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Executive Times |
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2007 Book Reviews |
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Farewell
Summer by Ray Bradbury |
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Rating: |
*** |
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(Recommended) |
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Click on
title or picture to buy from amazon.com |
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Aged Fifty years
ago, Ray Bradbury heeded the advice of an editor, and yanked the last half of
the book that became Dandelion Wine.
By letting it age over these years, Bradbury was able to return to it and
present readers with the rest of that summer of 1928 in his new novel, Farewell
Summer. Douglas Spaulding is still age 13, and both Douglas and the 81
year old Calvin Quartermain learn much about life
on these pages. Darker in mood and tone than Dandelion Wine, Farewell
Summer reflects on aging with great wisdom, one result of letting this
book remain unfinished for so long. Here’s an excerpt, all of Chapter 7, pp.
23-25: When At the rim of the
ravine, he threw his cap-pistol far out over the gulf. An avalanche buried
it. The echoes died. Suddenly, he needed
the gun again, to touch the shape of killing, like touching that wild old
man. Launching himself down
the side of the ravine, Doug scrambled among the weeds, eyes wet, until he
found the weapon. It smelled of gunpowder, fire, and darkness. “Bang,” he
whispered, and climbed up to find his bike abandoned across the street from
where old Braling had been killed. He led the bike
away like a blind beast and at last got on and wobbled around the block, back
toward the scene of awful death. Turning a
corner, he heard “No!” as his bike hit a nightmare scarecrow that was flung
to the ground as he pumped off, wailing, staring back at one more murder
strewn on the walk. Someone cried, “Is that old Quartermain?!” “Can’t
be,” Braling fell, Quartermain fell. Up, down, up, down, two thin hatchets
sunk in hard porch and sidewalk, frozen, never to rise. Doug
churned his hike through town. No mobs rushed after him. It seemed
the town did not even know that someone had been shot, another struck. The
town poured tea and murmured, “Pass the sugar.” Doug
slam-braked at his front porch. Was his mother waiting in tears, his father
wielding the razor strop . . . ? He opened the kitchen
door. “Hey. Long time no
see.” Mother kissed his brow. “They always come home when they’re hungry.” “Funny,” said Doug.
“I’m not hungry at all.” The chapters of Farewell
Summer are short, and that allows the momentum to move forward quickly.
As noted in the excerpt, the ravine continues to play a part in this
memorable summer. Steve Hopkins,
July 25, 2007 |
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The recommendation rating for
this book appeared in the August 2007
issue of Executive Times URL for this review: http://www.hopkinsandcompany.com/Books/Farewell
Summer.html For Reprint Permission,
Contact: Hopkins & Company, LLC • E-mail: books@hopkinsandcompany.com |
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