Something Wicked This Way Comes (Green Town #2) by Ray Bradbury

"Halloween comes a week early to Green Town, Illinois. In the form of "Cooger and Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show". It's a Carnival, led by the delightfully terrifying Illustrated Man and when Will and Jim stumble upon its secret, things go from hypnotizing to horrifying. The epitome of good versus evil told as only Bradbury can tell it."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pros: Bradbury's writing is truly immersive, you are right beside Jim and Will through the whole insane story/The Illustrated Man is one of my all time favorite literary villains.

Cons: Bradbury does have a way with words but sometimes, that way can be very long and a little bit rambly/The ending when read at face value is simply silly.

Full Review:

Tom Fury, the seller of Lighting Rods, can feel the storm brewing. He can tell, it's going to be a monster. He happens upon two boys, lounging in their yards and decides to warn them of the danger.

They are William Halloway and Jim Nightshade. Will, born one minure before Midnight, Jim, one minute after. They are light and dark, Jim running and Will always keeping up. They listen to Fury's spiel, that he's convinced one of their houses will be struck by lightning this very night! And so they buy his wares and nail the Lightning Rod to Jim's house, just in case.

The night passes and they run about town, as boys on the cusp of teenagedom will do. They notice that some of the regulars, Mr. Tetley, the Cigar store salesman, and the Mr. Crosetti, the Barber, seem distracted and almost sad. They try to ignore the old men's mutterings about smelling cotton candy and hearing carousel music on the wind.

It isn't until they're staring at a handbill for "Cooger and Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show" do they understand. A Carnival's come to town, but this late in the year, well into October, it just seems strange. Will is cautious and wary but Jim, is eager and intrigued. When the Carnival arrives and they see something they shouldn't, the Freaks, led by the terrifying Illustrated Man, go on the hunt.

Bradbury, as usual, touches upon the deeper themes of life, death, age and the inevitabel passing of time, all in his beautiful, lyrical way. Though there were times where he could get a bit rambly and the end was really, rather, underwhelming, overall, it's a great read. This will always be one of my favorite Bradbury reads.

Comments

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