Something Wicked

Lets discuss HMMM.

What do you feel is the major theme of the book?

I felt that youth/innocence was paradoxically lost by some characters and gained by others. I felt like many of the adults in the book felt regret about their lost youth and envy Jim and Will for their youth. For example Charles Halloway feels that he is too old to raise a son, and that he and Will have nothing in common, no shared ground where a relationship can be built. For that he feels locked within himself, and his library, and is really a very sad character until the end, where he rediscovers his youth and his joy. I think that this demonstrates a minor theme of the book, that age does not dictate happiness. Other examples of adults pining for their youth include: Mr. Crossetti - he cries when he smells the cotton candy of the approaching carnival and is reminded of his lost youth. Miss Foley is described as lonely and "quickly greying" and generally seems unhappy with who she is. She is distraught by the mirror maze, perhaps because she doesn't care for her repeated aged reflection. Charles Halloway has a similar experience in the mirror maze, where he sees himself as ancient, one step away from death. Miss Foley is apparently drawn to reclaim her youth through the carnivals offerings. Charles halloway also regains his youth, but in a healthier way, he learns to connect with his son, and relive his youth through his son, a trick I think most of us fathers learn at some point.

Jim seems bound to give up his youth throughout the entire novel. This willingness, almost obsession with giving up his youth stands in sharp contrast with the other characters of the book. Jim also has an "experience" with the mirror maze. He tels Will that he wouldn't understand, and we are not told exactly what Jim saw in the mirrors, but he must have seen himself as a vulnerable or otherwise undesirable in his youth. He seems almost determined from that point to ride the carousel.

What are your thoughts about the mirror maze? I felt that it allowed the charactes a moment of "reflection" upon their life. I though this particular symbolism of reflection was absolutely brilliant.

What is your favorite passage?

Any other thoughts?

Thank you BROWNING'S!

I hope you don't mind it that I have boldened the questions in your post.

Also, if there's more questions, I'll paste them there, ok?

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What is your favorite passage?
Mr. Bradbury is an incredibly poetic writer, and there are many beautifully descriptive paragraphs to choose from, but my favorite is this one:

As Charles Halloway steps into the mirror maze....
"Ahead flowed sluices of silver light, deep slabs of shadow, polished, wiped, rinsed with images of themselves and others whose souls, passing, scoured the glass with their agony, curried the cold ice with their narcissism, or sweated the angles and flats with their fear."

Hey! Thanks for starting this. I know I was supposed to. I've been in a reading slump though. I can't read for more than ten minutes or so. I can't seem to concentrate. :( I'm only like fifty pages into my reread. Sorry!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brice

Hey! Thanks for starting this. I know I was supposed to. I've been in a reading slump though. I can't read for more than ten minutes or so. I can't seem to concentrate. :( I'm only like fifty pages into my reread. Sorry!

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bears hope you will add your questions, too! http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../0134-bear.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../0134-bear.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../0134-bear.gif

I will as I get further. I'm just really struggling with it for some reason. And I love this book. I just don't get why I can't seem to get into it this time.

I totally spaced on this. I will get on my reread right away!

Something Wicked is an incredibly good book, my favourite passage comes right at the start, with the seller of lightning rods coming into Greentown Illinois and seeing a lawn that was cut all wrong.

It's been a while since I read it, but I remember being hideously chilled at the notion of spinning someone backward on the merry go round until they are a baby, then giving them to the dwarf. That is truly horrific.

It is a story about foibles and failings of the human heart, plus simple courage and, dare I say it love. Love and truth = salvation. (They allow acceptance of unpleasant realities, which if not accepted warp people and make them dangerously foolish.)

Alright, I'm not good at this, so bear with me :)
A few will be generic discussion questions though.
Also, Jean, could you post the "rating" poll up?

1. What was your general opinion of the book?

2. Which character did you feel you most related to?

3. What was your most memorable moment in this book?

4. What set this book apart from others?

5. Is there a scene in the book that you can visualize happening (not realistically, but in your mind =P)?

6. Why do you think became of the freaks after Dark's death?

7. Why do you think many of the riders of the carousel were driven mad?

8. If you had the choice to ride, would you?

Excellent questions! I'm so bummed about not finding my book.

1. What was your general opinion of the book?
This is a fun coming of age (on several levels) tale wrapped up in a battle between good and evil. I like it very much.

2. Which character did you feel you most related to?
Jim Nightshade

3. What was your most memorable moment in this book?
The arrival of the carnival and the various reactions of the town.

4. What set this book apart from others?
Ray Bradbury has a way of writing about boyhood that makes it seem real and true. Likewise, his supernatural tales do not seem forced. This book combines the best of both.

5. Is there a scene in the book that you can visualize happening (not realistically, but in your mind =P)?
All the carousel rides.

6. Why do you think became of the freaks after Dark's death?
I think they are probably living on the fringe of various towns, keeping to themselves. It seems unlikely any would try to connect with their families (if they had any) because they probably wouldn't even be recognized.

7. Why do you think many of the riders of the carousel were driven mad?
I think a lot of people think they want to be young again because it's so easy to forget the shitty parts of youth and focus on the good parts. The shock of realizing that youth is not what they remembered together with the knowledge that this can't or won't be undone would be enough to drive one mad.

8. If you had the choice to ride, would you?
Well, shite. I honestly can't say. I think not since I've seen no example of someone riding it and being at peace afterward.

To be honest, I like Bradbury's short stories better. But its been a while since I read it, so I can't comment much further than that. I think he's a great writer, I just think his short stories work better than his novels.

come on, people, let's keep this alive

1. What was your general opinion of the book?
This is the only Bradbury that I have read, so far. I really enjoyed his writing style. So vivid. Excellent use of metaphors. Really poetic. This is the kind of writing where one can read slowly and savor the language.

2. Which character did you feel you most related to? Will, I had a friend that was just like Jim growing up. I always felt like he was going to get us in trouble, yet I always went along. We had a lot of fun, and never got caught.

3. What was your most memorable moment in this book? The boys sneaking out of their windows at night. This brings back memories. Ahhh to be young again. Doing something you know that you shouldnt be doing. That fear of being caught, the exhilaration of the night, the newly discovered freedom.....being bad feels pretty good.

4. What set this book apart from others? This book is different from most horror novels. However, it reminded me of "IT" in that it has that sense of nostalgia. Such that one can almost rediscover their youth while reading it. A very appropriate feeling for the book's theme I might add.

5. Is there a scene in the book that you can visualize happening (not realistically, but in your mind =P)? Getting lost in the mirror maze. I thought this was very well written. I could almost feel the panic. Those things can be pretty scary when you are a little kid. You get in there and start wondering what would happen if you got lost in there. Kinda creepy cool.

6. Why do you think became of the freaks after Dark's death? This is a tough one. I would like to think that they were able to reintegrate somehow. However, I don't think this would be the case. I think they would probably end up being exploited again by some other people. I think that in someway this is their penance for some mortal sin.

7. Why do you think many of the riders of the carousel were driven mad? I think that reclaiming your youth in a literal since is more appealing as a thought than in reality. I don't think that most people would be mentally capable of actually acheiving that goal. And, for myself, though it seems like fun to relive your youth, I think that one would always feel like an outsider.

8. If you had the choice to ride, would you? Nah. I had fun, but I also had a bunch of shit I wouldn't want to live through again. haha

thank you everyone who has posted so far!

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We haven't had such a smashing success with this book as we had with the Mockingbird, and it took far too long. Let's move on now - vote in the poll that has been added to this thread, to keep our Club more or less consistent, and vote in the poll on which book is going to be the next - I'll put it up later today (God willing). Next book will start May 19.