Something Wicked This Way Comes (edition 1999)

Leveling any complaints against Bradbury seems like a literary crime, but I'm afraid I didn't enjoy Something Wicked as much I feel like I should have. The plot was really interesting, and right up my alley - evil carnival comes to town and preys on the unsuspecting citizens. The execution, however, left me wanting more.

The first problem is that the prose is a bit outdated. It's like I ran into with The Haunting of Hill House, it just didn't age well over the last 40-50 years. It's not that it decreases the quality of the novel, but it makes you keenly aware that it was written during a different time, which, for me, made it difficult to really lose myself in.

The other thing that kept me from really getting into it is Bradbury's lyrical style of writing. It's definitely very poetic and pretty, but it's not the most natural way of speaking. Quite a few times, I had to reread a sentence once or twice and really focus on the words, because my brain just didn't naturally follow what was being read. The focus almost seems like it's more on the way the story is being told, rather than the actual story. It doesn't intimately bring you in close to the characters and their situation; rather, it keeps you on the outside while you watch what happens. I couldn't sink into it, which is what I prefer when reading.

Finally, the resolution is just a little too feel-good for me. Good conquers evil, I get it, but Bradbury didn't use this concept very subtly.

This review sounds more negative than I feel about the book, but these issues did drag it down. I still really enjoyed the plot and the characters from the carnival. Mr. Dark, the carnival's tattooed proprietor, is definitely a villain to remember. If you're looking to experience some of the classic American authors, I'd recommend Bradbury over almost everyone else. ( )

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2101681.html

This is of course a classic, but was also one of the books listed in the Locus Poll of Best 20th Century Fantasy which spurred me to get it. I was familiar with Bradbury's style, both lyrical and stark at the same time, from The Martian Chronicles and other short stories; I am not actually sure that I had read one of his novels before. It is an effective tale of a creepy carnival coming to a small Mid-Western town, the central characters being two teenage boys and the older father of one of them; apart from the spooky adventure there are musings on adulthood and aging. I see that Bradbury was in his early 40s when he wrote this; that's the point when the limits of your lifespan really start to hit most people. I enjoyed it a lot. ( )

Re-read - still as excellent as when I was a child. No-one can evoke the excitement, terrors and special "aliveness" of childhood like Bradbury. ( )

The only thing I regret about this book, is that I haven't read it when I was younger. Would have loved this one as a kid. ( )

Rating: 4 of 5

First-time read of Something Wicked This Way Comes: it was as good as I expected. And I'm in awe of Bradbury's imagery yet again. The way he wrote everything, everything, so alive and vivid, right down to the dang grass. Dark was uber creepy; I was biting my nails during the parade / in-town search for Will and Jim scenes. While the thing that undid the carnival surprised me in its simplicity, I was satisfied with the ending.

Definitely deserves its "classic" status. ( )