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Summary: Chronicles of Mars
Review: This book is great from start to finish. I love this book It's Ray Bradbury at his best. As you move to one Chronicle to another you want more and more and you cant not get enough of it. You will love this book,Trust me.
Rating: 
Summary: Master of Fantasy?
Review: Novels are written everyday by countless authors. Some are tasteful and some are not. Ray Bradbury, known for his skillful blending of fancy and satire, terror and tenderness, wonder and fantasy, has written many novels which have made him the master of fantasy and the greatest living science-fiction writer in the world. The Martian Chronicles begin on Mars where first contact is made by the Second Expedition, led by Captain Jonathan Williams. The Second Expedition is unsuccessful like the
one before. The missions end in terror for both crews. No one knows if the First crew even made it to Mars; however the second crew is shot in cold blood by the very Martians they had hoped to communicate with. The Third Expedition also meets the some fate as the other two, but this time there are survivors who pave the way for the colonization of Mars. The Martian civilizations lay in ruins caused by disease brought on by Humans who came to settle the new world. As The Great War breaks out on Earth, giant explosions can be seen as far away as Mars. People of Mars rush back to their home planet Earth to protect their nation against others who might want to destroy it. All is lost, and both Worlds lay in ruins.
The author leads you to a unique twist in the last sentence of the novel. It reads, "The
martians stared back up at them for a long, long silent time from the rippling water." One of the
last remaining human families escape to Mars, where they make their new home. As they watch their reflection in the rippling water, they know that from this day forth they are truly Martians.
Bradbury's science-fiction novels are really a cluster of short stories which make up a
novel. The 26 different chronicles share nothing except they either take place on Mars or Earth.
They really are a cluster of short stories which describe the history of Mars, starting from the year 1999 and ending in the year 2026.
It was a great disappointment from what one expects of this author. This novel does not live up to his unique w!riting ability. The Martian Chronicles starts strong but dies as it jumps from one chronicle to another, a poor ending to a great start. The Martian Chronicles is one fantasy-story which a die-hard science-fiction fan can do without. This writer owes apologies to everyone. It's the least one should expect after reading this novel.
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Summary: Bradbury's 2nd greatest work
Review: Of all Ray Bradbury's books, only "Dandelion Wine" ranks higher on my list of personal favorites. Without repeating the praise of other reviewers, I would like to respond to one who complained that the book is "too confusing" because "each chapter has new characters." Each "chapter" is actually a separate short story, published at different times in different outlets; when they were put into book form, Mr. Bradbury wrote new material to string them together and give them a common thread (string, thread . . get it?). Anyway, enough - Ray Bradbury doesn't need to be defended by me, but I did want to put this in! It's a wonderful book, you'll love it!
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Summary: Best Bradbury
Review: I first read this book when I was twelve, and loved it so much that I read 6 more of Bradbury's books in the next month. I love Bradbury , but this is still my favorite. If you haven't already, read Fahrenheit 451 too.
Rating:
Summary: The Best
Review: This must be the best literary work(in my mind) to come from America. Who else other than Bradbury can make one see, taste, touch, and hear all the wonders of the hidden yet powerful and moving niches of literature. The Martian Chronicles makes haste to destroy the idea that Martians are a blood thirsty race of people. The vast dried up oceans of sand, the canals that are so abundant, and best of all the old dead towns filled with ashes. It was most moving. This book was a journey for me and I cannot express clearly in words how it moved me.
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Summary: A Familiar Strangeness or A Strange Familiarity ?
Review: Have you ever read a beautiful short story that made you want to find out what happened next? This book is just that - each story tells you what happened after the last one. Each story could be read separately, if you wanted to. But when you begin the next one, you find it adds another layer to the atmosphere of the previous tale. The image gets deeper and more complex, until you are looking at the flow of centuries over Mars, and the humans and others on it. Each piece of this history is a gem, each has it's own glitter- from the tale of the first landings on mars to the ill-fated hot dog stand on a deserted highway there - but they come together to form a crown Bradbury fully deserves. The stories have that haunted feeling that only Bradbury can really create. The taste of his world is somehow exotic, though it be made of elements we all know. The Martian Chronicles is a book that could fit in either the Short Story or Novel category, but perhaps the best place for it would be in Poetry.
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Summary: Points of View
Review: The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury, is a gripping book full of little surprises. Bradbury puts his messages across in a blunt, shocking manner that leaves the reader wanting more. Each story is a success in itself, yet all of them are mystically linked to the same main plot. This is a plot of the exploration, settlement, and eventual abandonement of the planet Mars. The first stories deal with the initial Mars landings that were failures. The book goes on to delve deep into the effects of the settlement of Mars on not only the Martian, but on us, the Earthmen. Such is the conflict between the two rases that in one story, "Night Meeting," there is a depiction of the createion of two totally different dimensions on Mars; one of them inhabited by the human settlers, the other inhabited by Martians, who were thought to be extinct. In the familiar Bradbury plot, the humans are celled back to fight in the atomic war on Earth and Mars is abandoned. In conclusion, this book is one of many points of view on the same general thesis: the connotations and implications of the settling of the planet Mars. It has a little something for everyone, even Edgar Allan Poe lovers.
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Summary: "Man conquered Mars-and in that instant ,Mars conquered him"
Review: The Martian Chronicles are not the most scientifically accurate books in existence , even for their time . Life on Mars was fairly unlikely , and that knowledge existed even in the 20's era . But this story is beyond such things . The story grabs your attention at the very beginning . The description of summer during winter is not overdone , and while not plausible by today's standards , it was perhaps more so during the time Bradbury wrote it .But this is trivial . What "Rocket Summer" , the first tale in the chronology , does is set the tone . The images immediately leap out of the reader's mind , giving them a very distinct view of Bradbury's world . In this small opening , Bradbury meshes poetry with prose , and sets the stage. The tales that follow are nothing less than beautiful . The descriptions of the Martians are wonderful . As the humans arrive on Mars , however , things begin to change . Now historical analogies can be drawn . The Chronicles are the tales of the dawn of the Americas , put on the scale that only science fantasy can offer . The Martians are wiped out , or at least thought to be , by human diseases , setting the stage for the colonization of Mars . This period is no less interesting than the others , and perhaps even more so . "Usher II" is a look at a future where many of the great works of literature are gone ... and forgotten , for the most part . Lost in the Great Fire , a time of mass book burnings . "The Watchers" succeeds in its descriptions of an Earth that "seemed to explode , catch fire , and burn ." The tone is then set for one of the most powerful stories in the Chronicles , "The Silent Towns." Beautiful and sad , it is possibly the most memorable story in the entire collection . The Chronicles close with "The Million-Year Picnic." It is a very fitting end , because it also signifies a new beginning . Overall , The Martian Chronicles is on a playing field all its own . No other work is like it , and that cannot be denied . It is beautiful and breath taking at turns . When I read this story , in that same instant , it conquered me . I was captivated , and could not put it down . Now , I think I will read it again , for those very reasons .
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Summary: Lessons of War
Review: I know now why this book is required reading. A few chapters into the book, I turned back to check the year of publication...some of it was written as early as the 1920's! I started understanding the book for what it is. A historical document of the state of the human mind following world wars I and II. The content is universal crossing time and cultures.The writing is eloquent. Not a word is wasted. This book is a must for students of history, sociology, psychology and any fool who thinks war is cool.
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Summary: An Inspiring Book
Review: This is an inspiring book, in the phrase's truest sense. My discovery of this book inspired me to discover the world of reading. Bradbury captivated me with the stories, taught me with the poetry, and drew me into a world that can only exist in the mind's eye. The stories are perfect for the younger reader, they are short, well written, and full of imagery. The book is a tribute, and a cautionary tale, to those who aspire for higher goals. We bring everything that is good with us, but cannot seem to shed our dark legacy of distrust, greed and fear. I read this book thirty-five years ago, and it still remains a favorite.
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