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'It is impossible not to admire the vigour of his prose, similes and metaphors constantly cascading from his imagination.' Spectator 'Almost no one can imagine a time or place without the fiction of Ray Bradbury...' The Washington Post 'Bradbury has a remarkable range of intensity and vision' Sunday Times 'The sheer velocity of his words is an apocalyptic torrent which sweeps the reader on' Independent
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A poignant and brilliant sequel to Dandelion Wine from the author of Fahrenheit 451 In Green Town Illinois, Douglas Spaulding is in the midst of a small civil war with the old pitted against the young in this, the second book in Bradbury's semi-fictionalised account of his childhood. As the school board's figure of authority Mr Calvin C. Quartermain attempts to outwit the boys at every turn, their antics increase and become ever more daring and mischevious. Once the shadow of winter draws across Green Town, the boys quickly realise that their enemy is not so much the senior members of their own community, but rather time itself which is ever ebbing away, just beyond the reach of their most daring trick yet: a bold attempt to sabotage the town's clock.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
(3.5 stars) Though this may be a sequel to Dandelion Wine in terms of philosophy and message, it is far different in tone and style from that wonderfully nostalgic look at rural life in the late 1920s. Dandelion Wine straddles that magical line between reality and imagination, conjuring up images with which every reader can identify and allowing readers to draw important conclusions about life from the gentle depictions of life as we see it in the novel. Farewell Summer, however, is an allegory, heavily symbolic from the outset--and much darker--missing the warmth, love, and light touch which make Dandelion Wine so charming.
That contrast can be felt especially in the first few pages, in which Doug and his friends (now aged twelve) decide not to grow old, to stay the age they are. Doug believes that the old are "another race...Aliens. Evil. And we're the slaves they keep for nefarious odd jobs and punishments," a much harsher conclusion than anything one finds in Dandelion Wine. The boys and the elderly residents of town (most of whom are involved on the school board) go to war with each other, and one of the elderly actually dies of a heart attack during the first skirmish (in the book's first twenty pages). And if that war is not symbolic enough, the boys also decide to kill the town clock with firecrackers.
The ravine, which bisects the town, plays its role here, as does the haunted house, and when one of the old men gives a birthday party at the lakefront for his grand-niece, and Douglas gets kissed for the first time, the effects of adolescence on the boys become obvious. In a strange interlude, the sexual awakening of the boys is contrasted with the sexual decline of the old men. Some communication between young and old does take place late in the book, but the lessons learned feel very much like lessons taught.
In his Afterword, Bradbury describes the original publication of Dandelion Wine for which he had already written a version of Farewell Summer. For fifty-five years, he says, he worked on the latter, until "I felt it was correct to send it out into the world." He does bring his philosophy full circle here, and he does bring Doug into the adult world, but the charm and the subtlety of the first book get lost in the allegory and obvious symbolism of Farewell Summer. Mary Whipple
That contrast can be felt especially in the first few pages, in which Doug and his friends (now aged twelve) decide not to grow old, to stay the age they are. Doug believes that the old are "another race...Aliens. Evil. And we're the slaves they keep for nefarious odd jobs and punishments," a much harsher conclusion than anything one finds in Dandelion Wine. The boys and the elderly residents of town (most of whom are involved on the school board) go to war with each other, and one of the elderly actually dies of a heart attack during the first skirmish (in the book's first twenty pages). And if that war is not symbolic enough, the boys also decide to kill the town clock with firecrackers.
The ravine, which bisects the town, plays its role here, as does the haunted house, and when one of the old men gives a birthday party at the lakefront for his grand-niece, and Douglas gets kissed for the first time, the effects of adolescence on the boys become obvious. In a strange interlude, the sexual awakening of the boys is contrasted with the sexual decline of the old men. Some communication between young and old does take place late in the book, but the lessons learned feel very much like lessons taught.
In his Afterword, Bradbury describes the original publication of Dandelion Wine for which he had already written a version of Farewell Summer. For fifty-five years, he says, he worked on the latter, until "I felt it was correct to send it out into the world." He does bring his philosophy full circle here, and he does bring Doug into the adult world, but the charm and the subtlety of the first book get lost in the allegory and obvious symbolism of Farewell Summer. Mary Whipple
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This short novel is a sequel to Dandelion Wine. Published almost half a century later it forms, with Something Wicked This Way Comes, a trilogy of novels that were inspired with Ray Bradbury's childhood years in a small town of Waukegan, Illinois. The Farewell Summer is a deeply personal and intimate reflection on coming of age and commencement of initiation into the world of adulthood. The novel takes place over course of just one October, and follows a group of kids as they come in conflict with adults in fictional Green Town. The book presents a very humane look at the way that several adults, especially the much older ones, deal with what would today be termed delinquency. They understand that "boys will be boys," and yet they try to help with a smooth transition into the adulthood.
Bradbury has been known primarily for his science fiction books, but in this novel and a few others he shows his ability to convey deeper messages of life in a much more "realistic" and conventional form. His writing is very lyrical and at moments poignant. Even though this is a very short novel, it contains a lot of inspired and moving writing. It has a lot of cross appeal, and even if you are not a fan of ray Bradbury you are bound to enjoy this beautiful gem. I certainly hope that this book does not signal the end of his extensive opus. We can all learn more about life from this unique and brilliant author.
Bradbury has been known primarily for his science fiction books, but in this novel and a few others he shows his ability to convey deeper messages of life in a much more "realistic" and conventional form. His writing is very lyrical and at moments poignant. Even though this is a very short novel, it contains a lot of inspired and moving writing. It has a lot of cross appeal, and even if you are not a fan of ray Bradbury you are bound to enjoy this beautiful gem. I certainly hope that this book does not signal the end of his extensive opus. We can all learn more about life from this unique and brilliant author.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A sequel appearing many years after the original is always likely to be looked on with suspicion, but for this reader at least 'Farewell Summer' is a great success. An admission: despite being familiar with Bradbury since my youth, I had never actually read 'Dandelion Wine' before, so I ended up reading both books back to back. Far from noticing any drop in quality, I personally found 'Farewell Summer' to be slightly the more enjoyable of the two. Bradbury's writing here is sharp and economic, with the slightly rambling nature of 'Dandelion Wine' giving way to a pacier and more incisive read. This is helped by the ending, which whilst initially slightly shocking in its flagrant introduction of sexuality into Bradbury's nostalgic childhood realm, acts as a satisfying and oddly moving resolution.
I loved both 'Dandelion Wine' and 'Farewell Summer'. My advice? Buy 'em both!
I loved both 'Dandelion Wine' and 'Farewell Summer'. My advice? Buy 'em both!
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