Dandelion Wine - Ray Bradbury

Author's product rating:   

Would you read it again?	Absolutely
Story	Outstanding
Characters	Outstanding
Readability	Good
How does it compare to other works by the same author?	Excellent

Advantages:	Superb imagary evocative of summer .
Disadvantages:	Recurring theme of death and loss

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Although Dandelion Wine is listed under Sci Fi/ horror, it is in fact neither of these. Ray Bradbury’s novel is a nostalgic and imaginative collection of stories evoking memories of childhood experiences and discoveries.

Dandelion Wine is a semi-autobiographical novel. In his introduction to the book, Bradbury explains that he did in fact construct the novel from memories of his own childhood, that he did have a best friend called John Huff and that their was a serial killer known as the Lonely One who terrorized his home town. Douglas is even Ray Bradbury's middle name!

The main character, Douglas Spaulding is a young boy’s transition into adolescence set in Green Town, Illinois during the summer of 1928. Both the character and the town recur in many of Bradbury’s later novels. Douglas decides that this summer he will write down the rituals of summer and his reflections on them.

Although each chapter could almost stand alone as a short story in itself (some actually were published separately as short stories in various magazines), the novel is constructed as a commentary about the characters Douglas encounters, the scenes he witnesses or participates in and the wealth of emotions they generate. Bradbury frequently refers to this as bottling the wonder of a moment, a day or a place by capturing its air or pressing wine to be bottled and aged. “The wine was summer caught and stoppered.” Hence the title!

And what wonderful characters there are. There is Colonel Freeleigh, an old man, who transports Douglas and his friends into the past bestowing them with unique glimpses of the Civil War or Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. . . Old Mrs Bentley is tormented by children who don't believe that the little girl in her photographs was ever her.. . The town jeweller, Leo Auffman, builds a happiness machine that lets people visit the places of their dreams . . The Lonely One is a serial killer that has the town terrorised and Lavinia Nebbs has to cross the ravine alone . . .

Through the summer, Douglas witnesses a series of events that forces him into mature descisions and to grow up somewhat prematurely. He witnesses a fatal hit-and-run accident and is faced with the choice of either keeping the incident secret or informing on driver and sending him to jail.

Through Douglas, a whole range of emotions are induced from the initial hope and joy inspired by the start of summer to disappointment and despair as the summer and relationships come to a close: his best friend John Huff moves away, Colonel Freeleigh dies and then his great-grandmother.

Douglas questions the fairness of fate and his faith. ‘“It's not you I worry about,” said Douglas. “It's the way God runs the world.” / Tom thought about this for a moment. /
“He's all right, Doug,” said Tom. “He tries.”’

Themes of life and death are intermingled with pure fantasy like the old woman and man who have known and loved each other in past lives but have never managed to co-ordinate their ages appropriately for relationships now plan their deaths. The Dandelions of the title represent live and death – they are cut down every year to make the wine but are reborn again and again.

Bradbury’s writing is both expressive and lyrical filled with vivid imagery, similes and metaphors. “Birds flickered like skipped stones across the vast inverted pond of heaven.”

Dandelion Wine is a beautiful book that should be approached as the title suggests. Sip it slowly and savour the words. It may not be all that sweet and there may be a hint of dryness in the grief and guilt but it is always sparkling with images and similies bubbling through the crystal clear writing.

Even though the book was written in 1957, the story is still as relevant today. Bradbury has successfully captured the feelings of childhood experiences whether it be the fun and joy of running free or the grief caused by the loss of someone or of childhood innocence.

Since 1957, the book has been published with a number of covers most depicting the dandelion. I have included some pictures of the various copies available.

ISBN: 0671037706
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Trade Division)
Paperback: 239 pages
Released: July 17, 2000)