Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury BOOK REVIEW
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
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Are you going to do a review on Ulysses? Great vids by the way, thank you!
I'm currently reading The Illustrated Man, a short story collection by Bradbury, so I was excited to see you reviewing him. If you are looking for something darker, I'd recommend Clive Barker's Books of Blood vol 1-3. I would love to hear your review of this collection.
@@Vic-mc6tb Also 'The Damnation Game', a brilliant novel.
Currently reading The October Country by Ray Bradbury, a lot of short stories with a similar vibe. As somone who grew up in Illinois, Bradbury's works were essential in school. This is the first time I'm returning to his work as an adult. Might need to read this and reread Farenheit 451 soon.
Try Dandelion Wine
What a perfect time for this! I always love watching your videos but this one… I just started my Bradbury kick for October and it’s as if heaven has come to bless me with a new Better Than Food review! Never stop making these reviews, Cliff! We all love and support you!
Interesting how the Salem witch hunt led to so much culture. Not just Bradbury, but Nathaniel Hawthorne was the descendant of Judge Hawthorn.
Bradbury's book is entitled "Oktoberfolket" ("October People") in Swedish.
I saw the movie this was based on while doing boot camp in Parris Island S.C. They showed it while we were outdoors camping, set the screen up right there in the woods.
That was forty years ago...
The Martian chronicles is really a great set of stories
agree!
I never really could get into it, maybe I'll give it another shot. I really liked The October Country though.
I love Martian Chronicles, but I think put The Illustrated Man a tad above it. Some of the stories from it still rattle around my head since I read it about 7 years ago
Be sure to read Bradbury's Halloween Tree next October. Annual read for me leading up to Halloween. Its an excellent introduction to mankinds history of trying to bargain with death.
Bradbury is one of the most amazing authors I've came across. I kinda envy you if you haven't read more of him, you're about to experience something extraordinary. This one wasn't his best work to my opinion (maybe just not for me) but it was still pretty good.
I really loved this book. One of my favorite books to read and review this year. After reviewing it I was still high on it and am checking everyone else's reviews. I get your reaction, but for me, I think it just connected with me and I loved Bradbury prose...especially the passage about the Autumn people. The love story between two freinds was a huge appeal. Great video. Subscribing.
Bradbury is my all time favorite! And he was definitely to Halloween what Dickens was to Christmas (for me atleast). I will admit though that SWTWC isn't my favorite of his work.
Reading Ambrose Bierce. Do you know him? Great american author
He’s very good !
That's the author he talked about in his "The Old Gringo" review which is about Ambrose Bierce's disappearance.
@@Hitithardify I have to watch that
creepy as hell Disney movie, actually unbelievable that Disney made horror movies for kids, I still remember being disturbed by this movie when I was a child.
Sartorial Alert ! Cliff in a sports jacket.Is he seeking Venture Capital backing?
I read all of Shakespeare's work earlier this year and you absolutely must read Macbeth! I think it's his shortest play so you can get through it really fast!
I've also been reading Shakespeare's plays recently, I've read around 11, some 2 or 3 times. Which are some of your favorite plays?
Mine would be: Hamlet, King Lear, The Tempest, Henry IV (currently I like part 2 better).
@@notatall2237 My personal favorites are Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, and Julius Caesar!
This is on my shelf, but I haven't read it. The Martian Chronicles is one of my favorite books. My favorite novel of all time is Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry--have you read him? Great reviews as always!
Just ordered that one after your recommendation, sounds great!
Gosh, this was already mentioned, but I have to mention it too. You might enjoy the Martian Chronicles. But on top of that, I would greatly love to know what you think of it. I think you might have some interesting takes on it.
It's the book that changed my perspective on sci-fi stories, and hey, turns out it's now my go-to genre to read.
not quite sure why you're not interested in reading Fahrenheit 451, but it is a phenomenal book and quite the short read I urge you to do so if you ever change your mind. . . great review love your videos
I remember going to see the film adaptation when I was a kid, one of the best movies for fall! Love it!
wait a minute, this isn't the ultrakill walkthrough i was looking for.......
well at least i've got a good book suggestion now
What's the name of this coffee from Yunnan? I actually live in China. I traveled to Yunnan last summer. If I get the chance, I'd like to pick some up. By the way, love the channel and all of your book reviews. Some interesting trivia about Ray Bradbury knowing famous people is that he was also friends with the highly controversial and legendary writer Harlan Ellison. You might want to check out Harlan Ellison's short story collection Deathbird Stories. Interesting stuff.
Do you actually read a book a week?!? How do you do it?
Totally agree with your take on this. There’s gems but they’re juuuust a little far and between. I still really enjoyed it since it discussed some fascinating topics (though I wished he took them further as you said).
One such gem: “A stranger is shot in the street, you hardly move to help. But if, half an hour before, you spent just ten minutes with the fellow and knew a little about him and his family, you might just jump in front of his killer and try to stop it. Really knowing is good. Not knowing, or refusing to know is bad, or amoral, at least. You can’t act if you don’t know.”
You should give another chance to Stephen King with Misery, one of his best. This is my favorite of him! And the best science fiction books are the The Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy, best known for the first book called The three body problem, by Liu Cixin.
Bradbury suggested there were no perfect novels (his own in particular?). It was with the short story that he excelled and neared perfection. This is borne out in your review.
Why would you read Macbeth when there are so many great interpretations on stage and screen ? Dialogue, particularly Shakespearean needs to be given life and closer examination of the text is only really of use when the intention to memorise and regale others with a stentorious delivery. Imagine yourself at your next family gathering (hopefully not the funeral of a favourite aunt),
She should have died hereafter.
There would have been time for such a word.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time.
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle.
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
It is a credit to the reviewer that he admits not having read certain books as, as is the case of 1984 only a small percentage of those who say they have, have done so. Would that it were.
I've been wanting to read this, so excited you did a review!
Dandelion Wine or even Martian Chronicles are much better Bradbury books, in my opinion. Bradbury's arc came in a time of a lack of vision in the genre that he labored in. I remember reading Martians Chronicles on a plane back to America on the day he died. Likely, his ideas weren't fully realized during a time of such visionary writing, however he remains such a gift for those willing to take him up now and run with him in the shadows.
No interest in Reading Fahrenheit 451??? It awesome
Mao Tse-tung came from Hunan. He was a good man.
What would motivate me to buy a bookmark with someone’s face on it? 🤐
You should indeed check out Clive Barker, he's an amazing artist
What does he write?
@@irena7777777 He is most commonly known for writing horror fiction, the defining qualities of which are imaginative imagery and a profoundly philosophical substance. The Hellbound Heart is the best example of this, seeing that it is inspired by writings of George Bataille. Barkers greatest works (Weaveworld being my favorite) are closer to the fantasy genre though. His ability to envision magical scenery and concepts is second to none. He also has an immensely appealing writing style. Just an all-around excellent author.
@@captainaomaruvomexekutivko4919 thanks for this. Need to check him out
@@irena7777777 you're welcome, hope you enjoy his books.
Clive Barker and Thomas Ligotti are both great.
I've read Fahrenheit 451 a few times and always found it rather immaturely written, like something a future decent writer is proud of having written in grade 12 lit. I'm surprised it holds such an indelible cultural impression for many.
This sounds much better.
Sam Peckinpah is great
Hey, can you talk more about guns?
You should absolutely get into Bradbury. His short stories are some of the best written by an American writer. The Golden Apples of the Sun and the Illustrated Man are good places to start. I actually think that Bradbury's short stories are better than his novels. You should also read Macbeth, man. Personally, I disagree with you. I like Something Wicked from beginning to end. I have to say that Bradbury is most certainly not a pessimist, so he can only go so dark.
I forgot about the Bradbury collection, The October Country, which contains his horror/dark fantasy stories published in Weird Tales. Pick it up!
The film suffered from major, massive studio interference. They sidelined the director, re-shot scenes, re-did the score with a different composer, etc. They fucked it up. And Sam Peckinpah rules! I don't give a crap if he's problematic.
Had to read this for school and it was so boring:/
first
Just watched Monsters Inc. today so it's fresh in my mind: There's a bit where Mike (the green one-eyed monster) takes his girlfriend to a place called Harryhausen's. The monster/chef who runs the restaurant is apparently based off of the octopus from Ray Harryhausen's It Came from Beneath the Sea. Just a little more "useless trivia" for ya haha :) Thanks for the 11am factoid, and the content in general.
Wow... Okay, Fahrenheit is for you. Or most of his shorts. The Martian Chronicles is probably the literary equivalent of the perfect album. Also, he wrote the screenplay for the 1956 John Huston/Gregory Peck Moby Dick
It occurs to me that you might possibly enjoy THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES. Basically, it is stories that can be enjoyed one at a time or you can run straight through it all. Happy reading.
Much darker than I expected
The halloween tree book is really short and really good. Nice fast read for every October. If you like the cartoon you will like the book better.
Well I agreed with your review till near the end. I did like the whole book. I did not see the 2nd act as weak. I liked how the dad becomes more important to the story.
People get down on Stephen King for being too commercial, or cheesy, but he’s written some seriously good novels. Pet Semetary, It and The Body are three that standout. They’re not without flaws, but if anyone wants to read King at his best I’d recommend those three.
Please review "Macbeth"
can't go wrong with Ray - greatly missed
Weird, i just finished this book a week ago 😂 didn’t love it but i started “Hard Rain Falling” and am loving it.
Such a great read!
Not the biggest fan of Bradbury's long form story telling. But his short stories... oh man his short stories...
This one is another on my shelf that I’ll read one day. I’ve enjoyed several of his other works. Maybe I’ll move it up the to be read list..
Edit 2023- just put it down after finishing it. Really enjoyed his beautiful use of language.
This book started a trend that has dogged much of horror writing for the last few decades. An end where the good guys win. This plagues the works of Steven King and other writers like Peter Straub. In horror the protagonist should either lose/be consumed by the evil(Lovecraft, Machen, Ligotti, Jackson ,ect..) or the victory needs to be dearly bought(The Exorcist
).
Great timing as I just finished watching some Bradbury theater episodes.
"God, fuckin' shoot me," bahahaha
Isn’t 3am the witching hour?
I never thought I would enjoy Bradbury, as I was never interested in sci fi or fantasy at all, but then I read his short story "There Will Come Soft Rains" and it blew my mind. It is haunting and atmospheric. and definitely worth a read
really dislike that one as way too on the nose and cornball
All novels by Bradbury are highly imperfect. This is an opinion but he himself didn't seem too keen on the medium going from his other lectures here on UA-cam. In the realm of short stories he has moved me unlike any other author.
What? You don't like Ennio Morricone? haha. He's my favorite film composer of all time. Of course I love Bernard Hermann as well.
Something Wicked and Fahrenheit 451 are his weakest work IMO, ironic that they are the most famous. His short stories are the most entertaining and moving.
Love this book. Bradbury really was a genious, one of my favs authors.
Seriously always amazed by your reviews. You are single handedly the inspiration for the channel i just made. Always a fan man!
Sam Peckinpah and Bradbury would have been an amazing thing to witness. It's strange that he dropped the ball with this novel, because Fahrenheit 451 is on par with 1984 and any other classic dystopian. It's dark as hell, and the robot dog is... epic. It's horrifying. Beatty is one of the greatest villains of all of literature. But I can imagine it falling apart I guess, cause the very last few scenes of 451 is also kind of weirdly out of place
I'm wondering if he just needed an open/semi-happy ending to get published? 451 was pretty early in his career if I remember correctly.
I remember this book being well-written but impossible to follow
i read this when I was like 13/14 and only read YA kind of novels. It was my favorite for a very long time
Love your videos. Will put this on my reading list. & Please what is the brand & name of the coffee. It must be good if it's your favourite. If it's available in the UK I would like to try it 😘
One question: how many pages an hour (on average) do you read?
Give F451 a shot! It's an easy read. Can easily do it in one sitting.
SPOILERS INCLUDED: Couldn't agree more with this review. The first half of this book was phenomenal, but the second half was a total mismanagement of all the thematic material Bradbury had assembled at the beginning. The discussion of good vs. evil became juvenile and didactic (Mr. Dark was able to be hugged to death because, uh, love was too much for him?), the exploration of the aging process was unclear in its resolution, and Jim, who was implied at having this profound inner conflict that was to represent man's conflict with aging, just kind of acted like a moron and that was it. His character meant nothing. Furthermore, I normally enjoy prose similar to Bradbury's , and can admit his tremendous skill as a writer, but I found it turgid and laborious towards the end, and felt like he was really hamming it up to distract us from the total breakdown of the novel. Overall, this book had some wonderful ideas that were just poorly, poorly, executed, and I wish I could enjoy it as much as others seem to.
May I recommend The Towpath by Jesús Montcada? I remember you read Josep Pla, another Catalan author. They are not similar at all, Montcada writes very special kind of magical realism (he would have hated the term) , where the fantastical depends on your perspective, and there is a low key horror element, ominous but never explicit. Uneasiness more than horror. It's about a town that will be destroyed soon to make way for a hydroelectric dam reservoir, inspired by the real relocation of his own hometown of Mequinensa.
Just the first two pages are already delicious when it comes to language and atmosphere.
My own experience with Bradbury is that he was so much much better at short stories and novelettes than anything longer. This book's a perfect example of it.
I feel this book will resonate best with people in their early teens and those over fifty.
His prose is great, something rare among authors as profilerous as him. I still think that in general he is a better author when he writes shorter stories or novelettes.
And I can easily see how this book alone was a heavy inspiration for so many authors and I personally think none have really delivered anything better in the form of novels, where can I say that Thomas Ligotti and Clive Barker are as good as him at short stories.
I personally found the interaction between adults and kids and the resolution much more interesting and natural than what I saw with Stephen King and his books often six times as long as this.
I'd give it a 7/10 even though it wasn't really something I loved or left a deep mark on me.
Sounds like a...decently nice...book
Peckinpah's Straw Dogs is so fucking great!
Loved the movie talk🥰. I think I'll give it a try 'cause it's October and it inspired King
I didn't care for Atwood either until I read Alias Grace. Impressively done on the doubleness of personality.
For great Autumn reading, the ultimate for me has always been The Devil and Daniel Webster. Good movie, too.
Ray Bradbury is proof that ultra liberalism can make even the most compelling authors boring. Fahrenheit 451 is shit.
SWTWC is not an easy read in my opinion. Bradbury has a writing style that is very poetic and would likely be a turn off for many readers. This book has to be read and enjoyed without getting too hung up on his descriptions. Personally I felt the movie was much scarier than the book.
This is actually my most hated book of all time due to the writing style. Looking back the story is alright but the confusing wordy writing made it a downright frustrating reading experience for me. I normally love descriptive prose but this just wasn’t for me. I do really want to watch the
movie now so I can hopefully enjoy the story a bit more.
The movie is great!
"the abyss between the stars"
.....................dang.
bradbury was famously part of a scifi writers circle w/ackerman, heinlein, l. ron hubbard & others that regularly met in downtown LA at pay what you wish clifton’s diner.
That's a very Nietzschean moustache !
Hey
I've recently self-published my first horror novel. Would you be interested in reviewing it? Struggling with book reviews and exposure etc.
Thanks
"Kong on Skull Island" is superior.
Bradbury was a duck for seven years in the eighties, until he became a chaffinch until 1997
Dude, I felt the same way about act 2. I wanted to enjoy this so bad but dear lord it got monotonous and boring.
You don't care for Stephen King? Ohhh booo I was liking yooou. Nice review excited to read it.
Just finished reading this for the first time. Great book.
jimble pipits and a wok head with a nubbin sprout
I love this book
Nice song by Nuclear Assault. 1993.
I disagree about the film--it was a great movie.
The blank page is war, buy a bolt action pen!
better than a chickens mop
I loved the book and the movie.
Disage = become younger
That's a fake mustache, I know it. Men in War short read by Andreas Latsko you will thank me later.
Dandelion Wine is adorable
It's kinda scary how close your review is to mine. I also like the first act of the book. In fact, I remember after where it lost me. After the scene where the boy's father talks to the boy, about aging and stuff -- after that, as you said, it turns into a Goosebumps episode.
Anyway, THIS is how a book review should be presented. Kudos!
Infomercial....f that
I always love your reviews! Will you ever review Macbeth? I know it's arguably a bit of a cliché, but I think you would really love it. Definitely a good one to get into Shakespeare too.
Loving books, movies and sountracks should lead you straight to Mishima: Four Chapters. Philip Glass and The Kronos Quartet made what well maybe the greatest soundtrack ever made for one of the greatest films ever made.
do some slavic authors cliff