Adam C. Zern shares his thoughts . . . "Due to so many books being written each year and by so many different authors, I often find myself shying away from reading multiple books by the same author. I think there is value in spending precious reading time with a diversified group of authors because they all, by nature of their individuality, bring their own peculiar set of knowledge and experience. Yet, every once in a little while, an author so impresses me I'm willing to spend a hugely disproportionate amount of time with their work in comparison to other authors. For me, one of those authors is Ray Bradbury. I have read many of his books; I loved most of them and hated none of them. I find his imagination, his characters, his stories, and his prose so compelling, inventive, and entertaining that I have gone back to him again and again and fully expect to continue to do so in the future.Driving Blind is the third collection of short stories I have read from Ray Bradbury. Although I felt it was the weakest of the three, The Illustrated Man and The October Country are the other two, it still was worth reading. Most of the stories in Driving Blind are far less fantastical than he seems wont to write. It could be seen as an interesting change of pace for him, but I felt it made many of his stories less intriguing and less memorable. There are several stories from The Illustrated Man especially I will never forget, and they were based heavily in science fiction or in some other kind of fantasy element.Yet, as much as I liked his other collection of short stories better, I had to still admire Bradbury for what he's best at. He is a wonderful writer, and he provides some great stories within this collection. The dark, domestic tale Fee Fie Foe Fum is twisted and extremely entertaining. House Divided is probably one of the most honest narratives I've read of a child coming into adolescence. It's so true it made me feel uncomfortable. There are certainly others worth mentioning, but to say the collection as a whole is worth reading is sufficient.I have yet to read a bad Bradbury book. Driving Blind is no exception. It's not his best work. But one of Bradbury's 'so-so' works of fiction tramples into dust most other contemporary writing. He very deservedly claims one of my most favorite authors honor, and I look forward to the next book I read of his."http://thethousanderclub.blogspot.com/
As the Bradbury reading project nears its final quarter, I am coming across more and more of his material that is unfamiliar to me. However, as mentioned in my review of "Quicker than the Eye," many of Bradbury's later stories still feel familiar. And certainly his themes remain consistent.This book is more focused than any of the other collections I have read. Almost every piece here is about memory and/or loss. The stories deal with the losses that come with aging (physical, mental and emotional), how childhood incidents affect our later life or even the attempt to return to that which has nurtured us before only to find that it is not what we thought it was. It's interesting to note that very few of these stories would qualify as fantasy or science fiction. They are, in the main, wistful, nostalgic and even bitter stories. In some of them, the sweetness we are used to in Bradbury is gone, and frankly, I think that makes them stronger.My favorites in this group include "House Divided," "Someone in the Rain," "Remember Me?" and "End of Summer." Almost all of these fit the pattern and themes described above and most have an elegiac quality that I really like.But the story that will remain with me the longest is also the one most atypical of the collection, "Fee Fie Foe Fum." This is a dark little horror story that chronicles the stand-off between a man and his aging mother-in-law, whom he hates. The installation in their shared house of a sink garbage disposal that will grind up anything (and I do mean anything) while leaving no trace inevitably leads to grisly outcomes. Bloody good.
What do You think about Driving Blind (1998)?
Ray Bradbury is the first sci-fi writer that I've ever read when I was young, and I have fond memory of his books. It was his death and the memory of which, that prompts to pick up this book from library. I must admit that I'm somewhat surprised by how short the short stories are in this Bradbury collection. Writing is right down to the point in the first couple of sentences. There oftentimes isn't as much a setup. Writing style is crisp and sharp which is good. The very short format, though, leaves a lot to be desired. But with Bradbury's passing, we'll never know how he might have done it differently, should he have wanted it.
—tiddle
Not my favorite Bradbury book, obviously. It's an odd read, since it's not Bradbury's usual flat-out fantasy/sci-fi, but also has a lot of his familiar themes and images. I think I just prefer him writing in the fantasy vein full-out. I think to me it almost felt like there was an odd juxtaposition of trying to be "modern" in terms of more realistic subject matter, but winding up still seeming old-fashioned because the characters are. So rather than the characters seeming like they live in Bradbury's own magical world (where Greentown is) they just seem surprisingly dated. Which is perhaps unfair since there's nothing wrong with being born in the early 20th century! It just made for an odd tone for me.
—Sistermagpie
The master at his best. These stories are little gems, for the most part. A few felt pedestrian and forced, thus the 4 stars. Bradbury's writing is infused with unbridled optimism, with the continually renewed joy of discovery. The best of the bunch is 'Someone in the Rain', heart-wrenching and nostalgic in the Ray Bradbury style. The other favorite of mine was 'That Bird That Comes Out of the Clock', a story loaded with humor, but rife with a truth that many a henpecking wife should heed.If you like Bradbury, you will like this collection.
—Spike
