The Homecoming

by Ray Bradbury, Dave McKean (Illustrator)

The WISP series (Wonderfully Illustrated Short Pieces) represents an ingenious marriage of two creative forces: the artistry of today’s foremost illustrators and the literary legacy of beloved authors of popular short works for adults. The resulting offspring of this union are captivating, full-color illustrated editions of timeless classics that readers will want to savor and collect.

For the first time ever, the series makes selected popular short works previously offered only in collections available in a unique, stand-alone format. Also for the first time, WISPs harness the talents of top illustrators for the benefit and delight of a new, older audience.

This WISP presents RAY BRADBURY’S THE HOMECOMING, a little boy’s tale of his family reunion of vampires. This story was initially published in 1946 and later refashioned into further stories. Bringing this story to life are the wondrous illustrations of Dave McKean, whose delightful artwork perfectly matches the tale.

These one-of-a-kind, attractively priced and invitingly formatted illustrated editions will make a great impulse buy and appeal to a broad audience.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Classics, Halloween

56 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1946

About the author

Ray 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".

Reviews

[Bettie]

Truman Capote found Ray Bradbury’s “Homecoming” in the slush pile at Mademoiselle. @NewYorker artist Charles Addams was hired to create a drawing to accompany the story, and Mademoiselle built their Oct 1946 #Halloween themed issue around it. https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2... …

[Sara the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what genius realized that Dave McKean and Ray Bradbury were the clearly the dream team of fantasy writing and illustration but I'd like to kiss their feet.

This gorgeous story is about the youngest son in a very mysterious family. Every one of them is gifted with some dark, beautiful power or astounding ability and all of them will live forever. All but the boy. He alone has a steady human heartbeat and no special abilities that aren't shared by a thousand other people just like him.

He longs for the power of flight like his uncle or to walk in other people's minds like his older sister but no matter how hard he wishes or tries he remains, frustratingly human.

Dave McKean is an artist who traffics in the dark and dreaming worlds and his otherworldly style is literally made to bring Bradbury's stories to life. If he wanted to illustrate every story in The Martian Chronicles or The October Country I would snap them up in a heartbeat.

If you haven't already and you are any kind of fantasy fan I can't recommend McKean's work enough. A frequent collaborator with Mr. Neil Gaiman he got himself into the director's chair a few years ago with the visually stunning and just generally great "Mirror Mask" of which I am a proud owner. There are just no limits with his work. The things he creates defy reason and sometimes explanation but they're never short of gorgeous.

This was a delight.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Homecoming is a short story about Timothy, who is helping his family prepare for a family reunion on All Hallows Eve. This is no ordinary family reunion though. The family are all supernatural beings who are immortal and have fantastic abilities, all except for young Timothy, who is a living, breathing human. He desires nothing more than to be like the rest of his family, specifically, flying like his uncle.

The story is wonderful. Bradbury's writing sucks you in right away. At first, I wasn't a big fan of the artwork, but it grew on me and is befitting of this story. The characters are all well developed for such a short story. Overall, it was a great story!

[Elifnaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kitap bir yandan tuhaftı ama galiba bu tuhaflık onu güzelleştiren şeydi. Çok fazla bir şey söylemek istemiyorum çünkü büyüsünü kendiniz görseniz eminim daha çok zevk alırsınız.

2. Okuma: Bu sefer okuduğumda puanımı yükseltme ihtiyacı hissettim. Çok farklı yerlere dokundu, çok sevdirdi kendini.

[Burçak Sultan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kısa ama güzeldi.. Ben beğendim :)

[Richard Dominguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Homecoming is a cute story that reveals around young Timothy's excitement over the coming family reunion. Suffice to say that in his family Timothy is the only one who is human.
The reader did a nice job of holding my attention with his use of inflections in all the right places. The story had a nice pace and at about 25 minutes is a nice quick listen.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Bradbury's short stories, and I love McKean's illustrations, especially in a children's book. The two work particularly well in this short story (also found in The October Country), about a boy who is the only mortal in a family of vampires, ghouls, and assorted supernatural creatures. Judged entirely on its own merits, Homecoming is, of course, a fantastic short story. I think that one of Bradbury's strengths in the short story format was his ability to so quickly and thoroughly develop real characters, and this is absolutely no exception. I also really liked the way McKean's illustrations worked with the text, though I freely admit that he can be an acquired taste. A wonderful experience, if you like both Bradbury and McKean, and I do.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t like scary books (at all!) but I do love Ray Bradbury. It was that love for Bradbury that carried me through reading this very scary book. The plot is thin: a young boy’s family gather together on All Hallows Eve and the family, all except the boy, are ghouls. The boy is deeply saddened by being different, completely human, in a family where everyone has special, albeit creepy, abilities. The story is rich in sensory details, Bradbury-ish in every way. The appeal of the story for me was greatly increased by the format of the book, a small volume with just the right pictures and script. I could barely make it through this scary story, but even I, a big ole scaredy cat, I could not miss the beautiful writing and the rich characters.

[Ain Ashura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book to add to my tiny graphic novel collection. It has my absolute favorite Ray Bradbury story in it. However, I found I was put off by the art somewhat. It's not that I haven't seen the substitution of poor proportion for actual mood before, I have. It's become too common. I would have liked to see a different artist who could portray mood and the beauty of horror, if I may use such a phrase. I'm not certain who that would be. Parts of the art were still acceptable for me. I would give this a three star, except that it is Bradbury, and my favorite story, and so I am keeping it in the house.

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Book source ~ Library

A “normal” boy tells of his supernatural family’s reunion, The Homecoming.

I normally like Ray Bradbury, but this book was just meh to me. I do like the concept of a normal person in an odd family, like Marilyn was in The Munsters. The illustrations are cool, but not really my style.

[Seydaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tuhaf bir hikayesi olan bir kitap bu. Altında yatan anlam ise çok güzel. Ailemizin bizi olduğumuz gibi kabul etmemesi korkusu sırf bu yüzden onlara benzeme isteği. Farklılıkları kolay kabullenemiyoruz hiçbirimiz onları düzeltmeye çalışıyoruz. Bize benzesinler istiyoruz. Tek tip olsunlar ,bir özelliği olmasa da önemli değil. Kendi payıma bunu çıkardım bu kitaptan ben. Dave McKean'in illüstrasyonları kitaba ayrı bir güzellik katmış ve kokurken ağzınızdan bir şiir kıvamında dökülen o sözler bu hikayeyi özel yapan şeylerden bir tanesi.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really hoping THE HOMECOMING would be more of a creepy-type read, but there is nothing frightening here.

While this is a story about a young (human) lad who comes from a family of vampires, (no spoiler here) there is not much substance beyond the final message of love.

I am a big fan of Ray Bradbury and his other Halloween tales, but not so much this one or the modern-type artwork illustrated throughout this All Hallows Eve reunion story for children.

[Alannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book by Ray Bradbury that I read and I am turning into a huge Bradbury fan.

Beautifully written and coupled with fantastic illustrations, this book is unique adventure and a must read.

[Fatih · Rating 3 out of 5]

Öncelikle şunu söylemem lazım resimden çok anlamayan biri olmama rağmen çizimler beni etkiledi, kapağa baktığımda biraz abartı diyordum ama kısa hikaye ilerledikçe daha çok hoşuma gitti, tarz olarak hoşuma gitmese de yine de şansımı denemek istedim, ama çok da olmadı. Yine de en azından Timothy'nin hisleri kitabın sonunda askıda kalmıyor, tamamlanarak okuyucu mutlu ediliyor.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a strange yet deliciously twisted story! I loved all the unique descriptions and characters.

[Marnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Homecoming is a story about a normal boy in a family of immortals, each with unique abilities - and more importantly, about the power of love. It centers around the outsider, Timothy, the one who is different from the norm. Here, Timothy is an outsider in his family. He has none of the abilities of his brothers and sisters, and he lacks their approval. Despite being different, Timothy's mother encourages her mortal son by trying to convince him that he is loved in spite of his differences. She assures him that her love will continue, even beyond the limits of Timothy's own mortality - after he dies, she will still love him all the same.

[Amanda]

I love that Ray Bradbury could write about anything beautifully and yet he often chooses to write creepy little stories for us.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is a lot of things, but scary is not one of them. Folklore and family and not belonging all in a short story. I absolutely loved the illustrations by Dave McKean!

[Thomas Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ray Bradbury’s writing has done it again! This special edition book is not only complete with Bradbury’s work, but also with McKean’s beautiful illustrations! I’ve read The Homecomjng a few months back, and this book edition has revived the amazing sensation of reading it again. Love this copy of the story forever and always.

[A.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

To inaugurate another October I just re-read Bradbury's classic The Homecoming. Though it has appeared in a few collections of Bradbury's work, it was recently republished as a stand-alone hardcover book with illustrations by Dave McKean. I encourage you to find this little tome and read it this October. It is quintessential Bradbury - chock full of metaphors that leave you spinning with dark imagery, cold autumn wind, and mysterious characters. I can't help but feel sympathetic and even akin to the lonely main character, Timothy. He longs for something he can't have, and may never have, despite reassurances that he's better off without it.

I know I've felt that way before, have you?

"And the wind began...As Timothy leaned out, a flesh-and-blood gargoyle, the vast armada of tomb dust and web and wing and October leaf and graveyard blossom pelted the roofs even as on the land around the hill shadows trotted the roads and threaded the forests armed with teeth and velvet paws and flickered ears, barking to the moon." - Bradbury, The Homecoming.

[Haleigh Calhoun]

This book tells you right off that it is for those who love Halloween. The Homecoming is about a family celebrating all Hallow's Eve with their dead ancestors who are all ghouls. The illustrations really make the book come alive. The family goes through the evening with different elements of who all joins the party and how they look. I honestly had to read the book a few times to figure out what was going on. It tried to be scary but it some was odd. It has many positive views and ratings and suggested for all ages of reading. I am not so sure I would agree. I compared it somewhat to The Nightmare Before Christmas. It can be creepy to some children and lovable to others. I appreciate the author and have read some of his stuff but I am just not the biggest fan of this book the first time I read it.

[Joel Griswell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting little book. Figured: Bradbury and McKean = can't go wrong there. Sure enough, both deliver. This is a quite a odd little horror tale, about a "regular" boy surrounded by a family of monster's, he's the under-appreciated oddball, and desperate wants wings or fangs or something exciting. I found the story a bit hard to follow, maybe its because of the bizarre way that the text is presented on the page, of McKean's artwork which tends to always steal the show. Still though, I need to stop always trying to figure out "the point" or themes of all these stories, and learn to merely soak in the experience and enjoy it, and as experiences go, this one's a delightful little romp in terror.

[Mark Oppenlander · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a storybook version of one of Bradbury's more popular stories, "The Homecoming." I didn't care for it all that much for two reasons. First, the illustrations are in a style that I find jarring and off-putting. They do not add to the flavor of the book for me at all. In fact, for my reading of this text, they are in dissonance. Second, I have never cared for this story as much as some of Bradbury's others. I understand why pieces like "The Fog Horn" and "A Sound of Thunder" get anthologized over and over and over again. I may tire of reading them, but they are classics. But this story is mediocre in my opinion and does not move me as those others do. This book is for Bradbury completists only.

[Simay Yildiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

İthaki Yayınları tarafından "Eve Dönüş" adı altında dilimize kazandırılan The Homecoming, geniş bir hortlak ailesinin bir parçası olan Timothy'nin öyküsü.

Timothy'nin ailesinden farkı, onlar gibi ölümsüz olmaması. Timothy, her Cadılar Bayramı'nda bir araya gelen ailesi ve akrabalarının arasında kendisini farklı ve biraz da dışlanmış hissediyor. Hepsi sonsuza kadar yaşayacak olurken, ölümlü olduğu için neleri kaçıracağını düşünüp duruyor. Bir hastalık olarak kabul edilen ölümlülüğünü, neden bunun başına geldiğini sorguluyor.

Devamı Zimlicious'ta.

[Stephen Theaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous book, put together with great care. It only took about five minutes to read, of course, being a short story. The idea - of packaging classic short stories with superb modern artwork - is a good one, but would probably be best aimed at children. This volume does make a nice companion piece to The Wolves in the Walls and The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish. My four year old daughter loved it, but then she's made us sit through Mirrormask three times so far this week...

[M. Tatari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hikayenin orijinal versiyonunu okumuş biri olarak bu edisyonunu çok kırpılmış buldum. Timothy'nin kardeşleriyle olan diyalogları vs kitapta bulunmuyor maalesef. Tabii bu yayın eviyle ilgili bir durum değil, edisyonun aslı böyle. Ama dediğim gibi, öykü formatını okurken aldığım keyfi alamadım. Onun yerine 'ne güzel hikayeydi' diye yad ettim kendisini bu güzel illüstrasyonlara bakarken. Belki de kitabın amacı zaten budur: 1946'da kaleme alınan ve Bradbury'ye yazarlık yolunu açan eseri yad etmek. Puanım hikayenin orijinali için..

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

So difficult to rate this book. Got it mostly for illustrations... I love McKean. And Bradbury... He always confuses me, and out off that mess in my head that he creates, amazing images and atmosphere emerge... but I need time to get there, I need twenty pages or more of Bradbury's poetry to charm me into his blend of whimsicalness. A story is simply not long enough, not even with the help from McKean.
I'll have to reread this one.

[neko cam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I picked this up for the amazing artwork.

The story itself was okay; nothing amazing, though it does feature some lovely descriptions. The illustrations are really very good and are almost enough to single-handedly make worthwhile checking out this edition.

[Ezgis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ray Bradbury, benim için ne yazarsa okumayı istediğim yazarlardan olacak...