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A review by savvylit
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
Published in 1962, this novel is considered a Halloween classic. It's easy to see why -- Bradbury masterfully blends sci-fi and fantasy to create some very scary forces. At the heart of this book's spookiness is a magical carousel that can age its riders either forward or backward. This carousel, plus the inner monologues of Will's dad Charles Halloway, all point towards the true terror of mortality: aging. This particular theme is incredibly well-executed.
The merits of Something Wicked are evident - Ray Bradbury celebrates both the golden days of youth and father-son bonds. That being said, this book is probably best targeted towards middle grade audiences. I found it to be a little too childish for my taste. On top of that, Charles Halloway's monologues are all a bizarre and distinct brand of mid-20th century sexism. The passages about women being innocent and always sleeping soundly were strange and grating.
Overall, perhaps the best part of this book is Bradbury's talent for poetic prose. Here are a few of my favorite sentences:
"And if it’s around October twentieth and everything smoky-smelling and the sky orange and ash gray at twilight, it seems Halloween will never come in a fall of broomsticks and a soft flap of bed-sheets around corners."
"God, how we get our fingers in each other's clay. That's friendship, each playing the potter to see what shapes we can make of each other."
"The dust was antique spice, burnt maple leaves, a prickling blue that teemed and sifted to earth. Swarming its own shadows, the dust filtered over the tents."
The merits of Something Wicked are evident - Ray Bradbury celebrates both the golden days of youth and father-son bonds. That being said, this book is probably best targeted towards middle grade audiences. I found it to be a little too childish for my taste. On top of that, Charles Halloway's monologues are all a bizarre and distinct brand of mid-20th century sexism. The passages about women being innocent and always sleeping soundly were strange and grating.
Overall, perhaps the best part of this book is Bradbury's talent for poetic prose. Here are a few of my favorite sentences:
"And if it’s around October twentieth and everything smoky-smelling and the sky orange and ash gray at twilight, it seems Halloween will never come in a fall of broomsticks and a soft flap of bed-sheets around corners."
"God, how we get our fingers in each other's clay. That's friendship, each playing the potter to see what shapes we can make of each other."
"The dust was antique spice, burnt maple leaves, a prickling blue that teemed and sifted to earth. Swarming its own shadows, the dust filtered over the tents."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Violence, Death, and Sexism
Moderate: Racism