EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club discussion

Hello Readers!
This is the Pre-Read thread for the October 2021 Classics selection. This month we will be reading Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury.

Please note that this is a SPOILER FREE discussion.

Who's planning to join in on this read? Why did you choose this book to read? What are your expectations in reading this book?

I’m reading it now, and actually enjoying it even more than I thought I would. I didn’t have many expectations, but the reviews I’ve read have been a bit mixed. So I’m happy to report that I’m finding it interesting and well written.

I refuse to read reviews. I don't want to know anything at all about a book before I pick it up. If someone else says it's worth reading, that's enough for me. For the rest, I just want everything about the book to be a surprise.

I never would have picked up Ray Bradbury prior to seeing it listed here as a selection, because I associate him with science fiction, something I have had enough of already. Furthermore, I had never heard of this book, but of course I am familiar with the Shakespeare phrase, and that's what caught my attention. I am listening to Something Wicked this Way Comes and have very much enjoyed the first few chapters. The Audible reading is exceedingly well done. I am having trouble believing there is only the one narrator, because this person (Christian Rummel ) has many voices within his range.

TheAccidental, I like your attitude about not reading reviews and letting everything be a surprise. It's also a good way to let yourself be influenced by the book itself and make up your own mind. I also never heard about this book before. I would like to get my hands on it and join next month.

I'm going to start reading this next month for the House Cup Challenge. I also like to go into books fairly blind so I'm not really sure what this book is about lol. I also avoid reading reviews ahead of time because I just think they would skew my notion of a book way too much beforehand and I rather form my own unbiased opinion. That being said, I've read Ray Bradbury's work before for 9th grade English Honors and absolutely hated it. However looking back on it as an adult, I don't think it was as horrible as I remember but was more so tainted by it being an assigned reading 😂 So i'm excited to read this and see what I think of him now multiple years later lol.

I'mm reading it and loving it but feel sad (again, I felt sad while reading the wonderful Halloween Tree) because Bradbury writes about worlds without any girls what so ever, not even in the horizon. Only boys, boys, boys. Apart from that I love his suggestive methods to draw me into his dark and mysterious and frightening yet cozy worlds.

The writing is exquisite!

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "The writing is exquisite!"

Yes, it's sheer delight to read his Bradburyian language, I love it so much <3

I chose to read this book for a few reasons:

1. I hadn't read it before and heard good things about it
2. It's been on my 'To Read' shelf for a while and time to knock it out!
3. It seemed perfect for an October read (I especially love a good creepy carnival story).

I just started it this weekend and am over a quarter of the way through. It takes a bit to get used to Bradbury's writing style. I find I have to re-read sentences a couple times to get the jist of what he is saying. Thoroughly enjoying the book thus far, though.

I think I see what people enjoy about his writing style, but I don’t love it. “Rococo” is how I would describe it, and I’ve never enjoyed that approach to any kind of creative work. The story and characters themselves are interesting enough for me to overlook the writing, though.

I'm starting this book now. Always thought of Ray Bradbury as a SciFi author, so I'm interested in how he approaches this "horror" genre.

Nike wrote: "I'mm reading it and loving it but feel sad (again, I felt sad while reading the wonderful Halloween Tree) because Bradbury writes about worlds without any girls what so ever, not even in the horizo..."

I finally realized this is a big part of the reason I don't like war movies. Few women if any.

Just ordered. I read Dandelion Wine more than twenty years ago and loved it so I’m looking forward to my second Bradbury.

Just read this one! The writing is beautifully done, and it’s definitely on my favorites list from this point forward.

Nike wrote: "I'mm reading it and loving it but feel sad (again, I felt sad while reading the wonderful Halloween Tree) because Bradbury writes about worlds without any girls what so ever, not even in the horizo..."

I feel the same way. I loved this book when I was a tween and reading it now as a 21 year old it is a little disappointing to see how casually misogynistic it is. I don't know how I didn't notice it before. Maybe I just assumed I was included because I acted a lot like Jim and Will did – I was always outside climbing trees and practically lived in the library. It feels like there's a big ol' "No Girls Allowed" sign on the cover of the book that I'm only just now seeing.

I read Farenheit 551 and I didn't enjoy it but this is supposed to be a less moralistic tale and it's also a different genre. I like creepy stuff and I hope it creeps me out well.

This begins our 2nd group discussion of our Catch-Up book selection, nominated by Renata.
Here you can comment, without spoilers, on any aspects of the book, either before, during, or after reading it.