When discussing Ray Bradbury’s novel, Something Wicked This Way Comes, I told friends that the movie was better. There are only a few times I’ve said that about a book and movie, but I don’t think Bradbury would have been disappointed by that viewpoint. The Afterword of the book explains why.
Bradbury wrote Something Wicked This Way Comes as a screenplay. He dug up an old short story because he wanted to write a movie for Gene Kelly to produce. Kelly loved the screenplay, and shopped it around with himself as director and producer, but he couldn’t come up with the money. So, he turned it back to Bradbury, who went on to write the book. The novel came out in 1962. Then, it became a series of screenplays again, and Disney came calling, and turned it into a wonderful movie with Jason Robards and Jonathan Pryce. So, Ray Bradbury intended this to be a movie.
The book takes place in October in Green Town, Illinois. One year, Halloween arrived in the town at 3 a.m. on October 24 when Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show arrived. Two boys, almost fourteen, Will Holloway and Jim Nightshade, were eager to find out all the secrets of the carnival. But, as Will discovers the carousel that runs backwards as it plays Chopin’s “Funeral March”, he realizes that people riding that carousel grow younger and younger. Jim’s still eager to experience everything the carnival has to offer, but Will is afraid for his friend and himself.
Will’s father, Charles, has his own fears. His are about age and death. He was older when Will was born, and he is aware that he can’t run and do the other things a younger man would do with his son. Charles Holloway is the janitor at the public library, a well-read man who will have to face his fears if Will and Jim, Charles and Green Town are to survive the carnival.
While Bradbury’s words are as poetic as ever, phrases such as “The October week when they grew up overnight, and were never so young anymore”, the book seems to drag, and the movie does not. The music of the movie creates a haunting atmosphere. Jason Robards is Charles Holloway, a librarian, in the movie, and Pryce plays the evil, spooky Mr. Dark.
Why a carousel? Ray Bradbury was terrified by a carousel when he was four. “I seem never to have found a way to get off.” His book plays on childhood fears, as well as adult fears of old age and death.
Something Wicked This Way Comes. Look for the movie instead of the book.
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. William Morrow, 1962. ISBN 9780380977277 (hardcover), 295p.
FTC Full Disclosure – Library book
I didn’t know the Gene Kelly story. I have read it, of course, and I’ve seen the movie, which did a good job.
In this edition, Jeff, Bradley told the Gene Kelly story.
I will check out the movie. Bradley is one of my beloved writers. He captures the essence of the Midwest in remarkable prose.
Now is the perfect time of year to watch the movie, Laurie. You’re right about Bradley and the Midwest. I do love his writing.
I’ve never seen the movie. I’ll have to get it from the library
We have it at our library, so I hope you do, too, Sandy.
Bradley? You all mean Bradbury, right?
I loved this book when I read it. I was on a tear through his work, started with The Martian Chronicles and then read this, Fahrenheit 451, The Illustrated Man and everything else I could find. I went to a stage play presentation of his story “The Veldt” and he came on stage afterwards to talk with the audience. It was great. As much as I like his other works, my very favorite of his, which I’ve read several times, is Dandelion Wine.
Yes, and I wrote Ray Bradbury throughout the entire review. Darn.
I read a number of his books, and loved them, too, Rick. Oh, I would have loved to have heard him speak with the audience. I’m jealous that you had that opportunity.
My husband liked the book more than I did. He bought a new copy of that edition recently and I read his book. We have been talking about watching the movie sometime.
I think you should watch the movie, Tracy, and then tell me what you thought.