About this title: Science fiction master Ray Bradbury makes a bit of a departure here with this non-genre novel about one summer in the life of a 12-year-old boy and his brother.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Bantam Books
Date Published: 1985
ISBN-13:9780553277531ISBN:0553277537
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Tight binding. Clean pages. Small tear at top of front cover. Small mark on spine. Fast shipping! Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 256 p. Grand Master Editions. Audience: Children/juvenile. read more
"I was not familiar with Ray Bradbury before reading this book. In fact, I was surprised to find that it was in the science fiction section of the local bookstore. I wasn't sure what to expect out of this book, I hadn't thought it was science fiction, but was open to the idea (I'll read pretty much anything).
I did end up enjoying Dandelion Wine. It was a nostalgic look back on a summer in 1928 with two brothers, Douglas and Tom, 12 and 10 years old, respectively. The book was a series of chapters (as so many books are) but each chapter was more of a vignette rather than each chapter coalescing into a complete, continuing story. The boys were in most of the chapters and I believe all of the characters were in the same small town in Illinois, but there were some chapters that really felt more like a short story rather than part of the novel as a whole.
The book begins with Douglas waking up and standing in the window, conducting the town awake. I liked the visualization of this. The general idea of the book is that it began at the beginning of summer, with all the excitement, hopes, and expectations. And, appropriately, the book ended with the change from summer to fall. There was an overlaying idea or theme of making dandelion wine all summer and then having the wine to drink through the fall and winter to have a bit of summer all year. Even though this is a little sappy, I liked it. I thought it was a nice idea.
I thought this was going to be the obligatory, derivative coming of age story about a young boy growing up and learning about life, etc. This was not the case, it was more about aging in general and other people's aging, not so much the boys growing older but older people growing even older.
***Spoiler Alert*** I won't go into each chapter, but I'd like to touch on the ones that I liked and those that I didn't. The chapter I liked the least was the one about the little girls not believing the old woman, Mrs. Bentley, that she was ever young. I thought this was so upsetting and then, when Mrs. Bentley capitulated and told the little girls that she had never been young, pretty, or wore her hair in pigtails, was so sad. Those little girls made me so angry.
One chapter that I liked the way it was written, but did not like the way it ended or made me feel, was the chapter about the Lonely One. Three girls go to a movie late at night and one decides to walk home alone regardless of the fact there was a strangling crazy man on the loose. The chapter followed her, Lavinia, home through the ravine where The Lonely One's latest victim had been found, all the while listening to her thoughts, getting more and more terrified all the way. This was well written as it made my heart rate quicken and I felt very nervous for Lavinia. I didn't like the end because it led you in a crescendo up to the climax and then just ended abruptly. The following chapter was from the perspective of Doug and Tom and while they were talking about the incident, you had to hear from them, in their childish discussion, what happened to Lavinia.
I really liked the chapter about the beating of the rug and how Tom could see a map of the town, people, things that happened over the summer, in the nap and stains and design of the rug. I thought that was neat and described well. I also enjoyed the parts about Colonel Freeleigh. It was sad, but I liked that he connected with the boys and told them about history and his experiences. I thought it was heartbreaking when he called Mexico City and asked for the window to be opened and the phone placed so he could hear the city noises.
I also liked the chapter where the Grandmother was such a great cook, but then an aunt stepped in and tried to clean the kitchen and get Grandmother a cookbook and thought she was helping but ended up messing everything up and the Grandmother couldn't cook anymore. Doug got up in the middle of the night and fixed/messed up the kitchen the way it was, burned the cookbook, and then the family conspired to send the aunt away, helping the Grandmother find herself again.
Another heartbreaking chapter was that of William Forrester and Helen Loomis. Forrester was a man in his thirties (I think) and Helen was a elderly woman. They became friends and they had such a connection, they felt they were meant for each other but were too different in age. Toward the end of the chapter when Helen said she was going to die soon and asked Forrester to try to die when he was fifty so they could be together. So sad!"
"A magical tale about the summer of 1928 in the life of twelve year old,Douglas Spaulding, who I suspect was Bradbury growing up. The year is ironic - on the eve of the Great Depression, followed by WWII, after which everything changed forever.
The novel reads like a memoir, with each chapter dedicated to the stories of various inhabitants of Green Town, Illinois. We open with the abundance of life gushing through the air and the vegetation and the habits of the town with the advent of summer, which is described in poetic prose ( I forgot that Bradbury was a poet and a science fiction writer - traits that intrude in this very different coming-of-age novel) Douglas and his brother Tom are the eye witnesses and record keepers. They break down their records into (a)ceremonies (rituals and habits) and (b)revelations (insights into human behaviour). The only false note I detected was that these two boys are pretty mature for 12 and 10 years respectively.
The rituals are nostalgic: setting up the swing chair in the front porch, making lemonade, ice tea, late night movies, and the distilling of Dandelion wine - a metaphor for bottling up summer so that it can be savoured during the rest of the year. The revelations are equally quaint: old people were always old, conjuring happiness can only lead to sadness, and Douglas' moral of the piece - that you can't rely on things or people because they inevitably break down or die.
Some of the scenes are heartwrenching: the dying Colonel Freeleigh calling Mexico and asking the person on the other side to hold the receiver out to the street so that he can relive his time in that country with its cacophonous traffic and teeming humanity, the elderly spinsters and their battery operated 2-seater car the "Green Machine" (a bit ahead of its time - may do well these days),Bill Forrester (31) falling in love with a picture of the 20-year old Helen Loomis only to discover that she is 95 years, The "old-maid" 32-year old spinster Lavinia Nebbs' terrifying midnight walk across the ravine in fear of being pursued by the Lonely One ( aka Death in the form of a stalker) who is quietly awaiting her at home, The junk man who bottles air and scents from different countries and times to cure our hero Douglas in his moment of extremis.
After navigating all these tales, summer inevitably ends, while Douglas concludes that the soul will live forever, just like his Dandelion Wine that will live on into other seasons, curing not only sniffles and winter colds but reminding us of a golden time that once was. So will this timeless book."
"I have to admit, I have never read anything by Ray Bradbury as I am not a huge sci-fi fan. I found this book at my local used bookstore for a quarter and my voice said "well, great chance to check him out". Afterall, he is somewhat well-known. I am genuinely happy I found the time to read this profound tale. Mr. Bradbury's prologue was just as an enjoyable read as the rest of the book. He shares a little of his writing process and how the characters, locations and events are a somewhat biographical reflection of the memories of his boyhood.
The story is set in the summer of 1928 in Green Town, Illinois and begins with 12 year old Douglas Spaulding on a grape hunting venture with his younger brother Tom and their father. Doug discovers more than grapes during this excursion - he discovers he is alive. This realization changes the way he perceives everything around him.
I'm really alive! he thought. I never knew it before, or if I did I don't remember. He yelled it loud but silent, a dozen times. Think of it, think of it! Twelve years old and only now! Now discovering this rare timepiece, this clock goldbright and guaranteed to run threescore and ten, left under a tree and found while wrestling.
The summer is broken down into individual events with each chapter essentially it's own short story. Douglas and his brother helping in the collecting of dandelions with Grandfather to make the next year's supply of dandelion wine, the discovery of a time machine right under their noses, Leo Aufmann's futile attemps to build a happiness machine, the murders of the Lonely One, the heartache of a best friend leaving and trying to make time stand still for those few last hours, Miss Fern's and Miss Roberta's antics on the Green Machine, discovering how a new pair of tennis shoes can make you fly - and so much more!
In an attempt to keep the summer alive, Douglas and his brother keep a notebook and using the trusty Ticonderoga Number 2, note all new discoveries (such as Grandpa and Dad not knowing everything in the world) and keep track of how many times the they do the same things as every other summer (like getting slivers in your feet). The notebook and the dandelion wine are reflections of the summer. This is a quiet book written in such a way that the ordinary becomes magical.
It is difficult to summarize this book. It is so simple yet, it is impossible to sum it up neatly without doing a great disservice to the other parts of the book that would be neglected. I will say that I had a few bouts of watery eyes. Not from an actual sad element in the story. I became so nostalgic while reading this (and still am) that I missed my childhood. Then I missed my daughter's childhood. Yet, the memories are grand and make my heart happy."
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
