Rating: 
Summary: Worth your while.
Review: "Something Wicked This Way Comes" was a book that was a lot of hype, and not enough material. The book was good, but reveiwers told me that it was scary, intresting, and kept you on the edge of your seat the whole time. In reality, I found the book was not increadibly scary, only falling a few notches ahead of the series "Goosebumps" in terms of horror. Bradburys writing stye is quite different, and at a few points, almost hard to follow. "Something Wicked This Way Comes" is a book made mainly of details, yet still depics many vague scenes. The paace of the book is very slow as you start out, and only real puts you on the edge of your seat in the last few chapters. I have fallen asleep while reading this book. The book in depth is shallow, yet the overal plot is an interesting one, and Bradury is an author every young reader should experience.
Rating: 
Summary: Horror the way it should be
Review: Forget all the contemporary pretenders who write novels about the dark side. This is the only book that ever made me look over my shoulder; and in broad daylight. Bradbury demonstrates once again his mastery of words and images.
Rating:
Summary: Wickedly Cunning... A Delightful Read
Review: I'll admit. When I picked up the book, allowing myself 2 graze the pages, I thought it was 4 kids. A circus?? The freak shows coming 2 life??? But, having just discovered the joys of Bradbury, I decided 2 read it anyway.
Something Wicked This Way Comes is definitely somewhat childish. Yet if it wasn't, it would be horrible. It is being able 2 see through the children's eyes that makes it all enjoyable. It is the perspective from which the tale is told that gives U slight scares... and it is the detail of the story that makes U want 2 bundle up and lock the doors... although, like many Ray Bradbury novels, there are a lot of extras thrown in, on the whole, this book cannot be beat
Rating:
Summary: Bradbury goes to the heart of the matter.
Review: Ray Bradbury's stories always manage to pierce through into a deep sense of longing. They leave you unsatisfied (because they do come to an end) yet, at the same time, filled with pleasure at the rightness of just how he does it (Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed, for example). Something Wicked This Way Comes is no different. The struggle between evil for the possession of the boys' souls and the love, bravery, and sacrifice elicited from Will and his dad just knocks you out. The increasing pace, the looming threat, and the ever more clearly defined personal consequences of squarely facing it, all rachet up the tension in perfect phase--you'll know it when you get to that special chapter. Once I began this book, I did not stop until I finished it. Do not pollute your mental imagery with the movie version. Trust your own imagination. Read the book! Greg Jefford
Rating:
Summary: A Gem
Review: Another Bradbury masterpiece, this multifaceted jewel shines - even from within it's dark story. The tale of horror is a subtle one, the gothic imagry will remain with the reader, this book slowly work its magic, it has as many layer as it does pages - the loss of innocence, the evil of technology, mysticism, and many others. Truly a thought provoking novel, and a grand old tale of horror in a small American town
Rating:
Summary: Perhaps the subtlest horror story ever written.
Review: A true literary gem. The images from this book will haunt you for the rest of your life. Forget the movie. This book plays with the mythic elements of your soul. Immortality? You can have it.
Old Age? Gone. Youth? It's yours. What is it you want? You can get it.
Perhaps Bradbury's best, it is truly a must-read.
Read it. Because, next time, the circus might visit your town...
Rating:
Summary: The best contemporary American novel ever written
Review: If you could check circle 20, it would still be an underestimation of this incredible novel. Something Wicked is without question the finest piece of contemporary american literature to ever be written. Starting as a child's tale or fable, the book expands into a mult-layered, multi-complex novel involving death, life and all parts in between. The dynamic tension of freindship, lost loves and puberty are all dealt with in this amazing piece of work. The premise, a "dark" carnival ariving in a small mid-western town in October is common Bradbury territiry. And there is no doubt of the autobigraphical
nature of this work. As the story weaves itself through the town's population, the two boys at the center of the story, are the only ones that sense the approaching darkness that the carnival brings. In classic Bradbury prose, the reader is trasported with eloquent descriptions into the story itself. One of the two climaxes of the story, a confrontation between one of the boy's fathers (an aging man
with buckets of regrets and no real hope for the future) and Mr. Dark, the owner of the Carnival is rollercoaster ride of words. In a time where action has displaced writing in novels, this scene is a delight to anyone who enjoys good literature. The film adaptation was atrocious, and looked (as Dinsey films do) only at a single element in a multi-faceted story. This film should not be used to judge this book. So don't be put off because of the film.
If you read ANY book this year, make it this one.
Rating:
Summary: By The Pricking Of My Thumbs...
Review: "By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes." So goes the line
that sets the tone of mystery and terror that hangs over every paragraph in this book.
Ray Bradbury's descriptive genius shines through in this pleasantly horrifying novel.
I enjoyed this book because of the way that Bradbury describes everything that happens in the book. Every paragraph in the book is a poem.
It is a tale of two young boys, one bright, and one dark, who discover a great evil in
the autumn carnival. Somehow they must stop the evil from spreading without allowing it to engulf them as well. It is a carnival that makes broken promises and takes away your whole world,
and Bradbury makes it come to life. The carnival is alive with everything from Witches of Wax, to
Shrunken Lightning Rod Salesmen.
Once I picked it up, I could not put it down. It is experiencing fear at it's strongest, while sitting
in the comfort of your own home. I would recommend this book to anyone, from children to seniors.
Read it before it reads you.
I don't know why I said that.
David Warkentin, 14
Rating: 
Summary: A Classic That I Actually Liked! How Could That Be!?
Review: Something Wicked This Way Comes(1962). Ray Bradbury, author of such renound classics as The Martian Chronicles and Farenheit 451, took a stab at the horror genre in 1962. Much like Mary Shelley(Frankenstein) and Bram Stoker(Dracula), Ray Bradbury helped in the shaping of the Horror genre, now ruled by such authors as Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Combining Horror and Classical Literature, with a plot of Greed and Deception, Bradbury created what today would be known as a Horror Classic, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and also one of the most recognizeable novels in his catalog. Bradbury was the first Horror author to use children, the most unlikely heroes, that Stephen King later used in his commercial smash IT and his short story "The Body", and have been used by numerous other authors and directors of popular culture. Based on a famous quote of Shakespeare, Something Wicked This Way spawned a popular movie of its own, and Modern Day Metal Artist Iced Earth even used it for the title of their popular album. In the next paragraphs, you will read just what made Something Wicked This Way Comes such a timeless classic, and one of the very few classics I can stand! Plot-
During the time before Halloween, in the cold Autumn of October, a Train seemingly spawned out of hell comes into town, a dark omen of the days ahead. As a calliope crackles mysterious doomy tunes, Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show, a carnival of sorts, unloads their dark materials, tents, animals, and sideshow freaks of equal gruesomeness. Jim Nightshade and Will Holloway, two young curious 12 Year old boys, seemingly are the only ones to hear the hellish calliope(FYI, an organ) music at Three in the Morning, so they set out to see where all the noise is coming from. Soon they find out, and flee back to their homes to await the coming storm. The next day, The Carnival is out in full force, and most of the entire town is there, to view such rides and shows as A Mirror Maze, a Ferris Wheel, seeing Skeleton Men, Dwarfs, Fortune Tellers, Mr. Electro, and Mr. Dark, the Amazing Illustrated Man. Their is also a Merry-Go-Round, but it is strangely Out of Order. After the crowd leaves and the carnival shuts down, the crowds subsided totally and all is quiet, Jim and Will stay behind, hiding, waiting to learn the mystery of the carnival. Soon they are thrusted into a world where their wildest dreams are imaginable, and their worst nightmares are staring them right in the face, and they are the only ones who can subside the Growing Storm... Writing-
Since this is my first Ray Bradbury novel I've read(And probably not the last), I won't compare Something Wicked This Way Comes to his other works, but instead rate his writings as my observations as a reader. The most memorable part of Bradbury's writing, is his descriptive writing, which, even such a simple act as running, Bradbury lets you Feel, Hear, See, Taste, and almost makes you think you can reach out and touch what isn't there. Although many times his descriptions run-on for too long, other times he hits the right notes in the right amount of space, and his genuine talent for writing and descriptions bring the story and the characters alive. Something Wicked This Way Comes, along with Stoker's Dracular, is one of the few classics I can stand, because too much emphasis in other classics is placed on descriptions rather than plot, but Bradbury's plot is deftly place Center-Stage here, and the Reader never feels bored or let down.Many times his ideas may seem unreasonable, but against the other material it doesn't take too much away from the book to me. Overall, Something Wicked This Way Comes left a strong impression on me for Bradbury, and this won't be the last book I read by him. If you noticed the 4 star rating, it's mostly because of the things that plague classics so much for me. Overlong descriptions. I must emphasize though Bradbury isn't nearly as inconsistent as many authors, so this is just minor. Also some of his plot ideas seem odd and leave the reader thinking "Huh?", but most of the time the plot is easy to follow. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! A GREAT HORROR AND CLASSIC NOVEL NOT TO BE
MISSED BY ANYONE! BRADBURY MAKES THE CARNIVAL SEEM MORE EVIL THAN
IT DOES IN REAL LIFE! Also Recommended- Farenheit 451- Ray Bradbury
IT- Stephen King
Dracula- Bram Stoker Thanks For Reading!
Rating:
Summary: Ray Bradbury's the Coolest
Review: Perhaps I am a bit biased, but I just can't say anything bad about Ray Bradbury. I have read the reviews of "Something Wicked This Way Comes" both positive and negative. I agree with both sides to an extent. "Something Wicked this Way Comes" IS a dated novel. And while dialogue at times seems straight from "Leave It To Beaver" (Gee whiz!) and the ending can be deemed corny, I feel that this book and Ray Bradbury have stood and will continue to stand the test of time. Bradbury's style of writing may not be appreciated by everyone, but to say that his work is a waste of time seems way to extreme to me. I love Bradbury's works FOR the metaphors, FOR his long descriptions. Bradbury does not allow his readers to be innocent bystanders, instead he places them right there standing next to Jim Nightshade and Will Halloway, witnessing fisthand the evil that is Dark and Cooger's traveling carnival. It is a perfect combination of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. For this, Ray Bradbury is definitely one of a kind. As for the ending, I was happy to read a novel with such a simple message at the end. There was no big complex (often ridiculously impossible) solution to ridding the town of evil, rather a pure, simple fix. For me, "Something Wicked This Way Comes" is a welcomed stray from modern horror fiction.
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