Ray Bradbury: Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962, Simon & Schuster)
304 pages
English language
Published July 18, 1962 by Simon & Schuster.
Something Wicked This Way Comes is a 1962 dark fantasy novel by Ray Bradbury. It is about two 13-year-old best friends, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway, and their nightmarish experience with a traveling carnival that comes to their Midwestern home, Green Town, Illinois, on October 24th. In dealing with the creepy figures of this carnival, the boys learn how to combat fear. The carnival's leader is the mysterious "Mr. Dark", who seemingly wields the power to grant the townspeople's secret desires. In reality, Dark is a malevolent being who, like the carnival, lives off the life force of those they enslave. Mr. Dark's presence is countered by that of Will's father, Charles Halloway, the janitor of the town library, who harbors his own secret fear of growing older because he feels he is too old to be Will's dad. The novel combines elements of fantasy and horror, analyzing the conflicting …
Something Wicked This Way Comes is a 1962 dark fantasy novel by Ray Bradbury. It is about two 13-year-old best friends, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway, and their nightmarish experience with a traveling carnival that comes to their Midwestern home, Green Town, Illinois, on October 24th. In dealing with the creepy figures of this carnival, the boys learn how to combat fear. The carnival's leader is the mysterious "Mr. Dark", who seemingly wields the power to grant the townspeople's secret desires. In reality, Dark is a malevolent being who, like the carnival, lives off the life force of those they enslave. Mr. Dark's presence is countered by that of Will's father, Charles Halloway, the janitor of the town library, who harbors his own secret fear of growing older because he feels he is too old to be Will's dad. The novel combines elements of fantasy and horror, analyzing the conflicting natures of good and evil that exist within all individuals. Unlike many of Bradbury's other novel-length works, such as Dandelion Wine and The Martian Chronicles, which are fix-ups, Something Wicked This Way Comes is a single, full-length narrative. The title is taken from "By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes", a line said by the witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth.
The deep fears of impermanence, and of losing someone you love
A classic horror book that stands the test of time. Will, Jim and Will’s father are characters that will stay with you long after you’ve closed the book. As will the characters and freaks that inhabit the carnival and continue to lure unsuspecting carnival goers to a somewhat unexpected end…
I rate the story a five, but I had a hard time with Bradbury’s language and style (which many adore). If you love gothic horror, this one is great, if luxuriant and Byzantine when it comes to the prose.
I re-"read" this in the audiobook version, and I'm glad I did...it was a wonderful combination of story, language, and voice.
A fine, well-crafted scary novel. Not as good as Fahrenheit 451, but definitely solidifies Ray Bradbury as an excellent author in my opinion.
Terrifying and dripping with atmosphere, Something Wicked is one of the better horror novels I've read. And, as Ray says in his afterword, you can picture each scene playing out as he describes it. I have to go back and watch the movie now.
A classic book. It's not my favorite work by Bradbury, but it's a close second to The Martian Chronicles.
