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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-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
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
It's hard to sum up a book with so many distinct stories in it, but as someone who's only really gotten into short stories in the last few years, I really liked this one! One thing that's great about Bradbury in a story collection is that you never quite know what exact genre the next one will be, whether it'll be on the funnier side or the more moving, or if it's something that hovers just on the edges of possibility or goes wholeheartedly into the fantastical - and personally, I enjoy that variety. It feels very free and unbound by structures, so each story always goes wherever the most interest outcome lies, regardless of what that means for the categories it does or doesn't fit into.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Bradbury was one of the greatest there ever was. These stories exhibit that in spades!
Would I really ever rate a Bradbury less than 5 stars? Never!
This short story collection is a combination of unsettlingly terrifying and sweetly thought-provoking. Bradbury's genius was ahead of his time. The story "Jack-in-the-box" is something M. Night Shyamalan would easily turn into a movie...or has he already? "The Small Assassin" gave me nightmares Ala "Child's Play." And "There Was an Old Woman" was the feminist ghost story I never knew I needed in my life! Bradbury's first short story collection proves his prowess and wit. If you've never read Bradbury, you may enjoy a few of these. While the overall theme was along the lines of Halloween/horror, there are a few gems that do not leave readers frightened.
Loved spending time with Uncle Ray again...even if it took over a month!
Illinois Reads Bradury 2020 done!
This short story collection is a combination of unsettlingly terrifying and sweetly thought-provoking. Bradbury's genius was ahead of his time. The story "Jack-in-the-box" is something M. Night Shyamalan would easily turn into a movie...or has he already? "The Small Assassin" gave me nightmares Ala "Child's Play." And "There Was an Old Woman" was the feminist ghost story I never knew I needed in my life! Bradbury's first short story collection proves his prowess and wit. If you've never read Bradbury, you may enjoy a few of these. While the overall theme was along the lines of Halloween/horror, there are a few gems that do not leave readers frightened.
Loved spending time with Uncle Ray again...even if it took over a month!
Illinois Reads Bradury 2020 done!
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
”That country where it is always turning late in the year. That country where the hills are fog and the rivers are mist; where noons go quickly, dusks and twilights linger, and midnights stay. The country whose people are autumn people, thinking only autumn thoughts. Whose people passing at night on the empty walks sounds like rain…”
Ray Bradbury books are simply the best for fall, especially for Halloween time! This was such an imaginative collection of stories, all revolving around death.
Some were spooky, like The Jar, others were downright touching, like Homecoming, and most came with an ample serving of terribly disturbing, like The Man Upstairs.
Some of my other favourites were Uncle Einar (which cleverly tied into another story!), The Lake, and Jack-in-the-Box.
I really loved how each story took on a different aspect of mortality; grief, trauma, curses, the afterlife, suicide... This was an excellent mix of works!
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Maybe 3.5 stars. Short story collections are tough because there are always stories I really like and stories I don't care for. Bradbury is always a solid choice though. I didn't think this was his strongest collection, but it was still a good read!
We read this aloud as a family.
My 11-year-old announced at the end of each of these stories, "That was stupid." What she's feeling, though, and not understanding is that they're not stupid (they're quite brilliant, actually). They're irritating. Bradbury's stories irritate and get under your skin.
I wasn't fond of all them. Some I really disliked. But the ones I did like, I loved.
(For my pithy commentary on the individual stories, see the reading progress status updates attached to my review.)
My 11-year-old announced at the end of each of these stories, "That was stupid." What she's feeling, though, and not understanding is that they're not stupid (they're quite brilliant, actually). They're irritating. Bradbury's stories irritate and get under your skin.
I wasn't fond of all them. Some I really disliked. But the ones I did like, I loved.
(For my pithy commentary on the individual stories, see the reading progress status updates attached to my review.)
As with any short story collection, some worked, some didn't. The ones that didn't were mostly just sad so there's an audience but I'm simply ~not it~ for those. The horror ones were excellent though would recommend this for a quick read for Halloween.