What do you think?
Rate this book
Something Wicked This Way Comes and a Sound of Thunder
One of Ray Bradbury's best-known and most popular novels, Something Wicked This Way Comes , now featuring a new introduction and material about its longstanding influence on culture and genre. For those who still dream and remember, for those yet to experience the hypnotic power of its dark poetry, step inside. The show is about to begin. Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show has come to Green Town, Illinois, to destroy every life touched by its strange and sinister mystery. The carnival rolls in sometime after midnight, ushering in Halloween a week early. A calliope's shrill siren song beckons to all with a seductive promise of dreams and youth regained. Two boys will discover the secret of its smoke, mazes, and mirrors; two friends who will soon know all too well the heavy cost of wishes...and the stuff of nightmares. Few novels have endured in the heart and memory as has Ray Bradbury's unparalleled literary masterpiece Something Wicked This Way Comes . Scary and suspenseful, it is a timeless classic in the American canon.
Audiobook
First published January 1, 1962
17 people are currently reading
689 people want to read
About the author
Ray Bradbury
2,578 books24.9k followersRay Douglas Bradbury was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and realistic fiction.
Bradbury is best known for his novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and his short-story collections The Martian Chronicles (1950), The Illustrated Man (1951), and The October Country (1955). Other notable works include the coming of age novel Dandelion Wine (1957), the dark fantasy Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962) and the fictionalized memoir Green Shadows, White Whale (1992). He also wrote and consulted on screenplays and television scripts, including Moby Dick and It Came from Outer Space. Many of his works were adapted into television and film productions as well as comic books. Bradbury also wrote poetry which has been published in several collections, such as They Have Not Seen the Stars (2001).
The New York Times called Bradbury "An author whose fanciful imagination, poetic prose, and mature understanding of human character have won him an international reputation" and "the writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream".
Bradbury is best known for his novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and his short-story collections The Martian Chronicles (1950), The Illustrated Man (1951), and The October Country (1955). Other notable works include the coming of age novel Dandelion Wine (1957), the dark fantasy Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962) and the fictionalized memoir Green Shadows, White Whale (1992). He also wrote and consulted on screenplays and television scripts, including Moby Dick and It Came from Outer Space. Many of his works were adapted into television and film productions as well as comic books. Bradbury also wrote poetry which has been published in several collections, such as They Have Not Seen the Stars (2001).
The New York Times called Bradbury "An author whose fanciful imagination, poetic prose, and mature understanding of human character have won him an international reputation" and "the writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream".
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
August 7, 2012
Dark is truly a scary monster. I cannot think of a more horrifying image than skin being covered with crawling, squirming images that seethe and move deeper under the flesh and surge out in the next moment. One spider crawling up my arm is enough to give me a fit. In movies, an illuminated man usually is pictured as a tattooed man - but that is not what Bradbury created here. This being's skin literally crawls around because of multitudes of images being alive. (Plus, Dark enslaves souls because he feeds on their suffering, and age is not a consideration - he'll take children as well as men and women.) I know I've become jaded to horrific visual special effects in movies. Under the skin crawlies or burns or bloody tears are common. But I've never seen this holographic/maggoty effect done except for where a tattoo of an eagle or other single creature pulls away from the skin and flies off. The other movie effect is some maggots or similar insect-like creatures which bump around under the flesh. But maggoty-like moving faces that seeth and crawl on the skin? It brought to mind a particular Doctor Who episode, which was also creepy, but I think Bradbury's creation was far worse.
Now that I've completely freaked you out, you should know this is not a gory or excessively violent book. Perhaps sensitive people should avoid it, but it would be a great book for a father to share reading with a son, and then to discuss responsibility in taking action if someone appears to be in trouble, the social boundaries of friendship and relationships, and how seductions into evil behavior are not always so easy to resist or easy to spot. Of course, this depend on what kind of kid you've got, too. Myself, as a child, I read everything I could get my hands on, so I was precocious to a degree and far ahead of my peers AND parents in comprehension and literary pretensions. I've grown out of part of this, can you guess what I still have to a fault?
In this book Bradbury's word choices sometimes run away into thick fogs or overgrown gardens, and sometimes he gets lost exploring a sound/word group of descriptions that he tries to use instead of sentences for atmospheric actions or scenes. He's not as good at this as Dr. Seuss, but then this isn't Bradbury's strength. What he is good at is writing muscular speculative stories with vivid characters who face dramatic ethically challenging situations heroically, which can be read by people of all ages.
I don't believe I would like carnivals at all.
Sound of Thunder was included in my audiobook of Something Wicked. ... Hello, Tyrannosaurus Rex hunt! Cool!
Now that I've completely freaked you out, you should know this is not a gory or excessively violent book. Perhaps sensitive people should avoid it, but it would be a great book for a father to share reading with a son, and then to discuss responsibility in taking action if someone appears to be in trouble, the social boundaries of friendship and relationships, and how seductions into evil behavior are not always so easy to resist or easy to spot. Of course, this depend on what kind of kid you've got, too. Myself, as a child, I read everything I could get my hands on, so I was precocious to a degree and far ahead of my peers AND parents in comprehension and literary pretensions. I've grown out of part of this, can you guess what I still have to a fault?
In this book Bradbury's word choices sometimes run away into thick fogs or overgrown gardens, and sometimes he gets lost exploring a sound/word group of descriptions that he tries to use instead of sentences for atmospheric actions or scenes. He's not as good at this as Dr. Seuss, but then this isn't Bradbury's strength. What he is good at is writing muscular speculative stories with vivid characters who face dramatic ethically challenging situations heroically, which can be read by people of all ages.
I don't believe I would like carnivals at all.
Sound of Thunder was included in my audiobook of Something Wicked. ... Hello, Tyrannosaurus Rex hunt! Cool!
September 24, 2009
2nd Witch: By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. [Knocking:] Open locks, Whoever knocks! [Enter Macbeth:]
Macbeth: How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!
What is't you do? (Macbeth Act 4, scene 1, 44–49)
Summary:
This classic fantasy/horror tale was originally published in 1963. It revolves around Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade whom are the best of friends and live next door to one another. They are inseparable with Will being the down to earth easy going boy and Jim as the wilder and “darker” of the two.
The setting is a small town in middle America and its October. A scary storm front moves into town along with a mysterious and creepy traveling circus/carnival. As things get a bit wild and go awry the two boys become inextricably involved in the traveling carnival's evil doings. As the story progresses the nature of good and evil and how evil itself may be combated are addressed.
My Thoughts:
I listened to this story in audio format, which was pleasant. I liked its lyrical, slightly poetic style which is characteristic of Bradbury’s signature style. Read by Stanley Kubrik with his deep and resonant voice, where he changes his tone with each character and their moods. It is close to perfect for this story.
Recommended for Halloween/Fall reading for young adults, mature older children, and adults to read to children. Most significant it has the perfect solution for being scared - laughter/humor. There is little or no violence, mild language, yet it is very suspenseful. I give this audio version of the book 3.5 stars. (I liked it a lot.)
Links to GLBT:
This particular book was read for a GLBT challenge and taken from a site which lists it as having these elements. The relationship is however not clear unless one is aware of such nuances – such as the community itself. Once aware it does become subtly apparent as the relationship between Will and Jim is revealed. The boys are obviously very close, and are fairly affectionate which could allude to the possibility of a budding romantic relationship.
July 10, 2015
I am not a big fan of Bradbury, he is a bit dry and verbose for my taste. That being said, this is an interesting story of human nature. In a small midwestern town a circus comes to visit, but this circus is anything but ordinary. Two boys get caught up in the age old battle of good versus evil. But instead of battling monsters, the fight is with their selves.
April 10, 2015
Fantastic and horrifying. I've not read a book before that's scared and thrilled and inspired to courage. Note: begin it on October 1.
November 5, 2012
(This is only a review of Something Wicked This Way Comes. Please add one half star.)
Bradbury's tale of adolescence and aging, curiosity and fear is poetic and frightening, frequently at the same time. Will and Jim, two teenagers, are fascinated when a circus rolls into their small town, so they creep out to investigate it before opening day. And they make an awful discovery that sets the story in motion.
As they uncover more mysteries and more grotesque characters, the boys are always walking a fine line between bravery and fear. Their relationship is so pure and perfect and reminds me very much of the young men Stephen King sometimes writes (I'm thinking specifically of "The Body"). Bradbury captures them, and what they represent, perfectly.
The more developed relationship, though, is between Will and his father, who is the janitor of the town's library (of course there's a library; it's Bradbury, after all). Will eventually comes to depend on him more and their father-son bond thickens over the course of the story. I do wish that Bradbury had not left Jim and Will's friendship on the wayside, because it was so nicely started. I also felt that the hopelessness of youth--especially the frequently ignored youth--could have been further exploited to raise the tension and anxiety in the story.
But it's a creepy tale and perfect to get some of those pre-Halloween heebie jeebies.
Bradbury's tale of adolescence and aging, curiosity and fear is poetic and frightening, frequently at the same time. Will and Jim, two teenagers, are fascinated when a circus rolls into their small town, so they creep out to investigate it before opening day. And they make an awful discovery that sets the story in motion.
As they uncover more mysteries and more grotesque characters, the boys are always walking a fine line between bravery and fear. Their relationship is so pure and perfect and reminds me very much of the young men Stephen King sometimes writes (I'm thinking specifically of "The Body"). Bradbury captures them, and what they represent, perfectly.
The more developed relationship, though, is between Will and his father, who is the janitor of the town's library (of course there's a library; it's Bradbury, after all). Will eventually comes to depend on him more and their father-son bond thickens over the course of the story. I do wish that Bradbury had not left Jim and Will's friendship on the wayside, because it was so nicely started. I also felt that the hopelessness of youth--especially the frequently ignored youth--could have been further exploited to raise the tension and anxiety in the story.
But it's a creepy tale and perfect to get some of those pre-Halloween heebie jeebies.
August 5, 2008
I cannot imagine a better book for a father and, say, his teenage or even adult son to read togther and discuss. Try this question: what is this "something wicked"? Set in rural Illinois, after the war to end all wars, a father lives with his hidden disillusions and personal failures, while all the while trying to keep the magic and trust alive in his son. (The spirit of this is very much like William Stafford's poem, "To Kit On the Beach, Age 7.")
The father is the town librarian: an outward manifestation of the old man's inner soul. So it is appropriate that the final confrontation takes place here and that here the true character of the father is revealed to the son.
It is autumn: that special autumn of a particular year when decisions were made and life and death seemed to mix together like the multi-colored leaves that blow through the countryside. And into a sleeping village, in the dead of night, came Mr. Dark's Carnival, a sesaonal anachronism that came with an electrical storm and raised the hair on our arms and invited our flesh to crawl. It is autum: that specific season evil encourages men and boys to flee, to retreat, to climb back into the spider's womb.
Here, then, is a wonderful story about how a father and his son face evil together, that particular kind of evil that temts us to turn away from our own end season.
The father is the town librarian: an outward manifestation of the old man's inner soul. So it is appropriate that the final confrontation takes place here and that here the true character of the father is revealed to the son.
It is autumn: that special autumn of a particular year when decisions were made and life and death seemed to mix together like the multi-colored leaves that blow through the countryside. And into a sleeping village, in the dead of night, came Mr. Dark's Carnival, a sesaonal anachronism that came with an electrical storm and raised the hair on our arms and invited our flesh to crawl. It is autum: that specific season evil encourages men and boys to flee, to retreat, to climb back into the spider's womb.
Here, then, is a wonderful story about how a father and his son face evil together, that particular kind of evil that temts us to turn away from our own end season.
May 20, 2011
Exceptionally spooky and filled with the ghouls and monsters of your deepest nightmares, Something Wicked This Way Comes is one of Ray Bradbury's masterpieces for a reason. The themes are epic: the innocence and potential of youth are forced into combat with spiritual and moral corruption. Freedom is brought up against indentured servitude. In the simplest terms, good is pitted against evil. The halls of this madhouse are decorated with Bradbury's eternally capable and magical prose, and instead of being forced to deal with the nightmares in an overly gory way, you are gently shepherded through it. Nothing is hidden, but nothing is forced. Despite the epic themes, the story is dispatched capably and efficiently without seeming overwrought.
No wonder this man has influenced so many.
Oh, and I would be remiss in neglecting a mention of the short story "Sound of Thunder" at the end of the book. :)
No wonder this man has influenced so many.
Oh, and I would be remiss in neglecting a mention of the short story "Sound of Thunder" at the end of the book. :)
December 20, 2006
Two boys, close friends but different as night and day, have left summer behind and have begrudgingly started a new year of school. One fall night, in the wee hours, a carnival comes to town...something about it doesn't seem quite right, and something creepy is happening to the townspeople.
This book is a great, quick read - themes of friendship, growing up, the dark side of human nature.
This book is a great, quick read - themes of friendship, growing up, the dark side of human nature.
March 28, 2007
This is one of my all-time favorites. It's a beautifully written story about two best friends and what happens to them when a carnival comes to their small town. It was an intense, moving, frightening read. Ray Bradbury is at the top of his game here.
October 2, 2020
Probably would have liked this better if I had read it. At first I thought it was a boy and a girl that were best friends due to a really girly voice. A bit of cussing in this.
dropped
December 27, 2019Stopped reading at 29%. Didn’t like the writing and had a hard time figuring out what was going on. Tried reading it with Jeff.
February 7, 2025
STILL after 60 years it is just as good as it was when I first read in 1974! FLAWLESS! Bradbury's best novel of his career IMO. This review is for the most AH-MAZINGLY narrated ever audiobook!
Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade are the BEST of friends and they are both October boys! They have grown up right next door to each other and one night in October in the middle of the night.....they hear music. CREEPY music of an old calliope. They both tell each other that it could not be a carnival this late in the season.....but they are wrong! And the carnival that is coming into town this late October is one that will push the boys and their fathers and small town to the limits of the BIZARRE!
When the lightning rod salesman approaches the boys and talks them into believing that one of their houses is going to get struck fatally by an approaching lightning storm if they don't purchase one to put ontheir roof, the boys don't think anything of it....they buy it and the boys climb on the roof and attach it to the roof point. What they dont know is that they are marking themselves to be tormented and drawn to the Crueger and Dark Traveling Carnival and what they discover will make them look at their friendship, their family's and LIFE in a way that they will never forget!
With Will's Father being 54 he has always 'felt too OLD' to be Wills Dad, but not Will, he is his father that he adores. He works as a janitor in the evenings at the local library. Jim's family is completely different; they are young parents and Jim has always taken things kinda for granted. When the boys start to watch the carnival set up at 3 in the morning, they witness some of the most creepy and yet fascinating characters ever. And believe me, these characters are ones that you will both fear, and love at the same time. Only Bradbury could have written this story in the early 60's.....and with the Walt Disney motion picture of the same name, they are both Classics in their own ways. My favorite part of this classic is the horrifying and very creepy Carousel.....and this is one that takes you on a ride that can either make you older or younger; depending on which way it turns! YES! You are in for the ride of a lifetime, and if you are going again, you will love it as much this time as you did if not MORE than that first time you experienced 'Something Wicked This Way Comes'! Ready to go to the Darks traveling 'Creep Show!?' Let's Go! HIGHLY recommend this coming of age Horror, suspense, and emotional read.
5 SCREAMS all the way thru October!
Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade are the BEST of friends and they are both October boys! They have grown up right next door to each other and one night in October in the middle of the night.....they hear music. CREEPY music of an old calliope. They both tell each other that it could not be a carnival this late in the season.....but they are wrong! And the carnival that is coming into town this late October is one that will push the boys and their fathers and small town to the limits of the BIZARRE!
When the lightning rod salesman approaches the boys and talks them into believing that one of their houses is going to get struck fatally by an approaching lightning storm if they don't purchase one to put ontheir roof, the boys don't think anything of it....they buy it and the boys climb on the roof and attach it to the roof point. What they dont know is that they are marking themselves to be tormented and drawn to the Crueger and Dark Traveling Carnival and what they discover will make them look at their friendship, their family's and LIFE in a way that they will never forget!
With Will's Father being 54 he has always 'felt too OLD' to be Wills Dad, but not Will, he is his father that he adores. He works as a janitor in the evenings at the local library. Jim's family is completely different; they are young parents and Jim has always taken things kinda for granted. When the boys start to watch the carnival set up at 3 in the morning, they witness some of the most creepy and yet fascinating characters ever. And believe me, these characters are ones that you will both fear, and love at the same time. Only Bradbury could have written this story in the early 60's.....and with the Walt Disney motion picture of the same name, they are both Classics in their own ways. My favorite part of this classic is the horrifying and very creepy Carousel.....and this is one that takes you on a ride that can either make you older or younger; depending on which way it turns! YES! You are in for the ride of a lifetime, and if you are going again, you will love it as much this time as you did if not MORE than that first time you experienced 'Something Wicked This Way Comes'! Ready to go to the Darks traveling 'Creep Show!?' Let's Go! HIGHLY recommend this coming of age Horror, suspense, and emotional read.
5 SCREAMS all the way thru October!
August 5, 2025
The whole time I was reading this book I was thinking, “I’d like this better as a movie”. Written by Ray Bradbury, it’s an eerie story of a carnival that mysteriously arrives in a small town in the middle of the night. Two boys stay late one night and accidentally see something they shouldn’t have seen. Suddenly, they’re being hunted by a few of the carnival workers. With the help of one of the boy’s dad, it turns into a game of survival. It’s a classic tale of good vs evil. The moral of the story is good and even though the events are a bit far-fetched, it’s all still believable. I just really struggled with Bradbury’s style of writing. He likes to use lots of words, and lots of explanations, and lots of descriptions. According to google, there’s a 1983 Disney movie based on this book. I’d recommend just watching that instead.
November 5, 2018
Bradbury is one of my favorite authors yet this book always falls short for me. I’m not a big fan of the fight evil with love plot (like in a Wrinkle in Time). It just seems an oversimplification of the complexities of life. I do like some of the themes in the book, but it’s nothing like Bradbury’s other stories that take place in the same town. With that being said, I still read this book most Octobers as it’s good ambience for the season.
This was my first time getting the Sound Of Thunder included. I found that more interesting of a read. What will rich people do in 2055? Travel back in time to do big game hunting of Dinosaurs. But don’t step out of line, you change the course of history!
This was my first time getting the Sound Of Thunder included. I found that more interesting of a read. What will rich people do in 2055? Travel back in time to do big game hunting of Dinosaurs. But don’t step out of line, you change the course of history!
June 26, 2021
I listened to the audiobook and I'm not much of an audiobook person.
This was kinda rough for me. The story sounded like something I would be really into if I were reading with my eyes instead of my ears but maybe not so much to go back and wait for the ebook or a physical copy to be available.
A supernatural/evil carnival tale of children caught in a web of temptation. Clearly a major influence of one of my favorite books, Johannes Cabal: Necromancer. I wish I'd been 1) in the mood for that type of story (autumn instead of summer reading) and 2) I HAD BEEN READING WITH MY EYEBALLS.
Would recommend but definitely be into spooky/demonic and unexplained forces, carnivals coming to town, children having growing pains.
This was kinda rough for me. The story sounded like something I would be really into if I were reading with my eyes instead of my ears but maybe not so much to go back and wait for the ebook or a physical copy to be available.
A supernatural/evil carnival tale of children caught in a web of temptation. Clearly a major influence of one of my favorite books, Johannes Cabal: Necromancer. I wish I'd been 1) in the mood for that type of story (autumn instead of summer reading) and 2) I HAD BEEN READING WITH MY EYEBALLS.
Would recommend but definitely be into spooky/demonic and unexplained forces, carnivals coming to town, children having growing pains.
April 30, 2023
I read a physical copy of this book last year and had a hard time with the poetic language. I found it difficult to understand and frustrating to read. "Just write what you mean!" I said out loud a number of times. At the time, I thought about giving the book one star but knew that Ray Bradbury and his highly acclaimed novel must be worthy of more than that, so I gave it three.
Several months later, I decided to listen to an audio version to see if I would think differently about the book. Boy, was I surprised! Stefan Rudnicki's reading of the book is fabulous and allowed me to see (or hear) what a great story this is. Five stars all the way!
Several months later, I decided to listen to an audio version to see if I would think differently about the book. Boy, was I surprised! Stefan Rudnicki's reading of the book is fabulous and allowed me to see (or hear) what a great story this is. Five stars all the way!
October 17, 2025
I felt like I was reading a book assigned through high school 😂 not a completely terrible thing but I did sometimes find the story a bit difficult to follow. Maybe just because writing styles were different back then? Maybe slightly too heavy on descriptors? Now reading the blurb of the book, it is described as being poetic which is not what I was expecting. If I were to attempt a reread, I might enjoy it more knowing that and I might try reading a physical copy rather than doing the audiobook again.
I did however quite enjoy the short story at the end. I would give A Sound of Thunder 4 stars ⭐️
I did however quite enjoy the short story at the end. I would give A Sound of Thunder 4 stars ⭐️
January 7, 2025
Bradbury has a way of crafting stories. Something Wicked This Way Comes has a title that makes me smile. It is intended for a younger audience, so its thriller elements will appeal more to them. Nevertheless, I liked how he told it. I liked that, in this story, children aren't left to sort out complex issues on their own. It made me love the dad all the better. It made me like Bradbury better, too.
A Sound of Thunder is a short story that was included. It was interesting, too.
A Sound of Thunder is a short story that was included. It was interesting, too.
March 2, 2019
This was a cool story and very dark and very good. The short story that came after Something Wicked This Way Comes is one of my favorites of all time. I love how it deals with what would happen when you change the past.
January 31, 2021
Very enjoyable. Bradbury's descriptive language is really amazing.
The story, is fairly short, but I definitely got into it pretty quickly.
Sound of Thunder is good for a short, short story (30+ minutes on audio) predictable but good.
The story, is fairly short, but I definitely got into it pretty quickly.
Sound of Thunder is good for a short, short story (30+ minutes on audio) predictable but good.
October 20, 2023
Great writing style, very descriptive and easy to follow. Unfortunately, I just didn't find this story that interesting or entertaining hence the 2 star rating.
This book was probably geared more toward a younger crowd.
This book was probably geared more toward a younger crowd.
October 7, 2022
Love Something Wicked This Way Comes. The audiobook put me to sleep a little though.
May 15, 2024
A great story. Scary ad hell.
November 3, 2024
Writing was hard to follow and plot lines were abandoned and lackluster overall
December 7, 2024
I liked it but it took me a while to get into. Creepy story.
April 16, 2025
I love this author but really struggled with how slow it was. The final wrap up was very well done but painful getting there.
September 16, 2025
My first book by Bradbury and it's a great one! The longing of the young to be old and the old to be young. Very creepy. Loved it.
October 16, 2019
I couldn’t come to terms to liking Something Wicked This Way Comes...
But I did like Sound of Thunder.
But I did like Sound of Thunder.
August 12, 2013
By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.
Three o’clock in the morning is an hour for young boys. Their parents fast asleep in their beds, it is an hour for explorations, and secret things. Thirteen year olds William Holloway and Jim Nightshade are no exception, but on one particular three a.m. excursion in the month of October, also a magical time for boys, the two adventurers find that some secrets are better left undisturbed.
It is on this particular autumn night that the Dark and Cooger Carnival arrives in their small, Midwest town on an ancient looking steam train. Unable to resist, the two boys follow the carnival train to an empty field just outside the town limits, the wind howling through the exposed calliope like a siren song to their young ears. It is on this night that the two friends get their first look at the mysterious Mr. Dark, also known as the Illustrated Man because of the tattoos that cover much of his body. Their curiosity far from sated, they vow to explore the carnival more thoroughly.
Over the next few days and nights, the boys learn that this is no ordinary carnival: the hall of mirrors where barely glimpsed figures seem to beckon you ever deeper, the wax museum where the statues look a little too real, and the unusual backward running carousel that literally unwinds a person’s years as it spins. Unfortunately for the boys, their secret, late-night excursions have not gone unnoticed; Mr. Dark knows what they have seen, and he knows their names.
It is young William’s father, Charles Holloway, who begins to shed some light on the matter, although even that light is dark and poses more questions than answers. Rummaging through the old archives at the town library, where he is head librarian, Charles uncovers newspaper advertisements for the Dark and Cooger Carnival, newspaper articles from 1910, 1888, 1860, and 1846, same ads, same names, Dark and Cooger, Cooger and Dark, and always in October. Charles is a middle-aged man who often feels feeble and useless, especially where his young son is concerned, but when Will and Jim are captured by Mr. Dark and imprisoned in the carnival, he will have to face his fears and enter the beast’s lair to save them.
In my lifetime, I have read a small handful of books that just scream “Halloween!” to me. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one, and Ray Bradbury’s classic Something Wicked This Way Comes is another. Bradbury captures some of the magic of childhood masterfully in this book: the kind of magic that young boys find late at night, and especially in the month of October. I don’t know what it is about October; maybe it’s the way the earth seems to be preparing for a long sleep that really makes you feel alive. Whatever it is, Bradbury knows about it. It seems like a lot of his stories occur in October.
I love the relationship that Bradbury crafted between Charles Holloway and his son Will. Charles married and had a child much later in life than is usual, and has always struggled with his relationship with his son, often feeling that he has nothing to offer the boy. Will struggles with it too, seeing other boys with their young, active fathers, and wondering what went wrong in his own situation. It is the Dark and Cooger Carnival that finally draws them together, giving the two a new respect for each other in the ways that they both handle this new evil that has entered their lives.
I can’t think of anyone better than Stefan Rudnicki to read Something Wicked This Way Comes . His dramatic, deep voice lends something of a spectral flair to the spooky tale, and anyway, he’s just one of the better narrators in the business.
I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of Bradbury’s work in general, but he really nailed this one. This is a story about the magic of youth, and the frustration of age. It is about facing your fears and coming to grips with them, and it is about bridging the generation gap. Something Wicked This Way Comes is a beautifully written story, and a must-read for your Halloween reading list.
Steven Brandt @ Audiobook-Heaven
Three o’clock in the morning is an hour for young boys. Their parents fast asleep in their beds, it is an hour for explorations, and secret things. Thirteen year olds William Holloway and Jim Nightshade are no exception, but on one particular three a.m. excursion in the month of October, also a magical time for boys, the two adventurers find that some secrets are better left undisturbed.
It is on this particular autumn night that the Dark and Cooger Carnival arrives in their small, Midwest town on an ancient looking steam train. Unable to resist, the two boys follow the carnival train to an empty field just outside the town limits, the wind howling through the exposed calliope like a siren song to their young ears. It is on this night that the two friends get their first look at the mysterious Mr. Dark, also known as the Illustrated Man because of the tattoos that cover much of his body. Their curiosity far from sated, they vow to explore the carnival more thoroughly.
Over the next few days and nights, the boys learn that this is no ordinary carnival: the hall of mirrors where barely glimpsed figures seem to beckon you ever deeper, the wax museum where the statues look a little too real, and the unusual backward running carousel that literally unwinds a person’s years as it spins. Unfortunately for the boys, their secret, late-night excursions have not gone unnoticed; Mr. Dark knows what they have seen, and he knows their names.
It is young William’s father, Charles Holloway, who begins to shed some light on the matter, although even that light is dark and poses more questions than answers. Rummaging through the old archives at the town library, where he is head librarian, Charles uncovers newspaper advertisements for the Dark and Cooger Carnival, newspaper articles from 1910, 1888, 1860, and 1846, same ads, same names, Dark and Cooger, Cooger and Dark, and always in October. Charles is a middle-aged man who often feels feeble and useless, especially where his young son is concerned, but when Will and Jim are captured by Mr. Dark and imprisoned in the carnival, he will have to face his fears and enter the beast’s lair to save them.
In my lifetime, I have read a small handful of books that just scream “Halloween!” to me. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one, and Ray Bradbury’s classic Something Wicked This Way Comes is another. Bradbury captures some of the magic of childhood masterfully in this book: the kind of magic that young boys find late at night, and especially in the month of October. I don’t know what it is about October; maybe it’s the way the earth seems to be preparing for a long sleep that really makes you feel alive. Whatever it is, Bradbury knows about it. It seems like a lot of his stories occur in October.
I love the relationship that Bradbury crafted between Charles Holloway and his son Will. Charles married and had a child much later in life than is usual, and has always struggled with his relationship with his son, often feeling that he has nothing to offer the boy. Will struggles with it too, seeing other boys with their young, active fathers, and wondering what went wrong in his own situation. It is the Dark and Cooger Carnival that finally draws them together, giving the two a new respect for each other in the ways that they both handle this new evil that has entered their lives.
I can’t think of anyone better than Stefan Rudnicki to read Something Wicked This Way Comes . His dramatic, deep voice lends something of a spectral flair to the spooky tale, and anyway, he’s just one of the better narrators in the business.
I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of Bradbury’s work in general, but he really nailed this one. This is a story about the magic of youth, and the frustration of age. It is about facing your fears and coming to grips with them, and it is about bridging the generation gap. Something Wicked This Way Comes is a beautifully written story, and a must-read for your Halloween reading list.
Steven Brandt @ Audiobook-Heaven
January 22, 2014
I’ve been meaning to read this book for some time and now that I have, I’m so glad I did. I recognized the title from William Shakespeare's Macbeth ("By the pricking of my thumbs / Something wicked this way comes.”) and had heard the same phrase used in other popular media such as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Eventually, I finally gave in to curiosity and just had to read this book.
Something Wicked This Way Comes is a novel by Ray Bradbury that follows the adventures of two 14 year-old boys, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway. They sneak out of their houses one autumn night and see a mysterious carnival set up in town in the wee hours of the morning. The carnival's leader is the named "Mr. Dark" who bears a tattoo for each person who, lured by the offer to live out his secret fantasies, has become bound in service to the carnival. Because of his tattoos, Mr. Dark is frequently referred to as “The Illustrated Man.” Jim and Will surreptitiously learn the fantastical secrets of the carnival and are soon the next in line for The Illustrated Man’s newest tattoos.
What I loved about this book is the combination of fantasy and horror elements. Not a bloody disgusting kind of horror but rather a creeping, disturbing kind of horror where something just feels terribly wrong and there seems no way out of it. From the start of the novel, the expectation is set that the boy’s interaction with this carnival, there is a loss of innocence - a feeling that things will never again be as simple and carefree. At the core of the story though, is a hard look at the conflicting natures of good and evil and how they come into play among the characters. Mr. Dark's malevolent presence is countered by that of Will's father, Charles Halloway, who figures out how to protect Jim and Will from The Illustrated Man and his carnival. Against all odds, Charles Halloway finds the hope and joy that allows him to face his own fears as well as the malevolence and evil of The Illustrated Man.
A very enjoyable, very fast read. Highly recommended.
Edit:
Forgot to mention that my copy also had the short story A Sound of Thunder attached to it.
This short story follows a man named Eckles who recently lost a bid to be President. As a consolation, he goes on a hunting safari through a company that promises the ultimate game - the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The safari company is careful to choose only animals that die of natural cause so as not to upset the future by changing the past. As such, the hunters are allowed to take pictures with their game, but not allowed to bring it back to the future because even the decomposing bodies of the animals may play some important role in the future.
Despite the precautions, Eckles balks at killing the animal when faced with it in all of it's carnivorous glory. In his haste back to the time machine, he falls of of the levitating trail and into the marshy ground. It isn't until the hunters and guides return that they realize something is wrong. The future is not as they left it. All due to a single butterfly that Eckles crushed on the sole of his boot while carelessly tramping through the marsh.
That's right, this is a story about the butterfly effect - even before the phrase was a thing!
I loved the simplicity and efficiency of this story. Succinct and impactful, it shows brilliance in its brevity. A real treat to have this tagged on to the end of the novel.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews