Farewell, Dandelion Wine.
One of the few books that I took away from high school loving very much was Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. I first became fimilar with this tale in 10th grade lit class. The book featured a chapter from the story about Lavina when she is confronted with the Lonely One. The chapter ended with someone clearing his throat. I then read the book and loved.
So a few years ago, Bradbury released Farewell Summer the long-awaited sequel to Dandelion Wine. I couldn't wait to read it, but I did for nearly two years. I wish I had never read it. This book ruined Dandelion Wine for me.
The story never starts to make sense. It rambled on about armies and war and had the children acting strangely adult and the oldesters strangely young. The story ended in a such a way that made me regret the ever taking it up. Bradbury seemed to be struggling to write this tale. The work seems more like a beginner's work than one of an old master like Bradbury.
The story didn't even work to hard to be a sequel. If a person didn't know it was sequel, they would never guess it from reading this book. Also the story seemed to have time shifted from the 1920's to at least the 1960's. It had a nostalgic feeling but like I said for a totally different decade. This made the story much less enjoyable because I spent too much time trying to figure out why the old man called people on the telephone so much. He was always on it. This doesn't seem like 1920s behavior.
Bradbury is showing his age and cognitive problems in this book. His delightful way of writing has faded away. Farewell Summer for me was farewell to an enjoyable book I've loved for years. It also has marked my farewell to Bradbury. I will pick up his old works, but it has become evident that he has faded with age like an old billboard, instead of growing better like fine wine.
