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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Everything Ray Bradbury writes is perfection. I love him more and more with each passing year. I'd like to nominate him for sainthood.
I'd read this before but it'd been a minute. Was creepier and more unsettling than i recalled, though. Made for some exquisitely creepy October nights! Good in any season though. Essential!
I'd read this before but it'd been a minute. Was creepier and more unsettling than i recalled, though. Made for some exquisitely creepy October nights! Good in any season though. Essential!
Is there anything better than Bradbury late in the year? He goes right along with pumpkins, autumn spices, wind that's just a little colder than cool, and warm cider. I'm a huge fan of his short fiction work, but have only ever read them here and there, collected in various multi-author anthologies. Reading them back to back does tend to take away a bit of the uniqueness of them, but his writing is still as powerful as ever.
(Favorites marked with *)
The Dwarf*- A fantastic start to this collection, focusing on one of Bradbury's auteuristic obsessions, a dwarf. The moment of shock comes in like a brief gust of ice-cold wind.
The Next in Line- The longest story of the bunch, which makes it a bit intimidating, but the placement of it within the collection is all the better for it. This tale is one of sinister intentions coming to the fore. The ending of this one, as nearly all in this collection are, is killer.
The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse- This is a rather blackly comic tale of hipsters and their relationship to the genuine article they base their aesthetic on.
Skeleton*- The first supernatural story in the collection fills you up with paranoia, only to lead you to an incredibly weird and unexpected climax.
The Jar*- Bradbury is dealing with folk far from the idealistic Americana of Green Town, Illinois in this story, and its portrayal of this community is what makes it standout in my recollection.
The Lake*- This may have been the first Bradbury story I ever read (it was either this or "The Fog Horn") and it remains an achingly powerful piece of heartbreak in the short-form.
The Emissary*- This is the kind of story I was expecting all to be in one titled "The October Country". It is painted floor to ceiling with gorgeous prose of autumnal atmosphere and is the first I will go for every October 1st.
Touched with Fire- A funny little story that doesn't entirely work, but isn't weak in the slightest. The hardest thing to get over is that you, as the reader, are two steps ahead of the story at every page.
The Small Assassin*- A stone-cold classic in every sense. A knockout with a compelling narrative and a truly haunting finale.
The Crowd- An interesting premise that doesn't feel quite as explored as it might have been. Still, it doesn't overstay its welcome and is a breeze to read.
Jack-in-the-Box- Reminded me a bit of other Gothic tales of isolation I've read in the past, that seems a bit unfocused and loose. The ending makes it worthwhile, though.
The Scythe- A story of ill fate constructed around what I can imagine could be very iconic imagery.
Uncle Einar- I have encountered this story and the titular character before when I read From the Dust Returned. As a standalone story, it works as a light hug in contrast of the darkness the dwells within its sisters' and brothers' pages.
The Wind- Another heartbreaking story of the inevitable, that can easily be seen as a metaphor for letting pass moments to be with your loved ones and friends because you think there will always be tomorrow.
The Man Upstairs*- A wicked little story that is made up of so many fascinating details and pieces. Seeing the world through colored glass is something we might all want to try.
There Was an Old Woman- This might be the funniest story of the bunch. A totally different take on what could become a tired kind of story.
The Cistern- This story seems to be more an exercise in imagery than anything else. Almost as if Bradbury had several vivid pictures he saw in his head and had to get on the page. This is another one that is pulled together well by its ending.
Homecoming*- as with the story "Uncle Einar", I had previously read this in Bradbury's incredibly delicate and intimate fix-up novel From the Dust Returned. It presents a unique twist on the "outsider story", wherein you are with Timothy, a boy who is part of a family of freaks, geeks, and weirdos, who craves only to be like them, and is not accepted because he is normal. It's heartbreaking.
The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone- To close out, we have a charming and wonderful little story of gratitude, and the importance of giving up talking about living and actually doing it. A lesson we've heard before, but one that never gets old.
(Favorites marked with *)
The Dwarf*- A fantastic start to this collection, focusing on one of Bradbury's auteuristic obsessions, a dwarf. The moment of shock comes in like a brief gust of ice-cold wind.
The Next in Line- The longest story of the bunch, which makes it a bit intimidating, but the placement of it within the collection is all the better for it. This tale is one of sinister intentions coming to the fore. The ending of this one, as nearly all in this collection are, is killer.
The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse- This is a rather blackly comic tale of hipsters and their relationship to the genuine article they base their aesthetic on.
Skeleton*- The first supernatural story in the collection fills you up with paranoia, only to lead you to an incredibly weird and unexpected climax.
The Jar*- Bradbury is dealing with folk far from the idealistic Americana of Green Town, Illinois in this story, and its portrayal of this community is what makes it standout in my recollection.
The Lake*- This may have been the first Bradbury story I ever read (it was either this or "The Fog Horn") and it remains an achingly powerful piece of heartbreak in the short-form.
The Emissary*- This is the kind of story I was expecting all to be in one titled "The October Country". It is painted floor to ceiling with gorgeous prose of autumnal atmosphere and is the first I will go for every October 1st.
Touched with Fire- A funny little story that doesn't entirely work, but isn't weak in the slightest. The hardest thing to get over is that you, as the reader, are two steps ahead of the story at every page.
The Small Assassin*- A stone-cold classic in every sense. A knockout with a compelling narrative and a truly haunting finale.
The Crowd- An interesting premise that doesn't feel quite as explored as it might have been. Still, it doesn't overstay its welcome and is a breeze to read.
Jack-in-the-Box- Reminded me a bit of other Gothic tales of isolation I've read in the past, that seems a bit unfocused and loose. The ending makes it worthwhile, though.
The Scythe- A story of ill fate constructed around what I can imagine could be very iconic imagery.
Uncle Einar- I have encountered this story and the titular character before when I read From the Dust Returned. As a standalone story, it works as a light hug in contrast of the darkness the dwells within its sisters' and brothers' pages.
The Wind- Another heartbreaking story of the inevitable, that can easily be seen as a metaphor for letting pass moments to be with your loved ones and friends because you think there will always be tomorrow.
The Man Upstairs*- A wicked little story that is made up of so many fascinating details and pieces. Seeing the world through colored glass is something we might all want to try.
There Was an Old Woman- This might be the funniest story of the bunch. A totally different take on what could become a tired kind of story.
The Cistern- This story seems to be more an exercise in imagery than anything else. Almost as if Bradbury had several vivid pictures he saw in his head and had to get on the page. This is another one that is pulled together well by its ending.
Homecoming*- as with the story "Uncle Einar", I had previously read this in Bradbury's incredibly delicate and intimate fix-up novel From the Dust Returned. It presents a unique twist on the "outsider story", wherein you are with Timothy, a boy who is part of a family of freaks, geeks, and weirdos, who craves only to be like them, and is not accepted because he is normal. It's heartbreaking.
The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone- To close out, we have a charming and wonderful little story of gratitude, and the importance of giving up talking about living and actually doing it. A lesson we've heard before, but one that never gets old.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death
my dad assures me dandelion wine is better. mix of good stories and okay-ish stories, i had fun reading them but i don’t remember most of them.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
-as with all short story anthologies, some of these were major hits and others were misses. others could have been good but kind of dated themselves, especiallllly with regards to women. there are times when i can potentially excuse misogynistic depictions of women, but bradbury ain't good enough to pull it off
-the stories that worked really did hit the nail on the head, and they were genuinely vibey and creepy and well-constructed. some of them felt a bit too self-referential or trying a bit too hard to be vibe-heavy. come on ray!
-the stories that worked really did hit the nail on the head, and they were genuinely vibey and creepy and well-constructed. some of them felt a bit too self-referential or trying a bit too hard to be vibe-heavy. come on ray!
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes