as my favorite author. The stories within The October Country can be serious, playful, melancholic, humorous, cruel, and fun. And no matter the tone of the story, Bradbury writes each one with poetic grace that often made my jaw drop from just the quality of the writing alone.
"The Lake" and "The Emissary" are my two favorites from the set. Both of these stories, which occur back to back, are so profoundly sad that I cried while reading both of them...and then "The Emissary" - before you know it - turns into a horror story on the last few pages, which left me stunned; terrified and sad; my eyes still wet from tears. It was a wild rush of emotions and a truly special moment that I won't soon forget.
I'm pretty sure there is something for everyone in this book...and if not, thank god I am one of the people that it is for. This is a masterpiece in every respect, and is now, assuredly, one of my all-time favorite books.
After re-reading this collection again during the Halloween 2024 season, I am reminded as to why I have always viewed Bradbury as my favorite author. The stories within The October Country can be serious, playful, melancholic, humorous, cruel, and fun. And no matter the tone of the story, Bradbury writes each one with poetic grace that often made my jaw drop from just the quality of the writing alone.
"The Lake" and "The Emissary" are my two favorites from the set. Both of these stories, which occur back to back, are so profoundly sad that I cried while reading both of them...and then "The Emissary" - before you know it - turns into a horror story on the last few pages, which left me stunned; terrified and sad; my eyes still wet from tears. It was a wild rush of emotions and a truly special moment that I won't soon forget.
I'm pretty sure there is something for everyone in this book...and if not, thank god I am one of the people that it is for. This is a masterpiece in every respect, and is now, assuredly, one of my all-time favorite books.
“Quite suddenly he had broadened my horizons. I was so grateful...”
I have really loved some of Bradbury's work, namely [b:The Illustrated Man|24830|The Illustrated Man|Ray Bradbury|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1374049820s/24830.jpg|1065861] and [b:Something Wicked This Way Comes|248596|Something Wicked This Way Comes (Green Town, #2)|Ray Bradbury|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1409596011s/248596.jpg|1183550], but I really struggled through this story collection. Some of them somewhat held my attention, but for the most part I found them more vague than eerie. So, bummer. But I did complete my 2016 Book Riot challenge with 2 days to spare...