Fun Stuff > ENJOY
What are you currently reading?
LeeC:
I just finished Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. It was really good. I loved the characters (especially the bad guy) and the premise. A small Illinois town is visited by a strange carnival a week before Halloween. 2 curious boys stumble upon its Dark and sinister secrets. People of the town start to disappear after attending some of the attractions and its up to Will and Jim to save the day, with Will's distant father in tow.
The characters, settings, and story was amazing, however I was not a fan of the purple prose. A number of times I told myself "we get it, we get it, its dark outside! Get on with it." Baring the extreme descriptions I felt it had a lack lust ending. Now this was written in 1968 so perhaps back then the ending wasn't so cliche as it is now-a-days (it did inspire Stephen King and Neil Gaiman). I just wanted a more interesting ending I suppose. I also wanted to know more of the carnival and the freaks. What some of the rides/attractions did to people and how the mysterious illustrations came to be on the Illustrated man.
Baring the purple prose and the tropey ending, I would definitely recommend reading this (especially in mid to late October). Bradbury is an amazing writer and very poetic. His characters are well fleshed out but also leaving you wanting to know more about them.
Is it cold in here?:
Mann and Ornstein's latest book about the collapse of American politics.
JoeCovenant:
--- Quote from: LeeC on 17 Oct 2017, 06:52 ---I just finished Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. It was really good. I loved the characters (especially the bad guy) and the premise. A small Illinois town is visited by a strange carnival a week before Halloween. 2 curious boys stumble upon its Dark and sinister secrets. People of the town start to disappear after attending some of the attractions and its up to Will and Jim to save the day, with Will's distant father in tow.
The characters, settings, and story was amazing, however I was not a fan of the purple prose. A number of times I told myself "we get it, we get it, its dark outside! Get on with it." Baring the extreme descriptions I felt it had a lack lust ending. Now this was written in 1968 so perhaps back then the ending wasn't so cliche as it is now-a-days (it did inspire Stephen King and Neil Gaiman). I just wanted a more interesting ending I suppose. I also wanted to know more of the carnival and the freaks. What some of the rides/attractions did to people and how the mysterious illustrations came to be on the Illustrated man.
Baring the purple prose and the tropey ending, I would definitely recommend reading this (especially in mid to late October). Bradbury is an amazing writer and very poetic. His characters are well fleshed out but also leaving you wanting to know more about them.
--- End quote ---
Sorry, I have to jump to defence here...
I know you mention it in your post, and that it was written almost as long ago as I've been alive, but to then go on to say it has a *tropey ending* seems to negate your understanding.
Bradbury was a STUNNING writer.
Where you see *purple prose*, I see literal poetry.
Have a go at "The Hallowe'en Tree"... it ranks right up there with some of the finest books I have ever read.
LeeC:
I meant no offence JoeCovenant. It was very poetic. Perhaps it was the exciting nature of the story that I just desperately wanted to know what was going to happen next that my impatience got the better of me. Which really is a testament to Ray Bradbury as a writer. I think I am spoiled by the ending because it has been done over and over again as of now which is what makes it cliche. The fact of the matter is, it has been done to death in the cultural conciseness as of now that it seemed lack luster. I did qualify it by saying it may not have been when it was first published but so many stories have ended the same way since, that I have been exposed to, that it just didn't end as excitingly as I had hoped. Not to say it was unexpected, and I am sure if I read this when I was younger and less jaded I would have been satisfied by the ending.
I would still compel others to read it as it is beautifully written and I loved the story, characters, and atmosphere.
I almost picked up "The Halloween Tree" but decided against it as I watched the movie when I was a child (which Ray Bradbury also wrote and wasn't adapted by someone else) and it was definitely a treasure! I wanted to do something different. Sheepishly I will admit my pick of "Something Wicked This Way Comes" derived from the Rick and Morty episode "Something Ricked This Way Comes" which more parody's Stephen King's "Needful Things." After reading "Something Wicked This Way Comes" I see how R&M may have designed Mr. Needful off of Mr. Dark.
I picked up Bram Stoker's Dracula to round out my October. I almost picked up "Needful Things" but may save that for next year, along with "The Halloween Tree" after your recommendation. :-)
JoeCovenant:
--- Quote from: LeeC on 18 Oct 2017, 09:05 ---I meant no offence JoeCovenant. It was very poetic. Perhaps it was the exciting nature of the story that I just desperately wanted to know what was going to happen next that my impatience got the better of me. Which really is a testament to Ray Bradbury as a writer. I think I am spoiled by the ending because it has been done over and over again as of now which is what makes it cliche. The fact of the matter is, it has been done to death in the cultural conciseness as of now that it seemed lack luster. I did qualify it by saying it may not have been when it was first published but so many stories have ended the same way since, that I have been exposed to, that it just didn't end as excitingly as I had hoped. Not to say it was unexpected, and I am sure if I read this when I was younger and less jaded I would have been satisfied by the ending.
I would still compel others to read it as it is beautifully written and I loved the story, characters, and atmosphere.
I almost picked up "The Halloween Tree" but decided against it as I watched the movie when I was a child (which Ray Bradbury also wrote and wasn't adapted by someone else) and it was definitely a treasure! I wanted to do something different. Sheepishly I will admit my pick of "Something Wicked This Way Comes" derived from the Rick and Morty episode "Something Ricked This Way Comes" which more parody's Stephen King's "Needful Things." After reading "Something Wicked This Way Comes" I see how R&M may have designed Mr. Needful off of Mr. Dark.
I picked up Bram Stoker's Dracula to round out my October. I almost picked up "Needful Things" but may save that for next year, along with "The Halloween Tree" after your recommendation. :-)
--- End quote ---
I REALLY hope you do!
And I REALLY hope you like LOVE it ! :laugh:
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version