Something Wicked This Way Comes (2006) - Plot & Excerpts
I don't give Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes" praise lightly. This was a book I first read many years ago in junior high, back when I used to take some of my lunch breaks and spend reading in the library. The librarian never bothered me, and I read as many books as I could fit into a lunch period (which was maybe one or two books depending on the length of each book). It took me two lunch periods to read this book because I wanted to savor every last word. Why? Because Bradbury's prose pulls you in. The way he uses language and imagery to toggle this coming of age tale with horror elements is brilliant. There are times you can feel the weight of the prose for its respective movement - and I think that was one of the reasons why I originally gave this book 4 stars from what I remembered of it on nostalgic value alone. But upon my reading it this year (2014), I realized that when it worked - it worked extraordinary well. The emotional impact and beauty of it translated even moreso through the audio reading that I heard of it.I ended up watching the 1983 movie around the same time as I first read the book back in middle school - I actually love them both in different ways. And to punctuate an understatement, Disney does not make films like this anymore (in some ways I wish they did, b/c it was bold storytelling). If "Something Wicked This Way Comes" were released today for the first time in its film adaptation, it'd probably be amid a lot of controversy for just how dark the film is - for setting, for imagery, for a host of many things. I mean - I think it was Jim Nightshade that actually saw himself beheaded in one of the scenes from the film (and yes it showed blood and such - probably more graphic than myself at 11-12 years old should've been seeing, but I don't know if I really took it in at the time I watched it.)What I did remember, in both the book and film versions, was the strong assertion of the central characters of this tale: Jim Nightshade, Will Halloway, and Will's father, Charles Halloway.Will and Jim have a friendship that's joined at the hip, so to speak - a bond that shows in their ages (boys of thirteen years, but they're within a day's birth - one born October 30th one minute before midnight, and the other after - which was on Halloween). The fact that they live next door to each other, even from the time we meet them as a lightning rod salesman tells them of a "storm coming," you can tell the two are inseparable. But while the boys think that an actual storm is coming through the area, hence taking the lightning rod and sticking it atop Jim's house for the warning, the "storm" that's really coming is in the form of a traveling group of entertainers/carnival performers. And at the heart of them is one seemingly powerful presence in "The Illustrated Man" a.k.a. Mr. Dark (in the film portrayed by the alluring Jonathan Pryce).Mr. Dark/The Illustrated Man is quite the character. He provides the surface promise of giving youth/time back to the people he comes across - and for those who are old enough to feel the burden of aging/time passage, they take him up on his offer. But then that begets a few questions. What's the cost to the person who wants to age up or down? What does Mr. Dark get in return? Jim and Will are apt enough to discover the answer in a series of horrifying observances and discoveries of identity for individuals who are tempted by the offer. It's a clever way to depict a coming of age tale (literally), but also quite horrifying in terms of how time can get away from people when they're not recognizing it or seizing the chances it provides. Also for a warning to people to be careful what they desire, because it can have consequences that one may not expect at all.But coupled with the boys trying to elude Mr. Dark's lures to the carnival, is the story of Charles Halloway grappling with his own age and sense of time, while also trying to establish better relations with his son. He's a librarian, traveled through library after library during his youth, but the woman he married grounded him and he's been "living in the same town ever since." I actually appreciated Mr. Halloway's struggles in the novel much more now than I did back when I was younger (because I actually identified more with the boys back then, go figure). But it all came together so remarkably well for theme and juxtapositions. Even in the film, Charles's character (played by the late Jason Robards - and this was the first film I ever saw him in) is a man who struggles between his youth and where the time has gone to his 50s. But even he doesn't take Mr. Dark's offer so lightly. The novel may take place in the 1930s, but it still feels like the tale transcends time with the heart of its conflict and thematic.One of the scenes from the book that stood out to me over many years time was the scene where the boys are hiding in the storm drain from Mr. Dark. Will's father's looking for the boys and finds them hiding - but then has to play it off in front of Mr. Dark to keep the boys safe from the carnival master's clutches. I remembered the images of the boys in each of Dark's palms, then him squeezing so hard that blood dripped from his hands, down to where the boys were hiding. That creeped me out now just as much as it did back then - and it was a powerfully portrayed scene for image in the book, among many others.I loved this book - for image, for thematic, for language, for the setting - the whole measure. I would definitely recommend it - as I think you could do no harm with Bradbury's works in general. It's among my favorite narratives for sure. I'll admit I have a fondness for the movie and would recommend it as well. But...uh...I would not show the movie to anyone under middle school age. Fair warning.I'm really glad I re-read this book overall - and Ray Bradbury will certainly be missed by yours truly, among many.Overall score: 4.5/5 stars.
Something Wicked This Way Comes is a dark fantasy tale of the upheaval that a strange carnival of souls causes when they arrive in a small, unnamed town. It delves into heavy themes of regret, longing for lost years, and the desire for maturity and escape from one's lot in the world. You see, the Carnival, ran by Coogar and Dark, feeds on all the wretched, negative emotions that the humans they prey on exude. They will find much sustenance in this Midwestern town.Our main characters in this story are two 13 year-old boys, Jim and Will. They have been friends forever, but their friendship will be tried as Jim finds it increasingly difficult to resist the allure of the carnival and the sinister offer it can make its visitor. And their lives are put in jeopardy when they stumble on the very real threat that its merry go round poses.I liked the lessons in this story, about the importance of treasuring the now, instead of longing futilely for the past or the future. Jim's father, Charles Halloway is a man in his 50s who is feeling his age deeply. He married slightly older than most, when he was 39, and his wife seems to be a bit younger than he, and is content in ways he is not. Mr. Halloway longs for lost youth. In contrast, Jim longs to be older, so he can escape from his single mother's clinging, stifling embrace. Both will have to face their hollow desires head on if they want to survive the threat of the carnival.Other lessons that this story teaches of are loyalty, and the strong, powerful bonds of family and friendship. The first plays out through Jim and Will's enduring friendship, their intense bond, which helps to protect them and gives them the ability to fight the malevolence of Mr. Dark. With the second, we see the boys rely on Will's father, a seemingly unlikely hero, for their protection. I appreciated that although Halloway might seem like a frail knight in shining armor, he shows true heroism and fortitude against Dark. By means of his bookish ways and his thoughtful personality, he discovers and exploits the fatal flaw that Dark and his sinister folk hold close to their dark hearts.Unfortunately, I didn't find listening to this story as good an experience as I would have hoped for. It felt a little bit overwritten for an audiobook read. There was excessive use of imagery, similie and metaphor for my tastes. Normally, I love the use of these literary devices, albeit a bit more sparingly. Since I am a very moody reader, it could have been that I just wasn't in the right frame of mind when I listened. But I found the extended descriptions that didn't seem to further the plot as expediently as I hoped, rather tedious. That is not to say that I didn't like some aspects. Bradbury uses words beautifully, spurring the imagination fruitfully. I just wished that the story was a bit more straightforward. I have the feeling that this book would read a lot better than it served as a listening experience. I do think this story is a nice way to start out the fall season, to get a reader ready for Halloween and the spooky month of October. There were some spooky moments, and the evil of Dark, Coogar, and the Dust Witch give this story a very sinister vibe. Also, its look at the darker aspects of very human nature. I appreciated it from that standpoint. As I mentioned earlier in this review, the message is very good. As a person who sometimes feels her age deeply, I can appreciate Bradbury's gentle warning that humans can put too much stock in how old and how young they are and lose out on enjoying and experiencing every day, the Now. I needed that reminder. So that's for the good with this story.I am and always will be a reader who enjoys and admires Ray Bradbury. He inspires me as a writer. I think he has a very good imagination and quite a way with words and phrases. I just know now that I should save him for when I'm in the mood for that expansive, flowery language, and a story that relies heavily on allusion and imagery, instead of concise storytelling. Also, I think my yen for the short story medium is very much appeased by his type of writing, so I am glad that I do have several of his short story volumes to read in my book collection. I will definitely attempt to read another one of his novels one day. Maybe not on audio, though.My recommendation: Don't read this on audio if you don't care for expansive description and flowery language. This a book best experienced on paper.
What do You think about Something Wicked This Way Comes (2006)?
This is the best October story ever. I re-read it almost every October, this 1963 paperback edition, which I've had since I first read the book in sixth grade, which would have been . . . 1969. It's a story I will never outgrow, and I love it as much now as I did then. If anyone ever wants to spend the thousand-plus dollars it costs to acquire a hardcover first/first (first edition/first printing)and give it to me, feel free, it will be treasured.But the words are the same in any edition, so do yourself a favor this October and find one and enjoy.
—Bennet
“Beware the autumn people. … For some, autumn comes early, stays late, through life … with no winter, spring or revivifying summer. For these beings, fall is the only normal season, the only weather, there be no choice beyond. Where do they come from? The dust. Where do they go? The grave. Does blood stir their veins? No, the night wind. What ticks in their head? The worm. What speaks through their mouth? The toad. What sees from their eye? The snake. What hears with their ear? The abyss between the stars. They sift the human storm for souls, eat flesh of reason, fill tombs with sinners. They frenzy forth. In gusts they beetle-scurry, creep, thread, filter, motion, make all moons sullen, and surely cloud all clear-run waters. The spider-web hears them, trembles—breaks. Such are the autumn people. Beware of them.” Wickedness abounds in this creepy parable about good and evil. Two adolescent boys, level-headed Will and his tempestuous pal, Jim, have unwittingly attracted the attention of a sinister, tattooed stranger when the carnival comes to town in late October. It is their misfortune that they've noticed that the sideshow freaks are eerily familiar. After some hair-raising visits to the midway, they hide themselves in the town library, where Will's despondent father bides his days and nights in abject isolation as the custodian. When evil comes knocking, father and son learn some critical truths about themselves and their relationship. Bradbury craftily employs supernatural forces to examine attitudes about parenting, perceptions of self, and the impact of aging. He conjures up some nifty mechanisms to tantalize and torment his characters, especially a carousel which can go forwards or backwards with confounding results. His flights of fancy are feverishly frightening, yet he manages to create authentic characters whose struggles mirror our own. Next time the carnival comes to my town, I'm going to stay inside and lock my doors and windows. After reading this you might do likewise.
—Gary the Bookworm
...his skin stealing the paleness from his bones... old... older... oldest...This book deserves a review. I read a couple reviews from some yahoo's on goodread. How can you say anything derogatory about bradbury? One critic asked why can't he just write "he walked down the street" without taking 3 paragraghs to say it? My response is: backhand, fronthand, backhand, fronthand. WHAT!!!??? why didn't Page just strum an A, then D, A and D instead of giving us a minute thirty of pure bliss at the beginning of gallows pole? Why didn't he just simple STRUM his stupid guitar instead of PULLING OUT A FREAKING VIOLIN STRING!!! and making that baby sing in No Quarter??? Why didn't Davinci just draw a stick figure with boobs and call it a day on the Mona Lisa? The nerve. The absolute nerve. Walking down the street? That's why he didn't just write walking down the street. Backhand, fronthand, backhand, fronthand. Spit. I hope the dust witch tracks you down and sews your eyes and hears shut! Now march! Left, right, left, right! Say hello boys!
—Doug
