Our book group choice for January 2024 is Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. Enter Green Town, Illinois, where shadows whisper secrets and a sinister carnival creeps under a blood-red moon.
Welcome to the world of Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, a tale where childhood wonder twists into chilling nightmares.
Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade, two boys on the cusp of manhood, find their sleepy town invaded by Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show. This isn’t your everyday cotton candy and Ferris wheels. This carnival promises the impossible: youth regained, dreams fulfilled, the darkest desires made flesh. But beneath the dazzling lights and barker’s calls lurks a darkness deeper than any haunted house.
Mr. Dark, the carnival’s enigmatic ringmaster, holds the key to these impossible bargains. But his price is steeper than silver dollars. He steals souls, drains laughter, and twists innocence into dust. As Will and Jim witness the townfolk lured into Mr. Dark’s web, they know they must stand against the tide of his evil.
Their journey plunges them into a labyrinth of chilling wonders: a dust-filled attic where time stands still, a carousel that steals years, a mirror maze reflecting forbidden desires. Each step is a test of courage, a battle against their own vulnerabilities.
Something Wicked This Way Comes is more than just a spooky Halloween tale. It’s a timeless story of friendship, confronting fears, and holding onto the magic of imagination in the face of darkness. It’s a reminder that even when shadows lengthen and monsters lurk, the power of love and bravery can light the way.
Discussion Questions
- Discuss some of themes in the book: age, contrasts, good/bad, choice, fear, temptation
- What was it telling us about you and the aging process? the desires and concerns about getting old? or about being young? Did you believe the youthfulness of the young characters and the older ‘wiser’ approach of the adults?
- Did you find it creepy? If so, which bits? How did you find Mr Dark and Mr Cooper?
- Was this a coming-of-age book?
- How did it contrast good and bad?
- Contrast between Will and Jim, how did they differ and how did they change through the book?
- What scene was the most exciting or evocative?
- The language and prose: how did you find it? Were there any bits that stood out?
- Can you think of any writing similar to this?
- How does this compare with The Martian Chronicles?
- Did any of the female characters stand out?
- To whom would you recommend this book? Why or why not?
Individual Ratings
Anthony's Rating 
Willow's Rating 
DKB's Rating
Kelby's Rating
EmmaT's Rating
Sue's Rating
Baljit's Rating