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snowbenton's review
2.0
This was a pretty terrible collection. Tons of stories felt recycled--Douglas Spaulding was in like 85 of them, as was Heber Finn's pub, with two different spellings. The Mars stories felt moralistic and mostly gross. His depiction of female characters is absolutely appalling. There were a few good stories, but it was hardly worth wading through the muck.
scottneumann's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
sputnik2057's review
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
brightbeautifulthings's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Ray Bradbury has been one of my favorite authors since I was assigned to read Dandelion Wine in high school, and I’ve long wanted to tackle this collection. I struggle with story collections though (investing myself in new worlds and characters every five pages is a demand), so I gave myself the year to read it. There was still some struggling, but that’s not the worst thing. Like all collections, some of the stories are hit and miss even if you happen to adore the writing style. Most of my favorites I had already read before, and there were only a couple others I felt in my soul. Altogether, there were 20/100 of stories I’d like to reread v. ones I probably wouldn’t, but that seems a little higher than a lot of collections.
My absolute favorite stories were “The Kilimanjaro Device,” “The Swan,” and “April 2005: Usher II,” all of which I’d read multiple times before. The first two are breathtakingly beautiful and sad as they wrangle with “right” deaths and love that comes in all forms regardless of timing. I always cry through them, but there’s a kind of rightness in the sadness that only Bradbury can manage. “Usher II” is a delightfully ironic revenge story for book and horror lovers, and I enjoy all the fun cameos of Edgar Allan Poe stories. Some other favorites were “No News, or What Killed the Dog?” (a story that has comforted me in the past when I lost my own beloved pets), “The Finnegan” (a delightfully well-plotted horror story), and “The Pedestrian” (Bradbury’s dystopia at its best). In general, I tended to love the horror stories, the small town Dandelion Wine-style stories, and the ones that bring a kind of rightness to otherwise sad life events. (For a more complete list, see below.)
There were plenty more I had to drag myself through though. Occasionally, Bradbury gets fixed on a rather silly concept that doesn’t get less silly by digging deeper into it. I found most of the stories that take place in Ireland difficult to get through too. Although there’s a palpable sense of place and culture in them, the plots typically end up being a bit ridiculous. There’s also a theme of space and Mars-related stories that I enjoyed more but also, mostly, weren’t my favorites (sci-fi still isn’t really my genre). Another theme is the old Hollywood stories, which are often fun and, again, give an excellent sense of time and place.
Collections like this show a great array of Bradbury’s range, interests, and common themes, things that recur over and over again throughout his work. (I did notice a couple well-loved favorites that were missing, such as “There Will Come Soft Rains,” “All Summer in a Day,” and “A Sound of Thunder.”) I highly doubt all the stories would appeal to everyone, but the nice thing about it is that there’s likely something in here for everyone. While I found it satisfying to finish, I don’t really recommend reading it cover to cover like I did. Instead, I found it more fun to do as I’d been doing when I was younger and choose titles that sounded interesting to me at random, and to skip anything that doesn’t catch my interest on the first page. I’m glad I read them all, but I’ll probably just return to my favorites in the future.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
---
Favorites (in order they appear in the book)
“The Whole Town’s Sleeping”
“The Rocket”
“Lafayette, Farewell”
“No News, or What Killed the Dog?”
“Colonel Stonesteel’s Genuine Home-made Truly Egyptian Mummy”
“The Witch Door”
“The Watchers”
“The Sound of Summer Running”
“The Finnegan”
“On the Orient, North”
“The Kilimanjaro Device”
“The Pedestrian”
“The Swan”
“April 2005: Usher II”
“A Far-away Guitar”
“Bright Phoenix”
“April 2026: The Long Years”
“Death and the Maiden”
“Last Rites”
“All on a Summer’s Night”
My absolute favorite stories were “The Kilimanjaro Device,” “The Swan,” and “April 2005: Usher II,” all of which I’d read multiple times before. The first two are breathtakingly beautiful and sad as they wrangle with “right” deaths and love that comes in all forms regardless of timing. I always cry through them, but there’s a kind of rightness in the sadness that only Bradbury can manage. “Usher II” is a delightfully ironic revenge story for book and horror lovers, and I enjoy all the fun cameos of Edgar Allan Poe stories. Some other favorites were “No News, or What Killed the Dog?” (a story that has comforted me in the past when I lost my own beloved pets), “The Finnegan” (a delightfully well-plotted horror story), and “The Pedestrian” (Bradbury’s dystopia at its best). In general, I tended to love the horror stories, the small town Dandelion Wine-style stories, and the ones that bring a kind of rightness to otherwise sad life events. (For a more complete list, see below.)
There were plenty more I had to drag myself through though. Occasionally, Bradbury gets fixed on a rather silly concept that doesn’t get less silly by digging deeper into it. I found most of the stories that take place in Ireland difficult to get through too. Although there’s a palpable sense of place and culture in them, the plots typically end up being a bit ridiculous. There’s also a theme of space and Mars-related stories that I enjoyed more but also, mostly, weren’t my favorites (sci-fi still isn’t really my genre). Another theme is the old Hollywood stories, which are often fun and, again, give an excellent sense of time and place.
Collections like this show a great array of Bradbury’s range, interests, and common themes, things that recur over and over again throughout his work. (I did notice a couple well-loved favorites that were missing, such as “There Will Come Soft Rains,” “All Summer in a Day,” and “A Sound of Thunder.”) I highly doubt all the stories would appeal to everyone, but the nice thing about it is that there’s likely something in here for everyone. While I found it satisfying to finish, I don’t really recommend reading it cover to cover like I did. Instead, I found it more fun to do as I’d been doing when I was younger and choose titles that sounded interesting to me at random, and to skip anything that doesn’t catch my interest on the first page. I’m glad I read them all, but I’ll probably just return to my favorites in the future.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
---
Favorites (in order they appear in the book)
“The Whole Town’s Sleeping”
“The Rocket”
“Lafayette, Farewell”
“No News, or What Killed the Dog?”
“Colonel Stonesteel’s Genuine Home-made Truly Egyptian Mummy”
“The Witch Door”
“The Watchers”
“The Sound of Summer Running”
“The Finnegan”
“On the Orient, North”
“The Kilimanjaro Device”
“The Pedestrian”
“The Swan”
“April 2005: Usher II”
“A Far-away Guitar”
“Bright Phoenix”
“April 2026: The Long Years”
“Death and the Maiden”
“Last Rites”
“All on a Summer’s Night”
kirstiecat's review
5.0
I read this awhile back, before I was on Goodreads. Bradbury seems to be more conservative now from what I read...he has some opinions that I don't really think would benefit human kind, which makes me sad. Still, he's really one of the best story tellers that ever walked the Earth.
cantrememberthedreamthatihad's review
5.0
Ray Bradbury is one of the finest writers and imaginations of the 20th century, and that immense talent is on full display in this large collection of 100 of his tales.
The stories here range from sci-fi, american literature, literary fiction, horror, thriller and many stories that simply defy any attempt to tuck them neatly into a genre. There is absolute magic in these words and anyone who wants to experience just how purely magical fiction can get should not hesitate to read this.
Short fiction at its apex.
The stories here range from sci-fi, american literature, literary fiction, horror, thriller and many stories that simply defy any attempt to tuck them neatly into a genre. There is absolute magic in these words and anyone who wants to experience just how purely magical fiction can get should not hesitate to read this.
Short fiction at its apex.
mcsnide's review
4.0
I've been a fan of Ray Bradbury since reading Fahrenheit 451 in high school. His highly skeptical, nearly dystopian, view of technological progress informed my own for many years. While I've gradually grown to a comfort level with modern technology that Mr. Bradbury never achieved, I understand his concerns at their heart. Every technological leap requires new ethical thinking that sometimes our species blunders past. His warnings that progress does not change the basic nature of humanity are well-placed, and we would do well to sometimes move at a more considered pace.
Still, his best stories often have little or nothing to do with science fiction. Rather, they are portraits of human beings struggling with what it means to be human, what it means to be kind, and where to draw boundaries. His writing can often be fantastical, but under every flight of fancy there is a real human urge. In a book of 100 stories, there are bound to be some that don't speak to every reader. But I can't imagine the person who could read this book without at least once or twice recognizing his own fears or hopes on the page.
Still, his best stories often have little or nothing to do with science fiction. Rather, they are portraits of human beings struggling with what it means to be human, what it means to be kind, and where to draw boundaries. His writing can often be fantastical, but under every flight of fancy there is a real human urge. In a book of 100 stories, there are bound to be some that don't speak to every reader. But I can't imagine the person who could read this book without at least once or twice recognizing his own fears or hopes on the page.
tbr_the_unconquered's review
5.0
Dear Mr. Bradbury,
I took a lot of time to finish your book. Not because the stories were complicated to read or because this collection was a big one, it was for the simple reason that I wanted to savor the aftertaste of each and every one of the tales. After I finished a tale, I closed the book and my eyes to relive those images you so vividly explained. You made me relive my childhood days of carefree wanderings and never ending hours of play. How as a child you never feel the sun as you play on and on for hours altogether and yet come back home still raring to go. As you grow up, an hour outside in the sun wrings you out like a dishrag and you wonder where did all that reserve of energy disappear to. Childhood was this magical glen and your words were time machines alighted me on those meadows yet again, even though it was only for a short while.
You did love autumn didn’t you ? The leaves the color of fire, the wind that comes down from the skies, Halloween and of mellow fruitfulness all make an appearance in these stories. I could practically see and feel the melancholy that the season inspires on the human mind. Beyond a set of stories, I was looking forward to just another tale set in autumn..and another…and another…I couldn’t have enough of them. Then there were the sci-fi stories which to me always meant a backbone of science (no matter how impossible it is !) atop which a story it built. What I found in your tales was a gossamer thin thread of science which was only one ingredient of a magnificent set of other constituents. Mars beckoned to me after these tales ! Mars with its glorious civilizations and never ending wonders and Mars which was left a broken land by the greedy humans who colonized it. It was a Mars of your imagination and yet those stories set on the red planet are tinged with a sadness which can never be fully explained. Those magic days of Mars are now past us, never to be regained !
A look at the future as seen from your eyes is at times a bleak one. True villainy in your future takes the form of ignorance and appears as men hell bent on burning and destroying all the books they can find. A later novel of yours had its entire premise on the topic of burning books and this was truly a horrifying glimpse at a future devoid of imagination, art and literature. A wide variety of characters make their cameos in your stories : Poe, Bierce, Melville, Thomas Wolfe and Hemingway came alive and talked to me. I walked with them and comprehended but a tiny glimpse of their majestic and intimidating world of words. A book can never be forgotten Mr.Bradbury, it can never be mishandled and can never be taken anywhere near a flame ! Books may be mortal but the ideas they plant inside our heads, those are immortal and those can never be burned or stamped away. I believe in this and it is my guiding light. There was also the odd horror story in between the others with the moment of terror slowly building up and creeping up to me in all its fiendish glory. Nothing bloody or gore filled, just the plain unsettlement of having been a witness to something quite extraordinary.
The feel of being in love is a spell that you can never fully recreate as you age. The first time you held hands with your love, the endless conversations on seemingly inconsequential subjects, the first hurried (and mostly awkward) kiss are all vivid memories you can never fully wipe out of your mind and yet you capture them perfectly. The naïve days of first love, the heartbreaks, the late bloomers in love, simple companionship : all of it find a place in your stories. A steady companion and a long conversation are rather blissful facts of life and sometimes we take them for granted, which we really shouldn’t ain’t it so ?
There is so much more I could write about your stories : Of Dublin, Heeber Finn’s pub, quiet towns in America, the fireworks on the fourth of July, time machines, cathedrals…. It is a long list of wonders.
I will close this letter with an apology to you Mr.Bradbury. I always thought of you as a writer of sci-fi and horror and now I realize how grossly off the mark I was. You are way beyond all these stereotypes for you are a wizard. Someone who weaves spells with your tales. A wizard with words. Where ever you are right now sir, here’s to you !
Yours Truly
My top picks from the hundred are these stories :
1. The Rocket
2. The Beggar On O’Connell Bridge
3. The Flying Machine
4. Banshee
5. The Illustrated Man
6. The Dragon
7. The Kilimanjaro Device
8. Bless Me, Father, For I Have Sinned
9. Death & The Maiden
10. All On A Summer’s Night
Note : Read this book ! Just pick this up and start reading NOW !
I took a lot of time to finish your book. Not because the stories were complicated to read or because this collection was a big one, it was for the simple reason that I wanted to savor the aftertaste of each and every one of the tales. After I finished a tale, I closed the book and my eyes to relive those images you so vividly explained. You made me relive my childhood days of carefree wanderings and never ending hours of play. How as a child you never feel the sun as you play on and on for hours altogether and yet come back home still raring to go. As you grow up, an hour outside in the sun wrings you out like a dishrag and you wonder where did all that reserve of energy disappear to. Childhood was this magical glen and your words were time machines alighted me on those meadows yet again, even though it was only for a short while.
You did love autumn didn’t you ? The leaves the color of fire, the wind that comes down from the skies, Halloween and of mellow fruitfulness all make an appearance in these stories. I could practically see and feel the melancholy that the season inspires on the human mind. Beyond a set of stories, I was looking forward to just another tale set in autumn..and another…and another…I couldn’t have enough of them. Then there were the sci-fi stories which to me always meant a backbone of science (no matter how impossible it is !) atop which a story it built. What I found in your tales was a gossamer thin thread of science which was only one ingredient of a magnificent set of other constituents. Mars beckoned to me after these tales ! Mars with its glorious civilizations and never ending wonders and Mars which was left a broken land by the greedy humans who colonized it. It was a Mars of your imagination and yet those stories set on the red planet are tinged with a sadness which can never be fully explained. Those magic days of Mars are now past us, never to be regained !
A look at the future as seen from your eyes is at times a bleak one. True villainy in your future takes the form of ignorance and appears as men hell bent on burning and destroying all the books they can find. A later novel of yours had its entire premise on the topic of burning books and this was truly a horrifying glimpse at a future devoid of imagination, art and literature. A wide variety of characters make their cameos in your stories : Poe, Bierce, Melville, Thomas Wolfe and Hemingway came alive and talked to me. I walked with them and comprehended but a tiny glimpse of their majestic and intimidating world of words. A book can never be forgotten Mr.Bradbury, it can never be mishandled and can never be taken anywhere near a flame ! Books may be mortal but the ideas they plant inside our heads, those are immortal and those can never be burned or stamped away. I believe in this and it is my guiding light. There was also the odd horror story in between the others with the moment of terror slowly building up and creeping up to me in all its fiendish glory. Nothing bloody or gore filled, just the plain unsettlement of having been a witness to something quite extraordinary.
The feel of being in love is a spell that you can never fully recreate as you age. The first time you held hands with your love, the endless conversations on seemingly inconsequential subjects, the first hurried (and mostly awkward) kiss are all vivid memories you can never fully wipe out of your mind and yet you capture them perfectly. The naïve days of first love, the heartbreaks, the late bloomers in love, simple companionship : all of it find a place in your stories. A steady companion and a long conversation are rather blissful facts of life and sometimes we take them for granted, which we really shouldn’t ain’t it so ?
There is so much more I could write about your stories : Of Dublin, Heeber Finn’s pub, quiet towns in America, the fireworks on the fourth of July, time machines, cathedrals…. It is a long list of wonders.
I will close this letter with an apology to you Mr.Bradbury. I always thought of you as a writer of sci-fi and horror and now I realize how grossly off the mark I was. You are way beyond all these stereotypes for you are a wizard. Someone who weaves spells with your tales. A wizard with words. Where ever you are right now sir, here’s to you !
Yours Truly
My top picks from the hundred are these stories :
1. The Rocket
2. The Beggar On O’Connell Bridge
3. The Flying Machine
4. Banshee
5. The Illustrated Man
6. The Dragon
7. The Kilimanjaro Device
8. Bless Me, Father, For I Have Sinned
9. Death & The Maiden
10. All On A Summer’s Night
Note : Read this book ! Just pick this up and start reading NOW !