Rating: 
Summary: Long Live the Illustrated Man!
Review: My first Bradbury book was "Something Wicked This Way Comes", which I read for English class as a sophomore. Upon finishing it, I immediately rushed out to the nearest Half-Price bookstore and bought a truckload of his books. After reading Dandelion Wine, Fahrenheit 451, and Death Is a Lonely Business (all of which I loved), I settled down to read this one. And although I read it cover to cover in one afternoon, I felt as though I had been enlightened.
Granted, this is Bradbury in his so-called "Forties Period", in which most of his stories dealt with killer babies, end-of-the-world scenarios, and general all-around nihilism. But, boy, is it fun! Personal favorites are "The Man", "The Highway", "The Other Foot", and "The Long Rain". I don't happen to like "The Veldt" all that much, but that's just me. But my favorite of all of these is "The Last Night On Earth", which actually made me smile and say, "aww...". My least favorite is "The Exiles", which for some reason didn't sit well with me at all, which I think is just because I'm a booklover (just in case I haven't already made that clear). And I happen to love the framing story, although I could see the end coming.
Overall, 5/5
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Watch the Movie!
Review: This book, like most of Bradbury's, was great, but when I rented the movie version it almost made me forget about everything. If you ever come across the film adaptation of this book, avoid it at all costs! It contained some of the worst acting and special effects I've ever seen, even considering that it was made back in the 1960s.
Rating:
Summary: Haunting Stories of Depressing Beauty
Review: Conceptually, The Illustrated Man is brilliant from the get-go, including its novel premise of 18 stories as told through the
moving tattoos on a man's body; in addition to weaving intricate webs, the Illustrated Man's body art predicts the future. And, oh, what stories are told. As a science fiction writer, it is no surprise that the majority of Bradbury's stories have to do with
space and the future (heck, all of space was in the future when these stories were written in the early 50s). Additionally, the
majority of the tales are pretty bleak, dealing with dark themes of revenge, futile searches for paradise, and Armageddon.
However, save for their near-universal excellence, thought-provocation, and prescience, the similarities end there. Among them: Mars is colonized by black people who have left Earth's prejudices, and await with apprehension the arrival of a
white-piloted rocket ship from their former homeland; another planet's soldiers attack Earth and are surprised at the warm
welcome they receive, only to learn that they can be conquered by Earth's lousy diet, sedentary ways, and shallow culture as
easily as by the planet's military; an assembly of priests travels to Mars to learn about Martian sins, so as to spread God's word
and earn converts of the Red plant; an entire city is built with the concept of vengeance in mind, by its citizens who were to
perish before being able to exact that revenge themselves; the authors of classic tales of horror, whose works are banned on
Earth, are themselves exiled to Mars and only kept alive by the few remaining copies not burned for censorship. There are a couple of lame ducks herein, but even those are salvaged by the beauty of Bradbury's writing. His metaphors and
descriptive devices flow from the pages and grant a macabre beauty to even the most desolate of landscapes.
Rating:
Summary: Haunting Stories of Depressing Beauty
Review: Conceptually, The Illustrated Man is brilliant from the get-go, including its novel premise of 18 stories as told through the moving tattoos on a man's body; in addition to weaving intricate webs, the Illustrated Man's body art predicts the future. And, oh, what stories are told. As a science fiction writer, it is no surprise that the majority of Bradbury's stories have to do with space and the future (heck, all of space was in the future when these stories were written in the early 50s). Additionally, the majority of the tales are pretty bleak, dealing with dark themes of revenge, futile searches for paradise, and Armageddon. However, save for their near-universal excellence, thought-provocation, and prescience, the similarities end there. Among them: Mars is colonized by black people who have left Earth's prejudices, and await with apprehension the arrival of a white-piloted rocket ship from their former homeland; another planet's soldiers attack Earth and are surprised at the warm welcome they receive, only to learn that they can be conquered by Earth's lousy diet, sedentary ways, and shallow culture as easily as by the planet's military; an assembly of priests travels to Mars to learn about Martian sins, so as to spread God's word and earn converts of the Red plant; an entire city is built with the concept of vengeance in mind, by its citizens who were to perish before being able to exact that revenge themselves; the authors of classic tales of horror, whose works are banned on Earth, are themselves exiled to Mars and only kept alive by the few remaining copies not burned for censorship. There are a couple of lame ducks herein, but even those are salvaged by the beauty of Bradbury's writing. His metaphors and descriptive devices flow from the pages and grant a macabre beauty to even the most desolate of landscapes.
Rating:
Summary: Best ever!
Review: This is Bradbury's best work. Many of these stories just knocked me off my feet. Especially the story about the hologram room. Chilling. He has a way of writing stories that do not evoke horror in the reader, but even better, shock. They don't put a chill in your spine with every line, but the readers know that by the end they will have the shock of their lives! I could easily read this entire collection again. Unbelievable!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully Shocking!
Review: I really really enjoyed this book, it is one of my favourites. The stories inside were very shocking and unique and thought provoking too. It is not your normal futuristic book about the future with its gadgets and high technology and robots that seem impossible, this is a creative but rather realistic book too. I especially enjoyed "Kaleidoscope" as it was rather touching and sad and after reading that, I highlighted a phrase inside about some people having only dreams when they die and they die unhappily, while others have real memories, so they are able to die without regrets. All in all, I think this book is fantastic, a must-read!
Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic Book
Review: The Illustrated Man is the story of a man who is almost completely covered in tatoos. Durring the day, he can be seen as an ordinary man, but at night his illustrations come to life and tell thier own stories. In Bradbury's fifth book, he once again proves that he can take the mind where it has never gone before. Through elaborate detail Bradbury makes you feel as if you were in the stories. The wild, yet interesting 20 stories vary from the love and inspiration on Mars, to the madness of Venus' eternal rains, to a lonely death in space between worlds. I would highly recomend this book to all ages, for it is a fascinating book which leads the mind to wander and question. From adults to children this book can be greatly appreciated by all.
Rating:
Summary: JIMMY HUH
Review: The Illustrated Man was a great book, and shouldnt be disgraced by other reviewers. I was always at the edge of my seat compelled what would happen next. Also for people who haven't read this book, this is a book of SHORT STORIES! I think other reviewers might have understood this book more if they looked at the cover.
Rating:
Summary: Jimmy Huh review
Review: The Illustarted Man by Ray Bradbury is a superior book filled with horror but same time class. I recommend this book to any person older then 11. This book if filled with short stories that let your mind fill in the ending. From all the other books I read by Ray Bradbury this is the most complete.
Rating:
Summary: Great, classic sci-fi
Review: I read this book a few years ago and still recommend it to sci-fi lovers. Some of the stories are a bit dated but on the whole this is a timeless collection of stories.
|
