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A Medicine for Melancholy and Other Stories
Contents:
1 • In a Season of Calm Weather • (1957) • short story by Ray Bradbury
7 • A Medicine for Melancholy • (1959) • short story by Ray Bradbury
16 • The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit • non-genre • (1958) • short story by Ray Bradbury
39 • Fever Dream • (1948) • short story by Ray Bradbury
46 • The Marriage Mender • (1954) • short story by Ray Bradbury
51 • The Town Where No One Got Off • (1958) • short story by Ray Bradbury
59 • A Scent of Sarsaparilla • (1953) • short story by Ray Bradbury
66 • The Headpiece • (1958) • short story by Ray Bradbury
74 • The First Night of Lent • [The Irish Stories] • (1956) • short story by Ray Bradbury
81 • The Time of Going Away • (1956) • short story by Ray Bradbury
88 • All Summer in a Day • (1954) • short story by Ray Bradbury
94 • The Gift • (1952) • short story by Ray Bradbury
97 • The Great Collision of Monday Last • [The Irish Stories] • (1958) • short story by Ray Bradbury
104 • The Little Mice • (1955) • short story by Ray Bradbury
109 • The Shore Line at Sunset • (1959) • short story by Ray Bradbury (variant of The Shoreline at Sunset)
118 • The Day It Rained Forever • (1957) • short story by Ray Bradbury
129 • Chrysalis • (1946) • short story by Ray Bradbury
150 • Pillar of Fire • (1948) • novelette by Ray Bradbury
188 • Zero Hour • (1947) • short story by Ray Bradbury
198 • The Man • (1949) • short story by Ray Bradbury
210 • Time in Thy Flight • (1953) • short story by Ray Bradbury
215 • The Pedestrian • (1951) • short story by Ray Bradbury
220 • Hail and Farewell • (1953) • short story by Ray Bradbury
228 • Invisible Boy • (1945) • short story by Ray Bradbury
237 • Come Into My Cellar • (1962) • short story by Ray Bradbury (variant of Boys! Raise Giant Mushrooms in Your Cellar!)
254 • The Million-Year Picnic • [The Martian Chronicles] • (1946) • short story by Ray Bradbury (variant of The Million Year Picnic)
264 • The Screaming Woman • [Green Town] • (1951) • short story by Ray Bradbury
278 • The Smile • (1952) • short story by Ray Bradbury
284 • Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed • (1949) • short story by Ray Bradbury
299 • The Trolley • [Dandelion Wine] • (1955) • short story by Ray Bradbury
303 • Icarus Montgolfier Wright • (1956) • short story by Ray Bradbury
1 • In a Season of Calm Weather • (1957) • short story by Ray Bradbury
7 • A Medicine for Melancholy • (1959) • short story by Ray Bradbury
16 • The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit • non-genre • (1958) • short story by Ray Bradbury
39 • Fever Dream • (1948) • short story by Ray Bradbury
46 • The Marriage Mender • (1954) • short story by Ray Bradbury
51 • The Town Where No One Got Off • (1958) • short story by Ray Bradbury
59 • A Scent of Sarsaparilla • (1953) • short story by Ray Bradbury
66 • The Headpiece • (1958) • short story by Ray Bradbury
74 • The First Night of Lent • [The Irish Stories] • (1956) • short story by Ray Bradbury
81 • The Time of Going Away • (1956) • short story by Ray Bradbury
88 • All Summer in a Day • (1954) • short story by Ray Bradbury
94 • The Gift • (1952) • short story by Ray Bradbury
97 • The Great Collision of Monday Last • [The Irish Stories] • (1958) • short story by Ray Bradbury
104 • The Little Mice • (1955) • short story by Ray Bradbury
109 • The Shore Line at Sunset • (1959) • short story by Ray Bradbury (variant of The Shoreline at Sunset)
118 • The Day It Rained Forever • (1957) • short story by Ray Bradbury
129 • Chrysalis • (1946) • short story by Ray Bradbury
150 • Pillar of Fire • (1948) • novelette by Ray Bradbury
188 • Zero Hour • (1947) • short story by Ray Bradbury
198 • The Man • (1949) • short story by Ray Bradbury
210 • Time in Thy Flight • (1953) • short story by Ray Bradbury
215 • The Pedestrian • (1951) • short story by Ray Bradbury
220 • Hail and Farewell • (1953) • short story by Ray Bradbury
228 • Invisible Boy • (1945) • short story by Ray Bradbury
237 • Come Into My Cellar • (1962) • short story by Ray Bradbury (variant of Boys! Raise Giant Mushrooms in Your Cellar!)
254 • The Million-Year Picnic • [The Martian Chronicles] • (1946) • short story by Ray Bradbury (variant of The Million Year Picnic)
264 • The Screaming Woman • [Green Town] • (1951) • short story by Ray Bradbury
278 • The Smile • (1952) • short story by Ray Bradbury
284 • Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed • (1949) • short story by Ray Bradbury
299 • The Trolley • [Dandelion Wine] • (1955) • short story by Ray Bradbury
303 • Icarus Montgolfier Wright • (1956) • short story by Ray Bradbury
307 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1998
248 people are currently reading
7698 people want to read
About the author
Ray Bradbury
2,561 books25.2k 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".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 596 reviews
September 13, 2017
One of Bradbury's best short stories, this one came to be re-printed often as it is imaginative, poignant and still fun to read.
Taking the premise that the characters of the story are on a planet where it rains constantly, and the sun shines in only one day, revealing instantly blossoming plants, and equally blooming spirits of the children, the images Bradbury creates become archetypal for his brand of narrative.
Short and sweet, just like the flowers on Venus, this is one of Bradbury's best, high praise for the author of so many brilliant short works of fiction.
Taking the premise that the characters of the story are on a planet where it rains constantly, and the sun shines in only one day, revealing instantly blossoming plants, and equally blooming spirits of the children, the images Bradbury creates become archetypal for his brand of narrative.
Short and sweet, just like the flowers on Venus, this is one of Bradbury's best, high praise for the author of so many brilliant short works of fiction.
July 1, 2021
***NO SPOILERS***
Note: This review is for the short story “All Summer in a Day,” which was the title I originally shelved; someone changed the book page to A Medicine for Melancholy and Other Stories.
“All Summer in a Day”: the four-page short story with a greater lasting impression than many short stories five times as long. Bradbury envisioned a continuously dreary, rainy Venus populated by humans who have moved there from Earth. Every seven years, for a single hour on a single day, Venus’s rain stops, and the sun shines as brilliantly as on the hottest summer day. The setting for this monumental event is a classroom of ecstatic, eager third-graders who have always lived on Venus, except for one, who moved to Venus at age four and is able to remember a life without endless rain.
Despite minimal dialogue, the story’s pace hums along; however, more dialogue would have helped greatly with characterization, which is cardboard. The main character is timid, the rest of the children a group of envious bullies, and that's that; nevertheless, somehow there’s still something very human about it all. For sure, this is emotional, and the ending pulled on my heart strings. It seems clear, though, that Bradbury was enthralled by his premise, so that was what got priority, and really, the premise is so good that I can't ding him for the flat characterization.
Furthermore, Bradbury’s prose is outstanding: original and simply beautiful. It’s never weighed-down with pretentiousness or ambiguity but clean and straightforward:
End Note: Readers looking for this story in print form can find it in this anthology: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
End Note 2: A t.v. short based on the story came out in 1982: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0195517/?...
Note: This review is for the short story “All Summer in a Day,” which was the title I originally shelved; someone changed the book page to A Medicine for Melancholy and Other Stories.
“All Summer in a Day”: the four-page short story with a greater lasting impression than many short stories five times as long. Bradbury envisioned a continuously dreary, rainy Venus populated by humans who have moved there from Earth. Every seven years, for a single hour on a single day, Venus’s rain stops, and the sun shines as brilliantly as on the hottest summer day. The setting for this monumental event is a classroom of ecstatic, eager third-graders who have always lived on Venus, except for one, who moved to Venus at age four and is able to remember a life without endless rain.
Despite minimal dialogue, the story’s pace hums along; however, more dialogue would have helped greatly with characterization, which is cardboard. The main character is timid, the rest of the children a group of envious bullies, and that's that; nevertheless, somehow there’s still something very human about it all. For sure, this is emotional, and the ending pulled on my heart strings. It seems clear, though, that Bradbury was enthralled by his premise, so that was what got priority, and really, the premise is so good that I can't ding him for the flat characterization.
Furthermore, Bradbury’s prose is outstanding: original and simply beautiful. It’s never weighed-down with pretentiousness or ambiguity but clean and straightforward:
Margot stood apart from them, from these children who could never remember a time when there wasn’t rain and rain and rain. They were all nine years old, and if there had been a day, seven years ago, when the sun came out for an hour and showed its face to the stunned world, they could not recall. Sometimes, at night, she heard them stir, in remembrance, and she knew they were dreaming and remembering gold or a yellow crayon or a coin large enough to buy the world with. She knew that they thought they remembered a warmness, like a blushing in the face, in the body, in the arms and legs and trembling hands. But then they always awoke to the tatting drum, the endless shaking down of clear bead necklaces upon the roof, the walk, the gardens, the forest, and their dreams were gone.“All Summer in a Day” is a short story that will appeal to many, including children as young as the story’s characters. It isn’t obscure like some (usually older) science fiction; it’s to-the-point, creative, and emotional. Bradbury could even have taken this captivating premise further and into much more complex territory, but this could be a case of “less is more.”
End Note: Readers looking for this story in print form can find it in this anthology: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
End Note 2: A t.v. short based on the story came out in 1982: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0195517/?...
January 31, 2016
Such an unusual and beautiful combination of science fiction and fable. Ray Bradbury has such a gift with words, and while I certainly enjoyed and appreciated the message of the text, I still feel as if there was still too much left unsaid.
May 11, 2011
This short story still moves me unbearably, more than 20 years after I first read it. All the more powerful for things left unsaid.
Available to read online here.
Available to read online here.
January 18, 2016
عالی بود، همه چیزش خوب و دلچسب بود، تشبیه ها، موضوع داستان، بیان آن، تخیلات، نبوغ... همه و همه بینظیر بود
دوستانِ گرانقدر، بخشی از این داستانِ کوتاه را برایتان در زیر نوشته ام
بچه ها همه نه سالشان بود....( بچه هایی که با خانواده از زمین به سیارۀ ناهید نقل مکان کرده اند ) از آخرین باری که «خورشید» یک ساعتی خودش را به دنیایِ حیرت زدۀ آنها نشان داده بود، هفت سال میگذشت و طبعاً هیچ کدام از بچه ها آن روز را به خاطر نمی آورد... گاهی وقت ها «مارگوت» در میانۀ شب صدایشان را میشنید که توی خواب تکان می خوردند... می دانست که دارند خواب می بینند، خوابِ یک مداد شمعی زرد یا یک سکه طلایی بزرگ، آنقدر بزرگ که میشود دنیا را با آن خرید... می دانست که تویِ خواب، گرمایی را به یاد می آورند، مثلِ وقت هایی که صورت از خجالت سرخ میشود و بعدِ حرارتش توی بدن ، دست ها و پاهای لرزان پیش می رود... امّا همیشه رویایشان به صدایِ ضربِ قطره های آب پاره میشد، انگار که گردنبندِ شفافِ بی انتهایی روی سقف، روی خیابان، روی باغ ها و جنگل ها پاره شود
تمام روز را توی کلاس دربارۀ «خورشید» خوانده بودند... اینکه چقدر شبیهِ لیمو است و اینکه چقدر داغ است... حتی درباره اش داستان، مقاله و شعر نوشته بودند
خورشید مثل یک گل است که تنها برای ساعتی میشکفد
امیدوارم از خواندنِ این داستانِ کوتاه لذت ببرید
پیروز باشید و ایرانی
دوستانِ گرانقدر، بخشی از این داستانِ کوتاه را برایتان در زیر نوشته ام
بچه ها همه نه سالشان بود....( بچه هایی که با خانواده از زمین به سیارۀ ناهید نقل مکان کرده اند ) از آخرین باری که «خورشید» یک ساعتی خودش را به دنیایِ حیرت زدۀ آنها نشان داده بود، هفت سال میگذشت و طبعاً هیچ کدام از بچه ها آن روز را به خاطر نمی آورد... گاهی وقت ها «مارگوت» در میانۀ شب صدایشان را میشنید که توی خواب تکان می خوردند... می دانست که دارند خواب می بینند، خوابِ یک مداد شمعی زرد یا یک سکه طلایی بزرگ، آنقدر بزرگ که میشود دنیا را با آن خرید... می دانست که تویِ خواب، گرمایی را به یاد می آورند، مثلِ وقت هایی که صورت از خجالت سرخ میشود و بعدِ حرارتش توی بدن ، دست ها و پاهای لرزان پیش می رود... امّا همیشه رویایشان به صدایِ ضربِ قطره های آب پاره میشد، انگار که گردنبندِ شفافِ بی انتهایی روی سقف، روی خیابان، روی باغ ها و جنگل ها پاره شود
تمام روز را توی کلاس دربارۀ «خورشید» خوانده بودند... اینکه چقدر شبیهِ لیمو است و اینکه چقدر داغ است... حتی درباره اش داستان، مقاله و شعر نوشته بودند
خورشید مثل یک گل است که تنها برای ساعتی میشکفد
امیدوارم از خواندنِ این داستانِ کوتاه لذت ببرید
پیروز باشید و ایرانی
May 27, 2016
Rain. Water. Here on Earth it means life. Without it, there would be no forests, not grass, no nothing.
On Venus (the Venus in this story anyway) there is constant rain and wind and thunderstorms and all the horrible consequences such as floods from it. It rains for seven years without end, then you get two hours of sun. That's it.
So what would that do to humans? Living in such an environment?
Well, I guess it's not even the rain itself that is the problem, but monotony in general and a complete lack of sunlight. Yes, we can take supplements with our food to keep our bodies "healthy" but even I who do not like hot summers would get grumpy without the sun.
So this is the story of humans living on Venus and a class of schoolchildren who actively experience sun for the first time. And it's the story of one of those children who is different because she was born and lived on Earth.
It's a story about longing, cruelty, depression, sadness and it makes the reader appreciate the perfect conditions we are living in here on our Blue Marble. It's also heart-breaking.
Once again, Ray Bradbury shows that he is a master storyteller who doesn't need a lot of text to drive home a point. Still, I can't give this the full 5 stars - for starters, the typos were off-putting; but it's also that for all the feelings I had during only 4 pages of story, I know short stories that made me care (and cry) even more!
June 8, 2011
I read this back in grade 6 I think, and I remember how sad I felt for Margot. I also remember that this also really hit home about consequences for our actions and how a simple I'm sorry does not or will not always suffice.
So present day and I need my five year old son to start understanding this important lesson. So I know your thinking Bradbury for a five year old? Look,I am the first to say my boy Ronan is not super gifted and he is not going to be writing his memoirs at 6 or somthing, he is bright and sweet,but I don't think he is a genius. I have sparkly things hanging on my sliding glass door cause he runs into it all summer long. But my kid loves space, obsessed with space, but not Star Trek space, for reals space.
Ronans birthday cake this year
So we start reading about children who live on Venus and it has been raining for 7 years.
Ronan says:wait wait What about the air its toxic you can't breathe?
Me: maybe they wear masks? (it does not say masks anywhere)
Ronan: is it acid rain? It should be acid rain.
Me: nope I think normal rain
Ronan : The pressure? it spose to crush you?
Me :Yep they fixed that
Ronan: how?
Me: flux capacitater,its a machine (???????????????????????)
Ronan:hmmmmmmmmm
Ronans "Hmmmmmm face"
So we get to the point where they will see the sun soon for only a short time and for the first time in 7 years.Here is where he loses his shit
Ronan:Whoa,whoa,whoa, Its 2nd planet to the sun?It is closer? Why can't they see the sun??? What about the Volcanos? and its really really hot these kids should be melted. This book is ridiculous!
*Quick note- Ronan has read every Franklin story there is, if a talking turtle who is friends with a bear is not ridiculous then......... anyways
I finish the story and try to talk about poor Margot and those horrid little bastards who put her in the closet and I say "do you get what I'm getting at ?"
Ronan : I get this book should have been on Mars and with snow, I pick the book next time Mum,grumble grumble grumble.
So a little constructive criticisim from my 5 year old and I'm a little depressed cause he kind of missed where I was going with this and I have such strong feelings about this one and he kind of ripped it a bit.
So present day and I need my five year old son to start understanding this important lesson. So I know your thinking Bradbury for a five year old? Look,I am the first to say my boy Ronan is not super gifted and he is not going to be writing his memoirs at 6 or somthing, he is bright and sweet,but I don't think he is a genius. I have sparkly things hanging on my sliding glass door cause he runs into it all summer long. But my kid loves space, obsessed with space, but not Star Trek space, for reals space.
Ronans birthday cake this year
So we start reading about children who live on Venus and it has been raining for 7 years.
Ronan says:wait wait What about the air its toxic you can't breathe?
Me: maybe they wear masks? (it does not say masks anywhere)
Ronan: is it acid rain? It should be acid rain.
Me: nope I think normal rain
Ronan : The pressure? it spose to crush you?
Me :Yep they fixed that
Ronan: how?
Me: flux capacitater,its a machine (???????????????????????)
Ronan:hmmmmmmmmm
Ronans "Hmmmmmm face"
So we get to the point where they will see the sun soon for only a short time and for the first time in 7 years.Here is where he loses his shit
Ronan:Whoa,whoa,whoa, Its 2nd planet to the sun?It is closer? Why can't they see the sun??? What about the Volcanos? and its really really hot these kids should be melted. This book is ridiculous!
*Quick note- Ronan has read every Franklin story there is, if a talking turtle who is friends with a bear is not ridiculous then......... anyways
I finish the story and try to talk about poor Margot and those horrid little bastards who put her in the closet and I say "do you get what I'm getting at ?"
Ronan : I get this book should have been on Mars and with snow, I pick the book next time Mum,grumble grumble grumble.
So a little constructive criticisim from my 5 year old and I'm a little depressed cause he kind of missed where I was going with this and I have such strong feelings about this one and he kind of ripped it a bit.
May 27, 2016
I think the sun is a flower,
That blooms for just one hour.
Imagine living on a planet where you get to glimpse the sun for only one or two hours every seven years. The rest of the time you only get rain and massive thunderstorms. And now imagine you are a 9 years old child who remembers what it's like living under the clear blue sky.
I suppose I can take sad stories as long as they are very short.
Available online.
*Read this for our May Short Story Month Marathon, a personal challenge during which Sandra and I will be going through our short story collection.
February 25, 2018
What a beautiful story of hope, life, memories and grief. I loved how Ray Bradbury used kids to talk about nuanced emotions, because their impact can only be fully understood when one is older. This story could be read and enjoyed by kids the age of Margot and older folks equally. It was sad to see how Margot was treated by bullies in her class, because she was different and knew something the others didn't. Subtle, yet poignantly, Bradbury points to human attitude of shun-everything-we-don't-know. (We strongly appose what we have not experienced or consider it to be untrue). I loved how he meshed sci-fi with fable and the outcome is stunning. Finally, as the story invokes strong emotions in the reader, the 'unsaid' evokes even stronger feelings - of guilt and remorse leading to introspection. Awesome little story. Loved it.
June 7, 2012
Ray Bradbury passed away Tuesday night, and his grandson had this to say about the author's work: "...his stories lifted people up and saved them from lonely summers. Who among us was never buried deep in a Bradbury story, lost in his meticulously yet effortlessly crafted metaphor?" (i09)
In four pages, All Summer In A Day speaks eloquently about hope, power, cruelty and injustice. Or in other words, people can be jerks and life isn't always fair.
June 8, 2011
Ray Bradbury broke my heart in four pages. Poor Margot, kids can be such assholes sometimes.
Available online many places; Here's one of them.
Available online many places; Here's one of them.
September 25, 2012
...yes, I remember now. I read this story many years ago, when I was still just a child. I was probably younger than even the kids in this story who are all nine. I remember reading this because of the impact it left on me for the rest of my life. It's a story that is one of the only ones I remember out of those early years of my childhood. And it revolutionized my world. It introduced me to so many things. It showed me a world that was not mine, a world as foreign and alien as if I had been truly sent to another planet on which to live. It was ugly, it was dark, and it was a trap. My heart screamed with fear and horror when I read this story.... That's what I was introduced to. To fear... and to horror. Fear that something so wonderful like my Sun, my beautiful and health-bringing Sun, could be somehow stolen away from me. But what's worse... is that my fellow classmates could do that to me.
I had a lot of trust issues when I was a kid. Thinking back now, I wonder if this could have influenced me even then. I wonder if it could have thrown my world even more into mortification at the actions that humans--even children who are so wonderful at times, but so cruel at others--can commit. A part of my mind, the more message-aware part makes my brain tick and say: Do you see the political messages they were sending kids those days? *Chuckles* But I'm not here to talk about politics thankfully. We could talk forever about this very debatable topic, and I'd really rather not begin wars, but discussions.
I grew from reading this story, no matter what set of mind it tried to throw me into. It showed me a new and frightening range of the human capacity that my innocent, optimistic mind had never even conceived was possible. Thank you, though I say it with some bitterness, for corrupting that belief with so beautiful and picturesque a story. Though it taught me, and taught me with the least pain possible--I am glad to have read such a story. It was horrible, it was vicious... it tore me to the soul, and still does.... But I learned from it the other end of the possibilities given to us in this life. And I learned it safely. In a classroom with friends. In a class with a teacher I trusted. In a place where we all got the same message, and we all felt the same agony and pain. We were closer because of that story, and we were more experienced because of it.
Perhaps if every person in this world read this story, they might gain more respect for their own actions, and the way others feel. *Smiles warmly* It's an amazing short work, and will pierce you to the soul with its home-hitting message. At only a handful pages, it's totally worth the read. I think you'll be surprised by how amazing a story a few pages can make. Please, definitely give your time to this. You will not regret the experience, no matter how harsh it might be.
September 12, 2013
"The stranger was drawing and drawing and did not seem to sense that anyone stood immediately behind him and the world of his drawings in the sand... Twenty, thirty yards or more the nymphs and dryads and summer founts sprang up in unravelled hieroglyphs. And the sand, in the dying light, was the colour of molten copper on which was now slashed a message that any man in any time might read and savour down the years. Everything whirled and poised in its own wind and gravity."
Whenever I take a book of Ray Bradbury in my hands I'm sure that I'll have several hours of extremely pleasant reading. There isn't a story of this author which I disliked. Both his short-stories and novels can be sad, funny, strange, even creepy sometimes but they are never boring. Each story is a world of its own and you have to become a part of it, to catch its bizarre atmosphere, only then you'll understand what the author wanted to say. If you want to understand what Bradbury wrote, open your heart to his stories, and only then they'll find the way to your mind.
As for this particular collection of stories, it really became a medicine for melancholy for me, though not all the stories are cheerful, Fever Dream and The Town Where No One Got Off for instance gave me goosebumps. But still, i felt very upset and depressed for many reasons the day I decided to read this book and it cured me with its strange magic.
The title story is beautiful, the other best ones in my opinion (except of All Summer in a Day and The Smile which I read at school) are In a Season of Calm Weather, The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit,The Shore Line at Sunset.
This collection tells about past and future (and in The Dragon past and future even collide, you understand what I mean if you have read the story). Of course there are some stories on space topic (as any of Bradbury's collections). I don't know actually how to characterize the whole collection in general, because the stories are so different that having finished one of them you try to imagine what comes next... and still the next story appears to be better than any of your ideas about it. This collection is like a photo-album with pictures so bright, colourful and memorable you can't forget them. And suddenly you begin to smell sarsaparilla in your room, feel the soft ice-cream tissue under your fingers , look into the mirror to check if your eyes are of golden colour or still green as they used to be and touch your hand or leg to make sure it still belongs to you (sounds a little bit strange, if you haven't read Fever Dream). Whatever other people think of Bradbury for me his stories are pure magic. And Bradbury himself is the man drawing on the sand from the story In a Season of Calm Weather.
December 10, 2011
I'm always amazed by short stories. There's something powerful when a writer can summarize so many intense emotions in just a few pages, and Ray Bradbury douse it beautifully.
A class of school children on Venus is eagerly waiting for the Sun to appear. It has been raining for 7 years and the scientist predicted that the Sun will come up that day for two hours. They don't remember the Sun so they don't really know what to expect, but one girl, a nine year old Margot, knows and she craves it more than any of the other children.
I think the sun is a flower,
That blooms for just one hour.
Can we even begin to imagine how she feels?
Those children surely can't.
Or couldn't....
But they do afterwards.
So sad.
The story is available here.
There's also a 30 minute TV adaptation that you can see on Youtube.
A class of school children on Venus is eagerly waiting for the Sun to appear. It has been raining for 7 years and the scientist predicted that the Sun will come up that day for two hours. They don't remember the Sun so they don't really know what to expect, but one girl, a nine year old Margot, knows and she craves it more than any of the other children.
I think the sun is a flower,
That blooms for just one hour.
Can we even begin to imagine how she feels?
Those children surely can't.
Or couldn't....
But they do afterwards.
So sad.
The story is available here.
There's also a 30 minute TV adaptation that you can see on Youtube.
May 5, 2016
What a brilliant, heartbreaking little story. I heard about this short story on Anne Bogel's podcast "what should I read next" and I immediately went and found it online to read.
It was so beautifully written. And so, so sad. But also powerful. Kids can be such bullies to those who are different. We must teach them better. Although not explicit, that's what this story is about.
It was so beautifully written. And so, so sad. But also powerful. Kids can be such bullies to those who are different. We must teach them better. Although not explicit, that's what this story is about.
October 6, 2017
Kids can be the most cruel creature sometimes. I don't even bother to write anything else.
December 6, 2018
Ray Bradbury, more than his fictions, I am a fan of his short stories and this one is beautiful. Margot, a girl bullied by her classmates, claims she has seen the Sun, no one believes in her. On the day when the Sun comes out, she is forced inside a closet by all the kids. This is a melancholic story and beautifully written.
Do read this.
Happy Reading!
Do read this.
Happy Reading!
November 15, 2015
'I think the sun is a flower,
That blooms for just one hour.'
Fabulous little short story. There have been numerous comparisons to Ponies which I believe are a fair comparison, although I didn't enjoy Ponies nearly as much as this one. I feel this was due to the only major difference being the lack of remorse for actions made (in Ponies).
Thanks for another good one, Wendy. :)
That blooms for just one hour.'
Fabulous little short story. There have been numerous comparisons to Ponies which I believe are a fair comparison, although I didn't enjoy Ponies nearly as much as this one. I feel this was due to the only major difference being the lack of remorse for actions made (in Ponies).
Thanks for another good one, Wendy. :)
May 28, 2016
La magia de los (buenos) cuentos cortos, a mi parecer, radica en la serie de sensaciones e ideas que puede transmitir, en un cúmulo de espacio muy pequeño. En este cuento Bradbury, logra golpear (al lector) con sensaciones de una manera magnífica.... Usa de contexto un escenario de ciencia ficción para despertar las sensaciones humanas... Y conmigo lo hizo al punto de casi hacerme llorar al ponerme en el lugar de la pequeña Margot....
No le doy 5 estrellas por lo bien que está escrito o su originalidad, sino por la empatía que logró en mi, en solo 4 páginas...
No le doy 5 estrellas por lo bien que está escrito o su originalidad, sino por la empatía que logró en mi, en solo 4 páginas...
May 8, 2016
I just heard a podcast recommending this short story and I just had to read it it's awesome so creepy at the end and heartbreaking this is a perfect short story for kids to read around the topic of bullying man it's so awesome
February 10, 2018
“I think the sun is a flower,
That blooms for just one hour.”
Beautiful and poignant, with so much emotion conveyed in so few words.
This is a great story to open up the issues of bullying and discrimination and I encourage you to read it.
That blooms for just one hour.”
Beautiful and poignant, with so much emotion conveyed in so few words.
This is a great story to open up the issues of bullying and discrimination and I encourage you to read it.
October 5, 2018
Touching, somber story of fleeting hope and dashed dreams.
January 7, 2019
There is no sun or summer in Venus: a metaphor for leaving/missing home.
As it’s often the case with this author’s stories, Sci Fi is used to show the reader that the development of technology might make us reach the stars – or in this case, Venus – but in doing so it might make us miss what makes our planet amazing: nature. Such simple things such as the summer or the shining sun that we take for granted every day will be missed: we’ll only be left with memories of how it once was.
This story can also be taken as a metaphor for people leaving home and moving to an unknown place, where all we’ll be able to bring with us is our memories of the beautiful and wonderful things that made our homes so special.
Whichever way you want to read this story, it is 100% recommended. It is truly an amazing little tale. I only wish the ending was a little happier. That’s why I’ve rated it with four stars instead of five.
As it’s often the case with this author’s stories, Sci Fi is used to show the reader that the development of technology might make us reach the stars – or in this case, Venus – but in doing so it might make us miss what makes our planet amazing: nature. Such simple things such as the summer or the shining sun that we take for granted every day will be missed: we’ll only be left with memories of how it once was.
This story can also be taken as a metaphor for people leaving home and moving to an unknown place, where all we’ll be able to bring with us is our memories of the beautiful and wonderful things that made our homes so special.
Whichever way you want to read this story, it is 100% recommended. It is truly an amazing little tale. I only wish the ending was a little happier. That’s why I’ve rated it with four stars instead of five.
October 7, 2013
A beautiful and sad short story. I would definitely recommend it to others.
This is one of the things I love most about short stories. They may be short, but they pack a hell of a punch. The story itself isn't spectacular. It just is. It's simple but it's artfully done. The descriptions are what made this story for me. I could imagine that world - the endless rain, the constant darkness and above all, that hope of seeing light once again. To be honest, it's something I consider as the future for this planet. It may not be in our lifetime but definitely in the future.
Read it for free here
P.s - As much as I loved this story, I have to stay it does not compare to The End of the Party. That story still moves me, even to this day.
This is one of the things I love most about short stories. They may be short, but they pack a hell of a punch. The story itself isn't spectacular. It just is. It's simple but it's artfully done. The descriptions are what made this story for me. I could imagine that world - the endless rain, the constant darkness and above all, that hope of seeing light once again. To be honest, it's something I consider as the future for this planet. It may not be in our lifetime but definitely in the future.
Read it for free here
P.s - As much as I loved this story, I have to stay it does not compare to The End of the Party. That story still moves me, even to this day.
April 11, 2013
When I was 9 years old I saw the PBS adaptation of this story and it just killed me. It hit me then the way that The Lottery and Other Stories would years later. This story was one of the first times I realized that fiction could contain more truth than non-fiction. Today I came across it again and learned the title and origin.
Ray Bradbury is always the mood setter extraordinaire but for me there is something more to this short than just mood. For me this story creates that quiet involuntary gazing out the window, that losing track of the outer world that really marks a great read.
Ray Bradbury is always the mood setter extraordinaire but for me there is something more to this short than just mood. For me this story creates that quiet involuntary gazing out the window, that losing track of the outer world that really marks a great read.
August 12, 2017
"Sometimes, at night, she heard them stir, in remembrance, and she knew they were dreaming and remembering gold or a yellow crayon or a coin large enough to buy the world with. She knew they thought they remembered a warmness, like a blushing in the face, in the body, in the arms and legs
and trembling hands. But then they always awoke to the tatting drum, the endless shaking down of clear bead necklaces upon the roof, the walk, the gardens, the forests, and their dreams were gone."
Again I think that Ray Bradbury is the master of short-storytelling. A lot of things left unsaid and still this story stir you emotions and touches your soul. A story felt like a dream.
and trembling hands. But then they always awoke to the tatting drum, the endless shaking down of clear bead necklaces upon the roof, the walk, the gardens, the forests, and their dreams were gone."
Again I think that Ray Bradbury is the master of short-storytelling. A lot of things left unsaid and still this story stir you emotions and touches your soul. A story felt like a dream.
July 25, 2016
Well, Thats it? - This was my response to this short story.
Yet its stuck in my head, the lot left unsaid is the lot that is haunting. Somehow these 4 pages possess more power than many long thick fat books.
And reviewing it even for premise would be spoiling the read.
Yet its stuck in my head, the lot left unsaid is the lot that is haunting. Somehow these 4 pages possess more power than many long thick fat books.
And reviewing it even for premise would be spoiling the read.
August 6, 2018
3.25*
The ending was really anticlimactic and the story went nowhere and pretty much had no meaning. The writing style was really awesome though. Also I'm pretty sure I've read this before so nostalgia.
The ending was really anticlimactic and the story went nowhere and pretty much had no meaning. The writing style was really awesome though. Also I'm pretty sure I've read this before so nostalgia.
July 13, 2011
This is one of those stories that makes you want to destroy things... and by "destroy" I mean "kill." I cannot begin to tell you how much I HATE this story. Okay... I'm lying. As you can see by my rating, it's an amazing short story. It teaches you so many things! It's such a short story you wonder, "Why are there not stories written like this in novel format?" To answer your question, friends: Books today suck. But that's not why I'm here today! I'm here to rant and rave and tell you how much this story infuriates me, fascinates me, and taught me, long ago, how to be a person. I think it's vital for everyone to read this. Even if you're an adult or a child (I read this when I was in second grade/six years old), it can benefit you as a person. It'll help you grow, teach you what not to do to a person, and (most importantly) teach you not to crush someone's dreams. Anyone's dreams. That is the lowest of the low you could ever hope to achieve.
In my honest opinion, I think Ray Bradbury did an amazing job with this story. I read it back in elementary school and I remember the HUGE impact it made me as a child. In fact, thanks to this story (and a few other events in life), I was able to grow into the person I am today. I learned how evil it is to be jealous and where that jealousy could go. I never wished harm on anyone (unless they deserved it), I never wanted to destroy anyone's dreams, and it helped me be creative! I know, this last one doesn't seem to fit. However, I'm talking about my personal experiences. Reading this story as a child brought my dreams of a world that didn't include a sun to fruition! It sounds depressing, I'm aware, but I never liked the sun. The sun, for me, symbolizes a false hope. A light shining down on you just to bring unwanted attention. It represents me being in the spotlight, having many adults surround you, expecting everything from you, and going out to the edge just to please them. The sun (besides the God-awful heat, the unbearable brightness to it, the inevitable sweat and smell that comes with it) seems to shine on all the ugly in the world just to emphasize how imperfect everything is. A world where there was absolutely no sun, only rain to wash away all the grime and filth and nothing to emphasize how imperfect everything is... that was a world I wanted. And although the message here is nothing of the sort, I wanted that. This story helped me to believe that it's not impossible to find such a world. Years later, I still feel that way. I understand that the sun represents life, hope, and freedom. However, growing up the way I did... death, deprived, and prisoner was its meaning to me... besides, it just makes you feel so bloody uncomfortable! Who likes that sticky, sweaty feeling it gives someone? Ugh!
Anyway, no more ranting for me. Let's get back to the actual story! The writing was amazing! There's a few lines in this short story that made me go... "Wow... that was written beautifully!" I love Bradbury's depictions of Venus. It brings a smile to my face. And it's bloody Venus! I hate Venus! It's my least favorite planet, aside from Mercury! But he managed to make me want to see it just for how he described the entire thing. I love this story and the message it gets across by the time you read it. This story IS mostly focused on the message more than the actual characters. Mind you, there are some characters worth mentioning. Like Margot. She's this cute little girl who used to live on Earth and had to move to Venus because of her parents' jobs. She's rather depressed because she is a child who absolutely loves the sun. When I was young, I never understood it because I hated the sun (you know why now). However, reading this again as I'm now older, I know exactly how she feels like. I sympathize with her. I know what it's like having something you love so much taken away, having to move to a place that represents your hell, and then having no one understand what you are going through. It hits home... straight home... Also, being the center of other kids' amusement, the target of bullying, it... it's rough. Everything Margot went through, though being in slightly different circumstances, I can relate to. She's a very precious child and I do love her quite dearly. I'm not going to say things like "I hope for the best" because being on the other end of things and knowing how painful they can be, those words mean nothing except an empty promise and more hurt. I will say this, she must keep fighting. For herself and no one else. Giving up is the worst thing to do. I won't tell her to keep fighting but I will advise it. It... will bring something... not sure what... but something will come of it... *Shrugs* Might not be so bad either.
Those blasted kids! I hate them! Truly hate them! Remember how I learned not to wish any harm on others? Yeah, well, I also learned it's okay if they deserve it, and damn it, they deserve it! That whole "Must not be hateful and must always bring peace" bullcrap doesn't go with me. There's no way you can be peaceful in this bloody world. It's not possible. So I say, "BRING THESE BASTARDS DOWN!!!" fits a lot more than that crap. Revenge... is always sweet~ In any case, I'm not saying that's the message here either. No. The message is... a bit depressing and a lot more meaningful... I'm just saying what life taught me! XD Yeah... I want these kids to suffer. But no! They are not the only ones I am mad at! I don't like the teacher either! As a kid, you don't really think about it, but she has just as much fault as those kids! When she was going to let them out into the sun, all she did was ask "Are we all here?" instead of actually checking herself! How irresponsible was that!? Completely! Maybe it's because I studied this for my ECE (Early Childhood Education) degree I was able to pick up on her behavior, but if she was my kid's teacher, I'd have her hanged! No joke about that! That was so careless on her part. If she knew how to be a proper teacher, none of this would have happened to Margot. Stupid teachers... I swear, teachers suck! Anyone who loves their teacher to death are rejects because the majority suck and will turn on you in a second... (Except the rare ones that are actually cool... you guys are excluded in this rant.)
To sum up my rambling, this is a fantastic short story! It helps you turn into a more positive person! (Hard to believe considering what you just read above...) If you have children, let them read this... or better yet!!! Read it with your child and point out all the good and bad. This is such a good educational piece for your child or anyone's child to read. I highly recommend it. It might seem a bit depressing for them but don't shield your child so much! The world is ugly and they must face facts that not everything is going to glow under the rays of the sun. However, if they read this, once they grow up... they might just make it a little closer to it... just a little. Help them grow into worthwhile people. That, my lovely readers, can be the biggest gift you ever give your children. Teach them and maybe... one day... that "sun" you all seem to be so crazy about? Yeah, it could be theirs... if only you let them.
In my honest opinion, I think Ray Bradbury did an amazing job with this story. I read it back in elementary school and I remember the HUGE impact it made me as a child. In fact, thanks to this story (and a few other events in life), I was able to grow into the person I am today. I learned how evil it is to be jealous and where that jealousy could go. I never wished harm on anyone (unless they deserved it), I never wanted to destroy anyone's dreams, and it helped me be creative! I know, this last one doesn't seem to fit. However, I'm talking about my personal experiences. Reading this story as a child brought my dreams of a world that didn't include a sun to fruition! It sounds depressing, I'm aware, but I never liked the sun. The sun, for me, symbolizes a false hope. A light shining down on you just to bring unwanted attention. It represents me being in the spotlight, having many adults surround you, expecting everything from you, and going out to the edge just to please them. The sun (besides the God-awful heat, the unbearable brightness to it, the inevitable sweat and smell that comes with it) seems to shine on all the ugly in the world just to emphasize how imperfect everything is. A world where there was absolutely no sun, only rain to wash away all the grime and filth and nothing to emphasize how imperfect everything is... that was a world I wanted. And although the message here is nothing of the sort, I wanted that. This story helped me to believe that it's not impossible to find such a world. Years later, I still feel that way. I understand that the sun represents life, hope, and freedom. However, growing up the way I did... death, deprived, and prisoner was its meaning to me... besides, it just makes you feel so bloody uncomfortable! Who likes that sticky, sweaty feeling it gives someone? Ugh!
Anyway, no more ranting for me. Let's get back to the actual story! The writing was amazing! There's a few lines in this short story that made me go... "Wow... that was written beautifully!" I love Bradbury's depictions of Venus. It brings a smile to my face. And it's bloody Venus! I hate Venus! It's my least favorite planet, aside from Mercury! But he managed to make me want to see it just for how he described the entire thing. I love this story and the message it gets across by the time you read it. This story IS mostly focused on the message more than the actual characters. Mind you, there are some characters worth mentioning. Like Margot. She's this cute little girl who used to live on Earth and had to move to Venus because of her parents' jobs. She's rather depressed because she is a child who absolutely loves the sun. When I was young, I never understood it because I hated the sun (you know why now). However, reading this again as I'm now older, I know exactly how she feels like. I sympathize with her. I know what it's like having something you love so much taken away, having to move to a place that represents your hell, and then having no one understand what you are going through. It hits home... straight home... Also, being the center of other kids' amusement, the target of bullying, it... it's rough. Everything Margot went through, though being in slightly different circumstances, I can relate to. She's a very precious child and I do love her quite dearly. I'm not going to say things like "I hope for the best" because being on the other end of things and knowing how painful they can be, those words mean nothing except an empty promise and more hurt. I will say this, she must keep fighting. For herself and no one else. Giving up is the worst thing to do. I won't tell her to keep fighting but I will advise it. It... will bring something... not sure what... but something will come of it... *Shrugs* Might not be so bad either.
Those blasted kids! I hate them! Truly hate them! Remember how I learned not to wish any harm on others? Yeah, well, I also learned it's okay if they deserve it, and damn it, they deserve it! That whole "Must not be hateful and must always bring peace" bullcrap doesn't go with me. There's no way you can be peaceful in this bloody world. It's not possible. So I say, "BRING THESE BASTARDS DOWN!!!" fits a lot more than that crap. Revenge... is always sweet~ In any case, I'm not saying that's the message here either. No. The message is... a bit depressing and a lot more meaningful... I'm just saying what life taught me! XD Yeah... I want these kids to suffer. But no! They are not the only ones I am mad at! I don't like the teacher either! As a kid, you don't really think about it, but she has just as much fault as those kids! When she was going to let them out into the sun, all she did was ask "Are we all here?" instead of actually checking herself! How irresponsible was that!? Completely! Maybe it's because I studied this for my ECE (Early Childhood Education) degree I was able to pick up on her behavior, but if she was my kid's teacher, I'd have her hanged! No joke about that! That was so careless on her part. If she knew how to be a proper teacher, none of this would have happened to Margot. Stupid teachers... I swear, teachers suck! Anyone who loves their teacher to death are rejects because the majority suck and will turn on you in a second... (Except the rare ones that are actually cool... you guys are excluded in this rant.)
To sum up my rambling, this is a fantastic short story! It helps you turn into a more positive person! (Hard to believe considering what you just read above...) If you have children, let them read this... or better yet!!! Read it with your child and point out all the good and bad. This is such a good educational piece for your child or anyone's child to read. I highly recommend it. It might seem a bit depressing for them but don't shield your child so much! The world is ugly and they must face facts that not everything is going to glow under the rays of the sun. However, if they read this, once they grow up... they might just make it a little closer to it... just a little. Help them grow into worthwhile people. That, my lovely readers, can be the biggest gift you ever give your children. Teach them and maybe... one day... that "sun" you all seem to be so crazy about? Yeah, it could be theirs... if only you let them.
November 13, 2024
In a Season of Calm Weather - 4/5
The Dragon - 2/5
A Medicine for Melancholy - 1/5
The End of the Beginning - 3/5
The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit - 1/5
Fever Dream - 4/5
The Marriage Mender - 1/5
The Town Where No One Got Off - 3/5
A Scent of Sarsaparilla - 3/5
Icarus Montgolfier Wright - 1/5
The Headpiece - 3/5
Dark They Were, And Golden-Eyed - 3/5
The Smile - 3/5
The First Night of Lent - 3/5
The Time of Going Away - 3/5
All Summer in a Day - 3/5
The Gift - 4/5
The Great Collision of Monday Last - 1/5
The Little Mice - 2/5
The Shoreline at Sunset - 2/5
The Strawberry Window - 2/5
The Day It Rained Forever - 3/5
Referent - 2/5
Almost the End of the World - 3/5
Here There Be Tygers - 4/5
Perchance to Dream (aka Asleep in Armageddon) - 5/5
And the Rock Cried Out - 3/5
The Dragon - 2/5
A Medicine for Melancholy - 1/5
The End of the Beginning - 3/5
The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit - 1/5
Fever Dream - 4/5
The Marriage Mender - 1/5
The Town Where No One Got Off - 3/5
A Scent of Sarsaparilla - 3/5
Icarus Montgolfier Wright - 1/5
The Headpiece - 3/5
Dark They Were, And Golden-Eyed - 3/5
The Smile - 3/5
The First Night of Lent - 3/5
The Time of Going Away - 3/5
All Summer in a Day - 3/5
The Gift - 4/5
The Great Collision of Monday Last - 1/5
The Little Mice - 2/5
The Shoreline at Sunset - 2/5
The Strawberry Window - 2/5
The Day It Rained Forever - 3/5
Referent - 2/5
Almost the End of the World - 3/5
Here There Be Tygers - 4/5
Perchance to Dream (aka Asleep in Armageddon) - 5/5
And the Rock Cried Out - 3/5
Displaying 1 - 30 of 596 reviews