Ray Bradburys Something Wicked This Way Comes

David Glasgo
Modules 15-16
Dec 20, 1996

Someone knows your secret dream, that one great wish that you would pay
anything for. That person suddenly makes your dream come true - before you learn the
price you have to pay. Ray Bradbury's, Something Wicked This Way Comes, is a chilling
and suspenseful thriller, making a boy's secret dream come true right before his own eyes
and that of his friend's too. The story in this book continually jumps back and forth
between three characters; two which are always together and the other the library janitor
and father of the one. Bradbury's style keeps the book flowing smoothly throughout all of
his hopping and skipping around. He seems to be a mastermind of writing as the story
develops before your eyes and you get drawn in never wanting to leave, until the book is
over and you know the ending. I felt like I was sitting right there on the clouds watching
all of this take place. Bradbury pulls you into the book and makes it "our place, too."
All of this starts off quite interesting. It is October, the month of Halloween, and
in this strange year Halloween came early. A lightning rod salesman, come to the town
predicting a humongous storm that is coming this way. The clouds speak their own
words, telling the same. Jim Nightshade and William Halloway, neighbors and best
friends, one born a minute before October thirtieth and one born a minute after October
thirtieth, both lay there in Jim's front yard. The salesman stopped and told them that the
storm was coming and it was coming for them. One of their houses would get struck by
lightning and who was to say which one. "This," said the salesman, "is the one." He had
been talking about Jim's house, his was the one to get struck.

Will's father, a janitor for the town library, knew the storm was coming too. He
had never sensed one quite like this, so fierce and strong. As the kids arrived to get their
books, he smiled and whispered, "Just a storm, nothing but a storm." He helped Will and
Jim get their books then sent them home quickly and then followed soon after.
Both Jim and Will, and Will's father had seen the signs of the carnival to come, but
in the month of October. Either way the boys were excited. That night the train came at
three in the morning. Jim and will both heard it and both sat up at the same time. They
opened their windows looked at each other and then looked at the train out of town.
They asked themselves why three in the morning and why that strange music knowing the
other was doing the same. They both got dressed and raced out to the hilltop above the
field to watch them set up and see what they both sensed was wrong. The clouds of the
sky dropped in low so that they couldn't see. When they rose again the skeleton frame
was already set up. They could only see one person, the rest were on the train. As they
watched, poles of the tent started pulling the clouds onto them and spinning them into
canvas to form the top and sides of the tent. This just couldn't be. They got up and ran as
fast as they could home. As they were running the finally realized what was wrong with
the music. It was being played backwards, but there was no one playing the calliope that
was putting forth the music. Will's father saw the two shadows running back towards the
houses as he walked home. He had heard the music too through the open window of the
library. "Three in the morning, thought Charles Halloway, seated on the edge of his bed.
Why did the train come at that hour?"
This book is a very good one even if you don't like adventure or fantasies. It keeps
you interested in the book at all times and it reads very smoothly. I suggest this to all
kinds of people to read. Every girl should try at least one of Ray Bradbury's books to see
if you like his style.