Day 374: Something Wicked + Caruso CD 1

WickedThis is a terrific book, especially read during a terrific month – October.

The first chapter (categorized as “Arrivals”) sets up the personalities of the two protagonists, Will Holloway and Jim Nightshade, one light-haired and sunny…the other dark-haired and introspective.

Here’s an example of Bradbury’s writing style, as well as the personalities of the two boys:

So much Will said, excitedly. So much Jim agreed to, silently. So much the salesman, running before the storm, but poised here uncertainly, heard looking from face to face.

“Halloway. Nightshade. No money, you say?”

The man, grieved by his own conscientiousness, rummaged in his leathery bag and seized forth an iron contraption.

“Take this, free! Why? One of those houses will be struck by lightning! Without this rod, bang! Fire and ash, roast pork and cinders! Grab!”

The salesman released the rod. Jim did not move. But Will caught the iron and gasped.

“Boy, it’s heavy! And funny-looking. Never seen a lightning rod like this. Look, Jim!”

And Jim , at last, stretched like a cat, and turned his head. His green eyes got big and then very narrow.

Bradbury, Ray (2013-04-23). Something Wicked This Way Comes (Greentown) (p. 7). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

Chapter Two establishes two things: the personalities of the boys (as well as their favorite place to hang out – the library), plus the workplace for Will’s much-older father, Charles – also the library.

THERE’S NOTHING in the living world like books on water cures, deaths-of-a-thousand-slices, or pouring white-hot lava off castle walls on drolls and mountebanks.

So said Jim Nightshade, that’s all he read. If it wasn’t how to burgle the First National, it was how to build catapults, or shape black bumbershoots into lurking bat costumes for Cabbage Night.

Jim breathed it out all fine.

And Will, he breathed it in.

With the lightning rod nailed to Jim’s roof, Will proud, and Jim ashamed of what he considered mutual cowardice, it was late in the day. Supper over, it was time for their weekly jog to the library.

Like all boys, they never walked anywhere, but named a goal and lit for it, scissors and elbows. Nobody won. Nobody wanted to win. It was in their friendship they just wanted to run forever , shadow and shadow. Their hands slapped library door handles together, their chests broke track tapes together, their tennis shoes beat parallel pony tracks over lawns, trimmed bushes, squirreled trees, no one losing, both winning, thus saving their friendship for other times of loss.

Bradbury, Ray (2013-04-23). Something Wicked This Way Comes (Greentown) (p. 12). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

The movie version of Something Wicked This Way Comes stars Jason Robards as Charles Holloway. That was a good casting. However, there are too many differences in the screenplay (even though Ray Bradbury adapted it from his own novel) – the main one being just one antagonist (Mr. Dark) instead of two (Mr. Cooger and Mr. Dark). Never could figure that one out. The good thing is, actor Jonathan Pryce made a great Mr. Dark, the proprietor of the mysterious carnival.

Still listening to Enrico Caruso CD 1. Every day. I hear slightly different things in it each time. This morning, I heard the piano and thought, “The piano player is dead now.”

I’m weird that way.

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