October Country

This series of short stories by Ray Bradbury concerns itself with the strange happenings around very "Halloween-esque" themes. I suggest you give it a read if you like Edgar Allan Poe and Henry James - because this is like a modern version of those. I will not be splitting this review up like I normally do - into characters, themes and storyline. But instead - I will be paying attention to stories I found to be concerning themselves with the strange and graphic the most and how they do so. 

1. The Dwarf

Now, this story is a seemingly disturbing autobiography of a dwarf who wants to make themselves seem taller. It has unusual rhetoric for the situation and the narrative is manipulated to make the situation seem more distressing than it actually is. Typical of Bradbury. 

2. The Watchful Poke Chip of H. Matisse

This avant-garde focal number has a poker chip made by Henri Matisse at the centre of a boring new trend that seems to fascinate all. I cannot say more since it is so short - sort of like Kafka's "The Dress". 

3. Jack in the Box

Actually disturbing. A mother raises her kid to become God. After telling him that his father was once God and he was killed by beasts. This story is unusual and I suggest that if you're not gonna read the entire book - please read this one. It is very strange. 

4. There was an old Woman

This story concerns itself with a woman trying to get her body back after Death stole it from her. If that does not sound strange then I don't know what does (Probably the previous story). 

Verdict:

I give this book 9

This is purely because of the language and structural contents of the book and how small things that are unusual can be made to seem particularly distressing for no reason whatsoever. Ray Bradbury has stirred my interest once again. His books "Fahrenheit 451" and "Something Wicked This Way Comes" makes him a master of distress - and that is what we should all discover one day. Everything is distressing and everything is uncomfortable. If you want to have nightmares about books - please feel free to read Bradbury. An excellent writer with such a precise talent - his books are amazingly written with only the best words chosen to fit every sentence he writes.