Something Wicked This Way Comes (A Leo Waterman mystery)

Ray Bradbury

This book had some sweet depth, surprisingly. I usually dont equate fiction books with sweet...more

This book had some sweet depth, surprisingly. I usually dont equate fiction books with sweet philosophical insights, but this book does it. There are rad reflections on parenting, age, masculinity, and control. Actually, now that I think about it, I think the main theme is age. My favorite focus was on the reflections of the father; I even took notes in several places during said philosophical musings. Altogether, though, I think the book dropped the ball with the story. It could've been a lot scarier and sweeter. He seemed exceedingly concerned with description instead of sweetness of plot. ALSO: It's even better if you can read it right before Fall (like I did). His emphasis on autumn was pretty rad.   hide

I admit it, this book terrifies me and I have actually had a nightmare caused by it. If that does...more

I admit it, this book terrifies me and I have actually had a nightmare caused by it. If that does not let you know that book is awesome I don't know what does. When I read Cornelia Funke's "The Thief Lord", this was the book of which I was reminded. While they are hardly copies, elements are the same--the idea of youth, old age, and something so childlike that holds great and terrible power. And it is childlike in so many ways. The story is of two young boys at various odds with their families and themselves. Then comes the love of all childhood: the arrival of a carnival with all its cutesy carnival charm. But the carnival and its host of freaks also brings a great horror. If you have not been exposed to Bradbury's writing style, you desperately need to if you appreciate anything wonderful. He writes a dream, or a nightmare, in my case, and brings to life an incredible world of small-town, old-day America combined with an ancient horror reborn as a classic passtime. The themes are undless and Bradbury's sense of character is unparallel. Kids will appreciate this as well as adults.   hide

Bradbury writes cacaphonously and "deliciously," as Sean notes below me. He may describe a...more

Bradbury writes cacaphonously and "deliciously," as Sean notes below me. He may describe a person's smile as minty, for example. This unexpected use of adjectives keeps the reader on their toes. I agree; sometimes the emotional scenes are corny, but they're also abrupt. The suspense is GOOD too. I mean, the scary parts are scary, and for a book written for children, that's impressive. There are some quotes I want to write down, too, such as Charles Halloway's description of the Carnival as "feeding on people's negative selves" and his depiction of autumn people. A lot of insights are true to life, you just never heard it said that way before. Conservative religion isn't ignored; rather, a person's ability to be scared and despaired at wickedness and death and yet laugh in its face and thereby overcome it is exalted. This book doesn't demand too much from the human race; rather, it simplifies how we should go about life, in fear and in humor.   hide

This had a slow pace at times, but I really didn't mind it much. I read this after Hellbound Heart...more

This had a slow pace at times, but I really didn't mind it much. I read this after Hellbound Heart and on the recommendation of the same friend (and I didn't really care for Hellbound Heart) and I wasn't a fan of Fahrenheit 451 when I read it years ago, so I was a little doubtful as to whether I was going to like this. But I was pleasantly surprised to find this was a good book, creepy and poetic at the same time...I think a lot of it's appeal to me is in the fact that Bradbury uses language so well in this book. Kind of rare for me lately to read something that I can enjoy on the level of the story it's telling and the poetry of the way it's put together.   hide

Ahh Ray Bradbury ... what a writer, one of the true greats, one to whom Stephen King owes a lot....more

Ahh Ray Bradbury ... what a writer, one of the true greats, one to whom Stephen King owes a lot. "Something Wicked This Way Comes" (taking its title from Shakespeare's Macbeth - 'by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes') is set in a dark New England Autumn when the carnival comes to town bringing with it high weirdness, dark magic and death, and a top notch horror story.   hide