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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
This was my first short story collection by Bradbury and while some stories were truly wonderful, others were quite mundane or even disappointing. So much so that I "only" give this collection 3 stars, which surprised me since I LOVED his novels.
The theme of this collection, as the title suggests, is autumn. As Neil Gaiman once said, Bradbury is to experienced in October and after reading three of his books as well as this short story collection, I quite agree. He seems to have loved this time of year as much as I do, as is evidenced by this "introduction" to The October Country:
October Country . . . 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 mid-nights stay. That country composed in the main of cellars, sub-cellars, coal-bins, closets, attics, and pantries faced away from the sun. That country whose people are autumn people, thinking only autumn thoughts. Whose people passing at night on the empty walks sound like rain. . .
If this beautiful prose doesn't express the author's love for autumn, I don't know what will.
Personally, I'm right there with the author. Everything about this time of year - from the fog that casts everything into an eerie light and amplifies sounds in a weird way, to the crisp fresh air that has a unique smell, as well as the breathtaking colour of the foliage and cool storms, not to mention Halloween, carving pumpkins, decorating the house ... I love everything about it.
So what about the 19 stories here, you ask? Well, like I said, there were ups and downs. My favourites were
- The Lake
- The Emissary
- Jack-in-the-Box
- The Scythe
but "The Next in Line" was great, too.
As is typical for Bradbury, he used the stories to not only create an autumn-y feel for the reader but to also address topics such as religion, love, death and many more. He was one of few authors who managed to slip in sentences ringing true with profound meaning as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Nevertheless, many of the stories here just couldn't quite grab me.
The theme of this collection, as the title suggests, is autumn. As Neil Gaiman once said, Bradbury is to experienced in October and after reading three of his books as well as this short story collection, I quite agree. He seems to have loved this time of year as much as I do, as is evidenced by this "introduction" to The October Country:
October Country . . . 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 mid-nights stay. That country composed in the main of cellars, sub-cellars, coal-bins, closets, attics, and pantries faced away from the sun. That country whose people are autumn people, thinking only autumn thoughts. Whose people passing at night on the empty walks sound like rain. . .
If this beautiful prose doesn't express the author's love for autumn, I don't know what will.
Personally, I'm right there with the author. Everything about this time of year - from the fog that casts everything into an eerie light and amplifies sounds in a weird way, to the crisp fresh air that has a unique smell, as well as the breathtaking colour of the foliage and cool storms, not to mention Halloween, carving pumpkins, decorating the house ... I love everything about it.
So what about the 19 stories here, you ask? Well, like I said, there were ups and downs. My favourites were
- The Lake
- The Emissary
- Jack-in-the-Box
- The Scythe
but "The Next in Line" was great, too.
As is typical for Bradbury, he used the stories to not only create an autumn-y feel for the reader but to also address topics such as religion, love, death and many more. He was one of few authors who managed to slip in sentences ringing true with profound meaning as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Nevertheless, many of the stories here just couldn't quite grab me.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
I just finished a book of Short stories on Halloween!
Title: The October Country
Author: Ray Bradbury
Synopsis: THE OCTOBER COUNTRY is Ray Bradbury's own netherworld of the soul, inhabited by the horrors and demons that lurk within all of us. Ray Bradbury shows with each of these nineteen stories his brilliant knack for extracting the chilling essence of a world's insanities, disorders, and hang-ups. Once again he proves himself to be America's master of the short story.
Review: This was such a delightful book of short and creepy stories! Ray Bradbury never seems to fail at keeping me entertained and entranced by his poetic writing style! Some of these stories but not all give fall vibes with his description of the falling leaves and how it gets dark much faster! If your looking for short stories to read this Autumn Ray Bradbury’s The October Country is a great choice!
Title: The October Country
Author: Ray Bradbury
Synopsis: THE OCTOBER COUNTRY is Ray Bradbury's own netherworld of the soul, inhabited by the horrors and demons that lurk within all of us. Ray Bradbury shows with each of these nineteen stories his brilliant knack for extracting the chilling essence of a world's insanities, disorders, and hang-ups. Once again he proves himself to be America's master of the short story.
Review: This was such a delightful book of short and creepy stories! Ray Bradbury never seems to fail at keeping me entertained and entranced by his poetic writing style! Some of these stories but not all give fall vibes with his description of the falling leaves and how it gets dark much faster! If your looking for short stories to read this Autumn Ray Bradbury’s The October Country is a great choice!
dark
mysterious
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The October Country is a great work. The stories are exquisitely crafted. You can understand the artistic intent behind it while reading it. But it failed for me as a halloween read, a collection of autumnal tales. There was so little of horror and even less of autumn, october, and halloween in it. The stories were more on the lines of dark fantasy. This was disappointing. The ones I liked were
*The Jar
*The Emissary
*The Small Assassin
*The Scythe
*The Man Upstairs
*Homecoming
This was a case of a wrong book at the right time.
*The Jar
*The Emissary
*The Small Assassin
*The Scythe
*The Man Upstairs
*Homecoming
This was a case of a wrong book at the right time.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
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
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
Growing up in Illinois, Bradbury's works were essential to any english reading curriculum. Throughout my time in school I was exposed to many of his novels and short stories; mainly the ones leaning more towards Sci Fi but others as well. This is my first time reading Bradbury as an adult, I've not really read any of his autumnal/horor works; or at least I didn't remember them.
I read one story a day throughout this month, like many short story collections there is quite a range in quality. There were some stories such as "The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse", "The Scythe, and "The Small Assassin" which I would say are some of the best I've read from him but there were also plenty I felt indifferent or bored with.
These stories came out nearly 70 years ago and Bradbury's writings have influenced the mainstream so much that many times it can feel like he isn't bringing anything new but it's important to remember he originated a lot of these themes and elements.
The October Country definitely captures that halloween season atmosphere so if you are looking for that this a great selection. I was reading Angela Carter's The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman alongside this so in comparision a lot of these stories felt pretty tame. That being said, some stories here are quite haunting, even today, but only a few. I guess I'm just looking for a middle ground between the two author's takes; I guess that's why I like Kafka so much.
I read one story a day throughout this month, like many short story collections there is quite a range in quality. There were some stories such as "The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse", "The Scythe, and "The Small Assassin" which I would say are some of the best I've read from him but there were also plenty I felt indifferent or bored with.
These stories came out nearly 70 years ago and Bradbury's writings have influenced the mainstream so much that many times it can feel like he isn't bringing anything new but it's important to remember he originated a lot of these themes and elements.
The October Country definitely captures that halloween season atmosphere so if you are looking for that this a great selection. I was reading Angela Carter's The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman alongside this so in comparision a lot of these stories felt pretty tame. That being said, some stories here are quite haunting, even today, but only a few. I guess I'm just looking for a middle ground between the two author's takes; I guess that's why I like Kafka so much.