Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury

*****
”Have a drink?”
“I don’t need it,” said Halloway. “But someone inside me does.”
“Who?”
The boy I once was, thought Halloway, who runs like the leaves down the sidewalk autumn nights.

"And the first boy, with hair as blond-white as milk thistle, shut up one eye, tilted his head, and looked at the salesman with a single eye as open, bright and clear as a drop of summer rain."

"Jim stood like a runner who has come a long way, fever in his mouth, hands open to receive any gift."

"What was there about the illustrated carnival owner's silences that spoke thousands of violent, corrupt, and crippling words?"

Bradbury's ability to uniquely characterize extends to the carnival, arriving at the dead time of 3 a.m., setting up in the dark:
"For somehow instead, they both knew, the wires high-flung on the poles were catching swift clouds, ripping them free from the wind in streamers which, stitched and sewn by some great monster shadow, made canvas and more canvas as the tent took shape. At last there was the clear-water sound of vast flags blowing."

Then there is the added bonus of the library. Clearly, Bradbury loves libraries and books, which guarantees affection in my book.
"The library deeps lay waiting for them. Out in the world, not much happened. But here in the special night, a land bricked with paper and leather, anything might happen, always did. Listen! and you heard ten thousand people screaming so high only dogs feathered their ears...This was a factory of spices from far countries. Here alien deserts slumbered. Up front was the desk where the nice old lady, Miss Watriss, purple-stamped your books, but down off away were Tibet and Antarctica, the Congo." How perfect.

Other than being a rather creepy story, this novel is also a lament for the passage of time and the ending of things. Consider Jim Nightshade, who at the age of thirteen, has decided not to ever have children:
‘You don't know until you've had three children and lost all but one.'
'Never going to have any,' said Jim.
'You just say that.'
'I know it. I know everything.'
She waited a moment. 'What do you know?'
'No use making more People. People die.'
His voice was very calm and quiet and almost sad.
This passage resonated incredibly strongly with me.

The themes are age old (the struggle between good and evil) and coming of age, but also the importance of being young at heart. The power that things and people have over you is dependent on how much power you invest them with. But the real message is to live life with enthusiasm and zest and an open heart. Evil is defeated by laughter and a smile (if only it were possible). It’s a good read, suitably atmospheric and chilling.
So what am I doing reading it at my age, rather than in my teens? Who knows; I was quite happy to have seen the movie time and again, at the time. I found this novel a simple heart-warming tale that, on the whole has stood the test of time.

The audiobook version by Blackstone Audio contains the short story "A Sound of Thunder" as well, at the end. It was read by the narrator Stefan Rudnicki. At times, Rudnicki sounded very much like much younger (and alive) Leonard Nemoy, straight from the set of Star Trek. But then sometimes, he sounded like a slightly younger Jason Robards. I know this man's voice well, from repeated viewings of the movie. It was rather freaky, and slightly fascinating. The audiobook version is good, if you can handle them.

5 stars for S.W.T.W.C., and 4 stars for S.o.T.
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I'm not a big horror fan. It took my a long time to really get into it. However it is beautifully written. Great imagery. The narrator had a deep low voice, perfect for this kind of story. ( )

Overuse of metaphors; I read it for a book club and by the end I was praying for death. I didn't care whose.

DNF at 13%. What. A. Boring. Book. ( )

Rebecca Musser