Book Review: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Genre: Horror
Age: Young Adult
Format: Audiobook
I’m always a little bit nervous picking up older works in horror. Some are so of their time I struggle to enjoy them, others end up feeling a bit bland compared to more recent works, and a lot is, of course, written by cis het white men. Something Wicked This Way Comes is a beloved horror classic, and that comes with its own sort of complications. I get the impression a lot of US folks tend to read this relatively young, so there’s also the question of whether it would appeal to a British woman in her 30s reading it for the first time compared to those who may view it through a more nostalgic lens.
But I have wanted to read this for a while, and the audiobook felt like the best way for me to do that. Safe to say…I actually really enjoyed it! The influence this book has had is incredibly clear even from the beginning, to the point where most American-penned coming of age horror that followed this owes something to Bradbury, even if it’s the slightest of nods.
In Something Wicked This Way Comes, two boys living in Green Town witness something dark and strange when a carnival arrives into town. Before diving in, all I really knew about this book was it was set around October, featured a carnival, and was a big inspiration for Stephen King. As the story unfolds and we get to know the characters, Bradbury paints a wonderful image of the in-between, the desperation to cling to youth and the eagerness to grow up. It’s a childlike image of good-and-evil, of the battle between light and dark, but told in a way that’ll still have adults nodding along knowingly, especially when Charles Halloway – father to Will Halloway – speaks. Even with everything going on, with the darkness encroaching, there’s an innocence to Will especially that keeps him endearing throughout.
The audiobook version I listened to was narrated by Christian Rummel, who did an excellent job, though I think Will’s constant cries of “Jim!” might land a touch better in text. I wouldn’t go so far as to say this is simplistic, but it’s definitely the kind of book that works really well for younger readers and can be a great introduction to horror. The prose was lovely to listen to, while the themes are pretty clear and imagery is striking. There’s a lot for readers of all ages to enjoy, but as an adult who loves horror, this is definitely one worth picking up due to the inspiration it’s had on horror since.
Review by Elle Turpitt
Twitter: @elleturpitt
Bluesky: @elleturpitt.bsky.social
I purchased this audiobook.
