Books I Loathed discussion

The book was so awful, I read the whole thing, just so that evermore, I would be able to say accurately (and forcefully): "It was the worst book I ever read."

I probably should have kept it -- just as nuke plants keep spent fuel rods because there is no safe and satisfactory way to dispose of them -- but instead I donated the paperback to Goodwill, where I imagine by now it has accomplished something that is the opposite of charity.

haha, that metaphor is great...
Wish I could constructively contribute to this thread but I've never read the book, heh.

So what did you hate about it? I read it, and remember thinking that Manly Wade Wellman's "Blind Voices" was a better creepy carnival book, but I certainly wasn't moved to your level of vehemence.

*very curious*

I thought the writing was pretentious and tortured. I'd have to check it out from the library -- wearing my special, lead-lined gloves, of course -- if you wanted me to find and quote for you any of the especially egregious passages.

Jeff, I think your hatred for this novel has actually inspired me to pick it up again -- I read it in 4th grade and adored it. I also gave a copy to a young boy (he was probably in 4th or 5th grade at the time) who was entirely uninterested in reading -- He dug into Something Wicked as a summer reading "chore" and loved it just as much as I did at his age -- Now he's hooked on books, and I'm curious to see what I'll think about this one almost 20 years later!

Have you tried Bradbury's Dandelion Wine? It's much much worse than Something Wicked This Way Comes. A tedious, sentimental mess. Bradbury is one of the classic bad authors. Fahrenheit 451 is also awful - such a silly idea.

Oh I loved that book! But I must say that the first half of it was a lot more magical than the second. It's been years since I read it, though... I ought to re-read it.

I'm new around here, but I had to jump in on this one. I tried reading "Something Wicked" recently, but gave up before too long. It currently resides on my pissed me off shelf. It was interesting, but rubbed me the wrong way. I think it had something to do with the fact that every character was depicted as some kind of philosopher poet, who would go off on long, pointless soliloquies (well, internal soliloquies - there's probably a term for that, but I can't think of it right now, I'm busy ranting). And they were all infinitely perceptive about themselves and everyone around them. But that's probably enough for now.

I used to like Bradbury a lot as a kid (I think were I to go back to him I wouldn't be as adoring), but even so I thought at the time Something Wicked was a pretty bad book. I can recall virtually nothing else about it, which is usually a bad sign.

Oh, your words are like daggers to my heart!

Something Wicked This Way Comes is quite possibly my favorite novel. Bradbury manages to combine the emotions of small town living with his fantasy imaginings of a child. To me, this is where his writing is at its strongest.

Bradbury's novels have the tendency to meander pointlessly (or so you would think), but I believe that is the beauty of his style. He is taking you on a journey. If he simply followed the plot point by point, then you wouldn't be able to see the development of his characters and of himself as an author. If you found this novel overbearing, perhaps you should start with some of his short stories instead.

I recall enjoying this story, but thinking the ending was lame. "Love! Love will defeat the enemy!" Please.

Or A Wrinkle In Time! I'm with you, Kerry. I was breathless reading SWTWC in 4th grade.

Well, the entire novel shows the battle between good and evil. Since good has to win in the end, what better way to defeat the carnival than with love? It may not be the most sophisticated way of killing off the antagonists, but it certainly makes more sense than using violence. I honestly can't imagine the story ending any other way!

And I'm glad that you enjoyed it too, Kate. It seems that Bradbury's novels are an acquired taste, haha.

Bradbury is about short stories and short shorts. Novels weren't his forte. Read his collection "Long After Midnight." As good as it gets.