Book Review #35: The October Country by Ray Bradbury
My Overall Review: 8.2/10
Introduction:
Continuing on with my fascination for Ray Bradbury and his work I decided to pick up a copy of some of his short stories. After reading this book I am blown away and amazed by the writing genius and the master of the craft of writing that Bradbury is. I believe that we all have something to learn from Bradbury about writing and our overall outlook on life.
Overview:
The October Country is Ray Bradbury’s own netherworld of the soul, inhabited by the horrors and demons that lurk within all of us. Ray Bradbury proves here that he is America’s master of the short story.
This classic collection features:
The Emissary: The faithful dog was the sick boy’s only connection with the world outside—and beyond . . .
The Small Assassin: A fine, healthy baby boy was the new mother’s dream come true—or her worst nightmare . . .
The Scythe: Just when his luck had run out, Drew Erickson inherited a farm from a stranger; and with the bequest came deadly responsibilities . . .
The Jar: A chilling story that combines love, death . . . and a matter of identity in a bottle of fear.
The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone: A most remarkable case of murder—the deceased was delighted . . .
And fourteen more stories!
My Thoughts:
Each one of these stroies hooked me in and kept me engaged throughout the entire story. I appreciate the fact that Bradbury is a well-rounded writer and that his short stories are on par with his longer pieces of work such as Something Wicked This Way Comes and Fahrenheit 451. Although I do have to say that I would rank this book a notch or two lower than either of those two novels. That’s not necessarily fair to say in the sense that I’m comparing this book to two of my favorite books of all time but nonetheless, in terms of comparing Bradbury to Bradbury this would rank #3 on my list.
I would recommend that anyone who loves to dream and drift off to far away, fictional places should read this book! Another great piece of work by Ray Bradbury who proves to me time and time again why he is my favorite writer of all-time.
Happy reading friends!!
Have any thoughts on my take(good or bad)? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!