Dandelion Wine: A Novel (Grand Master Editions)

Note: I made some immature Mormon angry because of my negative reviews of books that attempted to prove the Book of Mormon, and that person has been slamming my reviews almost as fast as they are posted.

So, your "helpful" votes are appreciated. Thanks, and note that a short review is not necessarily a bad review if it leads you to a great book.

I cannot add much in review of this classic novel, but I will quote a few wonderful lines that may lead you to read the book. Bradbury is magic. I hope the following lines make my short review (high recommendation) worth reading. Here's the hook:

"And some days, he went on, were days of hearing every trump and trill of the universe. Some days were good for tasting and some for touching. And some days were good for all the senses at once. This day now, he nodded, smelled as if a great and nameless orchard had grown up overnight beyond the hills to fill the entire visible land with its warm freshness. Their felt like rain, but there were no clouds. Momentarily, a stranger might laugh off in the woods, but there was silence...."

I've loved "Dandelion Wine", ever since I realized I accidentally took the book home from my high school English class. Delightfully, I realized I had read in third grade the chapter where Douglas gets new sneakers. I get lost in this book's magic every time I reread it every couple of years. Not long ago, I had the privilege of seeing a play of "Dandelion Wine" at the tiny Fremont Theater in South Pasadena, CA. I had the opportunity to meet Ray Bradbury and have him sign a just-purchased hardcover copy of this book. If you haven't yet read this gem, you are in for a treat. If you have fallen in love with it as I have, you will read it again and again.

This book is Bradbury in top form. Although not my absolute favorite title by this author, I have found a lot of joy over the years in re-reading this little book that I first picked up off a school library shelf when I was eight. It's obvious Bradbury was writing a story set in the time and place of his own childhood "as it should have been" and it makes me wonder if given time I'll think back on my own youth in similar terms. When I was little, after I read this book, all anyone had to do was say, "Watch out for Lonely One" referring to the killer who stalked Green Town's ravine at night and I was good and scared. Heck, that probably works today, too. From its unique May-December romance to its protagonist who becomes that one soul in a million to truly understand that precious gift of what it means to be alive, Dandelion Wine is simply wonderful. Read this book and travel back with the national treasure who is Ray Bradbury to the delightful world of the fantasy-powered Midwest of the 1920's (as it should have been).

At the turn of the century, I see that many children of my age seem to be engrossed in reading books about "plots" and giving harsh criticisms to a book of this calliber. I however feel differently.
I must say this is perhaps one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Everyone in town has a story to tell. Every header is another story in itself. Ray Bradbury, one of the most creative and imaginative writers of this century has told a wonderful story of a child named Douglas who discovers the meaning of life. A town in which has reached a crossroad in "moving on" or "staying behind," and the sillyness of children sometimes.
A must read for anyone who wants to relive the experience of their childhood. That is, a time of carefree memories and jumping to conclusions. A time of relaxation.

Few books touch that nostalgic nerve about summer when we were young. Bradbury provides a story about a summer that we all had or should have had, once. Through the eyes of youth, a summer in Green Town is unveiled with the happy, the sad, the real. The characters are diverse and authentic. The importance of Keds, trolley cars, Nehi's and family are all entwined along with a few unexpected happenings that make life. Critics may suggest Bradbury has not written organzied, flowing prose with the traditional introduction, build-up, climax, and conclusion. Dandelion Wine was not meant to be that traditional novel. It is, rather, a memory of a summer - and memories are seldom organized- but most often bits and pieces in no particular order. In addition to the tale, Bradbury has scattered gems, lines of truth and insight, throughout the book. The character Jonas gently explains to Douglas Spaulding one day that "Some people turn sad awfully young..no special reason, it seems, but they seem almost to be born that way. They bruise easier, tire faster, cry quicker, remember longer and, as I say, get sadder younger than anyone else in the world. I know, for I'm one of them." Just a Bradbury line that may be a biography in itself of the reader or one of those close friends lost many summers ago. Dandelion Wine is an outstanding work about a time when summers seemed warmer which will be a pleasant book to remove from the shelf every June, July, or August, and relax and feel good remembering when we were the Douglas Spauldings of the world living with vigor.

I needed some comfort reading this week and this wonderful, lyrical little novel saved me. It's like he's writing my childhood, but not my childhood - instead it's that universal one we all hope for, and yet slips away before we realize it.

Perfect summer read and I came to it at just the right time in my little life. Give this one a try.

Bradbury is mostly known as a fantasist who emerged in the golden era of science fiction. He largely explored the areas that would make Stephen King such a huge bestselling author (like supernatural horror in a small town).

'Dandelion Wine' is packaged as a novel about one summer in one boy's life, but it actually reads more like a collection of short stories. There is a diffuse array of characters and a lot of different episodes and incidents (true of many novels), sometimes with very little actually tying it all together as a unified novel.

Still, I think this work ranks up there with 'coming of age' novels like 'A Separate Peace' and 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. It is also interesting to compare how Bradbury handles his fictional small town with Harper Lee's in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. Sherwood Anderson's collection 'Winesburg, Ohio' also comes to mind.

Many reviewers describe Bradbury's work as 'magical', and one could invoke a term like 'magical realism' with some justification. Also, this work is often described as dealing with childhood, but for all that it is obsessed with the themes of aging and dying. And the older characters take up much of the dramatic space.

Reading this book for the fifth time in my life, one criticism comes to mind: sometimes I wish Bradbury would settle on that one perfect metaphor to describe something, but instead he gives us a list, which sometimes overwhelms the previous sensations.

Perhaps the shame of Bradbury's success is that, coming earlier, he didn't get the sort of fame and recognition that Stephen King did. On the other hand, being associated with science fiction, fantasy and horror genres means he isn't considered a serious writer. Still, I think this should join the ranks of 'American classic literature' of the 20th century.

"Waukegan There I come from" wrote Ray Bradbury, and this book, Dandelion Wine, describes my hometown. I read this book first when I was 17 years old on an airplane to Sweden, leaving Waukegan forever. I reread it when I was 26 and moving to Seattle, and again at 39. Each time I read this novel, magical realism more than science fiction, I find something enriching, something true to the time of life in which I found myself. And yet, this book talked to me of my own childhood, my specific hometown with its ravine, its murderers, Genessee street, the stifling hot summers, people that I knew, playing statues in my parents' front lawn and wanting to hold on to a picture of my best friend in her statue pose forever, which I captured on camera (being lucky enough to be born in an era where a ten-year-old could have a cheap camera). And then, seven years later, to read Ray via his alter-ego Douglas describing his wish to hold on to his best friend during a game of statues and I could relive that summer night, decades later than his, but so much the same. This book is pure poetry, one of the best novels I've ever read in the forty years I've been reading.

"Dandilion Wine" is one of the best books that I have ever read. It combines a childs summer with hapiness. Bradbury did very well in describing summer and hapiness. The story shows how everything in summer is happy, even when things go bad. The novel made me apriciate things a little more. It also can relate to almost every one. The story doesn't really have any good or bad characters, yet it still has conflicts between them. I liked how Bradbury described the average lifestyle of a boy living in the 1920's. I could almost feel like I was living in the time. This novel isn't action filled, but it did keep me reading. I was interested the whole time. I would recomend this to ANYONE, especially those who grew up in the interesting time period of the 20's.

Back in the late 1970s, when I was in high school, I read practically all of Mr. Bradbury's science-fiction stories. "Dandelion Wine" was his only work that disappointed me because it was boring. Now at the age of 49, I would place this book as one of my favorites. The celebratory feel of Mr. Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine" is reminiscent of Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass". A great deal of colorful metaphores are used throughout the book. This is not a work to be rapidly read, but more to slowly savor the author's wonderful descriptions. The story is seen mostly through the innocent eyes of a twelve-year-old boy on the cusp of manhood. The entire narrative, however, is not solely narrated by Douglas Spaulding. The reader also dips into the thoughts of a few of the very old people and their perspectives of being at the end of their lives. It has a slight amount of fantasy and an eerie piece about some women and a murderer called The Lonely One. Mr. Bradbury's book is a perfect summer read for us old farts looking to remember how it was to be young again.

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury is an excellent book for all ages. Ray Bradbury used good descriptions and details. It relates to everyday life because it is a story about a boy in the middle of summer. After I read this book, it made me feel kind of depressed because it ends at the end of the summer and the beginning of school. On the other side, I liked the personalities of Douglas and his family. They all have open minds especially the grandfather because he thinks he can invent anything at anytime. However, it did seem to be a bit confusing with this invention called the happiness machine and some other imaginary inventions in the novel. All together, the story was well written and had a good plot that related to everyday life. I suggest everyone to read this novel for all ages.

This is how it begins--the life of Douglas Spaulding, the book's central character--
age 12, as he awakens one morning in Green Town, Illinois at the beginning of summer:

"Mom, Dad, Tom, Wake up."

Clock alarms tinkled faintly. The courthouse clock boomed. Birds leaped from the trees like a net thrown by his hand, singing. Douglas, conducting an orchestra, pointed to the eastern sky.

The sun began to rise.
He folded his arms and smiled a magician's smile.
Yes, sir, he thought, everyone jumps, everyone runs when I yell.
It'll be a fine season.
He gave the town a last snap of his fingers.
Doors slammed open; people stepped out.
Summer 1928 began.

This is a book that with deep feeling reminded me that I was once a boy. I can't tell you how much it delighted me and helped reclaim buried joy. Peopled with solid, eccentric characters, and a four-generation family full of love and wisdom, it left me with the conviction that, yes, in mysterious ways we can go back.

At a cocktail party, I asked of a man whose spirit I enjoy, his favorite book of all time. He replied with a twinkle I know him for, Dandelion Wine. That was enough for me.

Think about your early June, when school would soon be out. See what still goes on that saves.

Allan Cox, author of "WHOA! Are They Glad You're In Their Lives?" to be published June 5, 2012

Perhaps his most personal book, Dandelion Wine has been described as the first of Ray Bradbury's nostalgic "autobiographical fantasies" in which he recreates the childhood memories of his hometown in the form of a lyrical work with realistic plots and the settings touched with fantasy to represent the magic of childhood. For many characters in Dandelion Wine, their contentment depends on the level of acceptance of the imperfect aspects of their lives that they cannot change. This was a great message for me to read right now...

This book is a real delight to read, at least I remember it being so when I read it some fifteen years ago. If memory serves me, it's just the simple story of a boy's childhood during a summer in the 1920s. But it's the overall atmosphere which Bradbury creates through his vivid descriptions that makes it so charming. Do you remember a time in your youth when you could just lay out on some grass while the crickets serenade you into blissful daydreamish stillness while looking up at the stars in the summer night sky? I know I do. If so and you'd like to revisit that state of mind, you would benefit from reading this book. I think I may revisit it soon.

While this story takes place in an Illinois Town of the 1920's, if you were born in a small to mid-sized town anywhere in North America, fifty years before or after, you will recognise much of the settings and feelings in this book. Bradbury captures eternal youth here, as only his poetic, Zen-like writing style can manage. The only other book that really equals it in this respect is Twain's _Huckleberry Finn_.
There are small things in these stories that tug at your childhood memories and at your forgotten childhood soul (remember when you still had a soul, before you sold it?) I truly wonder at times if memories like this are still being made in the kind of post-modern world we've created for our children....
...

This novel is a group of short stories set inside an idyllic early 20th century small town community. It follows the halcyon days of youth of three young boys, as they are touched by events around them (the short stories). The phraseology inside this novel is amazing in the good parts.

The first half of the novel is brilliant, covering the magic of new summer sneakers, a happiness machine, what makes a time machine, and every time you say 'good night' it's a happy ending. The second half is boring, covering 'what might have beens' involving incidental characters, ghost stories, and not capturing the same nostalgia. The children are downgraded from making the book magical into introducing and following up the main stories.

Overall I enjoyed Dandelion Wine, but don't feel too bad if you skip past stories in the latter half. You weren't alone in hoping for more of childhoods lost, and less of adults wishing they had more time/different lives.

It took me 20 years to realize this book is the single biggest influence on my own writing style. The prose is clear as glass and capable of incredible focus.

I've read this book every year or two since I was 12, the same age as the main character. Every time I read it, I see the other characters as if through a prism: how I understand them now, and how I have understood them all the other times I've read the book.

This is often called a coming-of-age story, but that's awfully simple. To me, it's about the summer a boy realizes that one day he's going to die. When I read it, I am pulled out of the little bubble of the present, and remember with terrifying acuteness that I will die too, one day. Characters who used to move in the incomprehensible ways of adults are now people who look like, or used to look like, people like me, and many of them are thinking about death, too. It's not a morbid book, by any means; the characters in it kick and cook and complain and love and fight and revel in sun and rain and summer. They are very much alive, and I am very much like them.

This is an incredible book. It would be an incredible book if I'd never read it again after I found it, or if I'd only read it as an adult. But the circumstances of my reading and rereading it have made it a touchstone that I will return to over and over again during my life, and that makes me one very lucky bastard.

It's rather sad that our newest generation, weened on video games and bad movies, cannot relate to the bittersweet memories that Bradbury is able to so eloquently describe through the course of this novel. This work is a time capsule, a fragment of an innocent age lost when one grows up - and an age that today's youths cannot grasp or understand.
The book itself is written with a dazzling sense of rythmn and pacing, flowing more like poetry than prose. The stories themselves are like memories of events you've never shared in, yet can relate to instinctively. It's a masterwork through and through, and is probably the best of Bradbury's vast library. I heartily recomend this to anybody with a soul.

As Ray Bradbury told me in 1998, "I'm an optimal behaviorist. That is, each day I operate at the top of my genetics." DANDELION WINE shows us the roots of this incredibly positive attitude about life. As a child, Ray is just like the rest of us--only more so. He's frightened of what may come, he's overjoyed at finding out he's alive, trapped inside a living body bag. He is fascinated by everything he sees, touches, smells, imagines. He's what a real boy really was, back in the 1930's. DANDELION WINE will take you places only your heart knows about, and make you want to go back to the best days, the days you didn't realize were so great till they had passed you by. This book should be required reading in every school, every household in the world. Anyone who has not yet given up on life will be re-charged and invigorated by letting Ray Bradbury touch their lives just one more time... --Jim Reed, author, DAD'S TWEED COAT: SMALL WISDOMS, HIDDEN COMFORTS, UNEXPECTED JOYS (jimreedbooks.com)

Even though I had to read this book for my english class I'm glad i picked it because there's a certain tang to this book,you could say. At first I was just going to skim over it,but then i had to actually read it because if i didn't,Iwould get lost.But as i realized what is happening to Doug,I cant help but compare it to my own life....Such as how I've not actually realized that I'm ALIVE....the plot of the book:A boy growing up.....But the part that sort of confused me was how the POV would jump around, flitting from one person to another.. I understand that it's a book about a whole town and their stories rather than one singular person but my head is still spinning.

I read the reviews of other readers and I was upset that all the teenagers hated it (almost). I just turned 15, and Dandelion Wine has got to be the best book I have ever read. It was a research project for school, but I picked this book because I love Ray Bradbury. This story is not dull and slow. It is full of the truths of life, even I can tell that. It is a beautifully written story, and it really touched my life. Doug and Toms tablet is full of everything you need to know about life. The happiness machine ws a very poignant scene, I thoought. This story is wonderful, and no matter who you are, where you're from, and what you like to read, you will probably love this book.

The fantasy of the most magical place on earth is fulfilled with the description of one lonely, ordinary town: Greentown, Illinois. In Ray Bradbury's spectacular novel, Dandelion Wine, the magic of the book seems to float off the page and embrace the reader. The memorable summer of 1928, which began with the ritual of the first dandelion harvest to make bottles of wine, seemingly started like an ordinary summer for Douglass Spaulding. Little did he know that in that summer alone he would learn some of life's most important lessons, including the concept of age and death. His journey through the summer months are described from the innocent point of view of a young child, the state of mind where magic and witches are alive without the slightest doubt. Despite the magical auroa of Dandelion Wine, Bradbury's writing style makes it anything but a children's book, capable to draw in even the oldest and most skeptical of readers. His spectacular use of description gives a complete sense of Doug's surroundings; he is able to pick the smallest details and elaborate on them without boring the reader in any way at all. Adding to the greatness, the unique format in which he chose to write the book gives the points of view of any age group: from the innocence and insecurity of a ten-year-old, to the knowledge and clamness of a 95-year-old. Being able to make the reader relate to the various points of view, no matter the reader's own, is surely no easy task, but Bradbury executes it beautifully. Each sentece is an enchanted pearl on its own, which at first takes time to digest, but soon the reader is in the same enchanted stated of mind as the author, making the reading flow easily. Anyone with an imagination would surely enjoy Dandelion Wine, for its mixture of fantasy and wonderful writing ma,es it the perfect book to read on a cold winter night, like a freshly opened bottle of dandelion wine to carry one into the memories of the summer.

I highly recommend this book to any fan of Ray Bradbury's work, or to anyone who wishes to introduce his classic works into their library. He is a passionate visionary that writes not only about sci-fi, but his colorful writing style encapsulates the sometimes ineffable feelings that each and every one of us have had about every possible situation in life, and dare I say, in death. I always feel like a kid again when I read his books, I am taken away to warm, sunny Saturdays when I was still in awe of the newness of life. I can hardly force myself to read the works of others as I am convinced that no one can do with words the magic that Ray Bradbury has done.

This book is tonic for the soul. It captures the youthful thought and mind using beautiful prose. It puts you in another place. A better place.
It should be a classic. If it were it would be one of the best I have read.

First of all, I hate seeing people review a book by saying it's boring. If you think this book is boring it's likely because you were brought up on MTV and other garbage that has so shortened your attention span that you can't let things develop - you need to be hit over the head every few seconds and move on. As for plot, yes, there isn't much of one. There doesn't have to be! The book stands alone beautifully for its imagery, language and powers of observation. Therein lies the story. The reader is transported to another time and place so completely that you feel that you grew up with Bradbury himself and the result is exhilarating.

I first discovered this book over 20 years ago at a used book sale. I have since read it every summer, I just finished this summer's reading 2 days ago. It transports me to a wondrous place where the characters have become comfortable old friends. At first my family thought I was a little wacky for reading the same book every year, now they accept this summer ritual, like new tennis shoes or picking the first crop of dandelions. Thank you Mr Bradbury, wherever you are.

Great stepping in and out of various characters lives and perspectives during the summer of 1928 - all the while the book is anchored by two brothers, Douglas & Tom Spaulding. I kept hitting echoes in "Dandelion Wine" that I swore I was familiar with. Searching the shelves, I remembered that a couple years ago, I'd read Bradbury's "Farewell Summer" which actually picks back up with this same crew in October 1928 in a battle between the older generation in town and Douglas & Company over the town clock and time itself. "Dandelion Wine" is a much more open and approachable book. Great historical tidbits pepper these tales: early electric cars, trolleys at the end of the run, fortune telling machines, and the like. Glimpses at the always simpler-seeming pleasures of yesterday. Leo Auffmann's attempt to invent a Happiness Machine is a very bright spot.

I have always known Bradbury to be a science fiction writer, but ironically, the deepest earthly and human truths were put into this novel. The novel reminded me of Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg Ohio. With plenty of individual stories and with a constant influx of new characters, Dandelion Wine leaves a lasting impression on a reader. The stories hold plenty of earthly truths; truths that are so obvious, so amazing, yet so hidden within out society, that the reader's mind is constantly stimulated with things that are so common in our everyday lives. The novel goes through the experiences of a town during the summer of 1928. The novel explores the pleasures of summer, and the gloom of death. In the end, the reader is almost forced to recall Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five and say to themselves: So it goes.

This book about the young Douglas, describes the ideal summer of 1928. From a ghostly lonely one, to the idea of discoering one is alive, is incredible. I am a ninth grader from W-, Ma., and this is one of the best books I have ever read. Ray Bradbury is an excellent author, who can write about a 12-year-old very well. This book takes place in the summer of 1928. Douglas Spalding is a very interesting character, along with many of the other characters from the book. Each one has its own personality, luring a reader into this great book. I recommend this book to anyone who wants an easy-reading, fun book.

Being a Bradbury fan since the 50s, I must admit to being partial to his work and this particular book cetainl is one of my favorites. No only have I enjoyed this story over the years, I absolutely love reading the wonderful syntax, allegorical style of this writer. This genre of work owes a great deal to Bradbury. He and several of his contemporaries brought science fiction to the forefront and gave it "respectability." This story should appeal the the little boy and little girl in all of us. Having read it several times over the years, I of course recommend it highly.

This novel is about reliving childhood. No, it does not follow a very structured plot... it is a nostalgia driven narrative. Douglas Spaulding is the main character but not the only character. Bradbury uses his eyes to remind us of the excitement of summer as a child and he also uses the perspective of the old, who look at the children enviously and some try to recapture thier childhood.
The novel has a theme of discovery and the simple magic of summer. Ice cream on a hot day, hide-and-seek in the dusk, the fourth of july, walking barefoot in the grass. It a a flashback into life before we had to get up and go to work every morning.
Each story is a parable of youth for adults. A lesson we should remember to stay young at heart. The "Lonely One" isn't so much a sub plot but it is the symbol of the first stamp of fear and "uninvinsibleness" that children come across, that first sense that something bad could happen to you.
For those who "don't get" Bradbury's use of metaphores I only have to say... step out on the porch in the early morning sunlight of an early summer morning, take a deep breath of the clean air and try reading this book again. Let Bradbury take you back to your childhood in the summer when you were 12 and on the brink of realizing what the world REALLY is........

the best thing I can say of any book is that if it evoked a strong emotional reaction in me, made me think about it and feel it, perhaps even made me think of my own life in terms of it. Mr Bradbury's boom has done all these things for me. I first read it in the early 80s when i was in 8th grade and never forgot it. Last summer, as I turned 30 and started myself to look back on the summers of my youth, i picked this book up again. It was quite a treasure. it could be 1928, it could be 1978 for me, different eras but same idea - the old disappearing, the new emerging. the thoughts and feelings of a boy seeing the world change, watching his life change with it. Younger people may not fully appreciate this book for it's value - looking back, when I read it circa 1980, i didn't see it the same way either

I read some of the 1 star reviews and was shocked at the comments by teenagers saying this book was difficult to read. I read this book the summer of my 12th year and thoroughly enjoyed it. The comments left by teens are a clear indication of schooling "gone bad." Our teens know how to use computers, they can reprogram a phone in no time at all, but they cannot read or spell.

I've read many novels, short stories, adventures, non-fiction, classics, etc. and I have yet to find a book that lingers in my memory as much as this. It makes me long for a place that never existed and a time that never was. It is not for everyone. Some may find the pace to slow. Others will not like how the chapters are all different stories about different people in a small, seemingly normal town. It almost reminds me of my child hood home, where every neighbor knew one-another and most people were happy to see you. Sad that it no longer exists.

Two reasons I read this book: In his book about ten things writers should know, Elmore Leonard said he reads it every year; Bradbury wrote Cats Cradle, a book I loved. I see how some reviewers can’t get into it as a new character
and its quirks are introduced each chapter, getting redundant when you come to realize no plot emerges and a young boy’s point of view can bore half the population. I related to when the grandma died she said a long time ago she was having a great dream and when she woke up was when she was born so she wanted to go back to that dream and did as she died. Also, the idea that remembering long ago in your past is like time traveling but a lonely activity, according to the boy. Hearing old stories is interesting to the boys but later when he says it is sucha lonely activity he puts a depressing take on it. It is not a page-turner.

Dandelion Wine is an enchanting story of summer in 1928 as seen through the eyes of 12 year old Douglas Spaulding. It carries a certain magical and reverent quality, a nostalgic feeling of a childhood long gone. This is an atypical piece of work for Ray Bradbury, as there are no supernatural or futuristic happenings. It is about Douglas Spaulding realizing that he is alive. It is very heavy on figurative writing is challenging fo younger people to read. Fans of mystery and action will also be disappointed. Despite this, I would recommend it to anyone.

The first time I read this book I was a junior in high school (I'm 23 now). I fell in love with Dandelion Wine and with Ray Bradbury. I am surprised to hear so many reviews by young people saying that it doesn't apply to them and that it is confusing. It is a wonderful story about the realization of life and that it can end at any time. Everyone should be aware of the fragility and miracle of life and enjoy it! Whether you're 15 or 85, it doesn't matter-- enjoy the world and people around you, because you never know when it or you will be gone. A must read!

I am a Middle School student and when i was in 6th grade our teacher , Mr.Schmidt , had us read this book . At first , he recieved the moans and groans , and half of the class was like "C'mon , Dandelion Wine ???" . Yet , he pushed us through it , and I am glad he did . That book was outstanding and I recommend it to everyone of all ages . I still remember the one line in that book that really grabbed me . It was "the day was as perfect as a flame of a candle" . Only Bradbury can write something like that .

Ray Bradbury proves he is the king of simile, metaphor and imagery in this lightly autobiographical rambling about the summer of 1928 in Green Town, Illinois. The young boys Doug and Tom come to many deep realizations during the summer, not the least of which regard the great mysteries of life, death, happiness, and fear. There is no cohesive plot, but one is hardly missed with such poetic vignettes to take its place. WARNING: This is NOT Science Fiction.

This has become an annual read for me, over the summer. It makes me nostalgic for a time I never experienced, but it also reminds me of different things in my life that have recently passed away. An ode to summer and youth. Yeah, Douglas Spaulding may seem a little too wide-eyed to be real, but once you understand that Douglas Spaulding is essentially Ray Bradbury, you get it, you really do.

Dandelion Wine is a wonderful book for summer reading. Ray Bradbury is very descriptive in his terms, and allows the reader to feel exactly what Douglas Spaulding did in 1928. Young or old there is something for everyone to relate to. For the young, they can witness the changes of time on their world from 1928. For the old, they can relive their past through the magical eyes of a young boy in Green Town, Illinois. I believe the vivid images that occur to you while reading makes this perfect for a summer read because you become more aware of your surroundings, and appreciate summer a little more.
Dandelion Wine is also an excellent choice for winter reading. The short stories help to recall the past by allowing you to feel as if your living the life of Douglas Spaulding. His new tennis shoes, the smell of fresh cut grass, and the first picking of dandelions for the wine. During the cold winter days, you are reminded that summer will soon return.
Even though I wasn't alive in 1928, and I can't speak for girls, I can relate to this classic tale as a boy. Douglas' adventures remind me of chasing the ice cream truck, wondering off till the wee hours of the night, and getting in trouble with my Mom. His adventures also reminded me of the long talks I had with my elderly neighbors, and made me realize how much they appreciated it. The stories shed light and understanding to much of the things I had forgotten as a child.
Overall, this incomparable piece of literature was very good even though there is no plot or story. The book reads like a bunch of short stories, so to read this cover-to-cover in one sitting really provides no advantage. However, for readers like myself who have a limited amount of time, that can be very appealing. The short stories allows the reader to read a chapter or two at a time, and never forget where you left off. Young or old, male or female, busy or unemployed, I would recommend this book to anyone.

I would rate this dook low becuase although it had one or two exciting parts the majority of the book was confusing or the auther would stay with one too long with cause the flow of the book to be disrupted. In this book Douglas Spaulding , a 12 year old boy , has to deal with many hardships. Which are his grandmother dieing , his best friend moving away and to him the end of summer. He does has is highpoints too , for example he discovers many ideas that he thinks he has thought up of his own. Some of those ideas were that older people were never young or when the authour decribes how Doug feels that he is alive. To me that whole statement about becomming alive was a confusing section to me. Finally , I would not recomed this book because the downsides out weighed the interesting parts , but overall if you like Ray Bradbury's work then by all means read the book.

Bradbury's magical evocation of the summer of 1928 that was
not but should have been, Dandelion Wine is the story of
a young man coming to grips with mortality. The prose
borders on poetry; the emotions range from sweet sentiment
to gripping horror. Dandelion Wine has been criticized for "prettying up" an ugly coal town; Bradbury has said that he
saw the coal -- he just saw it as dehydrated dinosaurs to which one should add a little dandelion wine, stir, and wait for the magic.

I enjoy the comfort of rituals. Every Spring, I am sure to appreciate the rebirth of the world by wearing flowers in my hair and reading Dandelion Wine in the warmth of the sun. Every reading brings me new lessons and insights into this mystery we call life. I savor each poetic gem, starting with Bradbury's Introduction which says, "If your boy is a poet, horse manure can only mean flowers to him; which is, of course what horse manure has always been about" to Douglas and Tom marveling at "all of the summer shelved and glimmering there in the motionless streams, the bottles of dandelion wine." Dandelion Wine feeds the poetic soul. I believe that there are some people "who get it" and some who just don't and never will. This amazing book is for those "who get it" and who are romantics, however deep down inside. I consider this book an optimistic version of Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. Bradbury recognizes the same exceptional souls that "bruise easier, tire faster, remember longer and, as I say, get sadder younger than anyone else in the world" but Dandelion Wine fosters the purity in Douglas instead of smothering it out of him. Dandelion Wine is a collage of lives interrelated in Green Town. The candid snapshots of people's lives include a man who makes a Happiness Machine that brings despair, a human time machine, and a couple of soul mates whose lives "interlaced too late." All of these lives are being taken in by Doug Spalding, who is finding a new world through his twelve-year old eyes. I believe that everyone who knows what it is like to be different and to feel things more deeply than the majority does will relish in this book's unique sincerity.

I thought that Dandelion Wine is a great book that holds wisdom for people of any era. It was written similarly to some of Bradbury's other books, such as The Illustrated Man or the Martian Chronicles, in the respect that it is more of a collection of stories that share a common thread, than a full-length novel. I think that is why some readers may find this book confusing, they were expecting Dandelion Wine to stick with one main situation or topic, and found it confusing when stories changed.

So full of lyrical prose, and delicious adjectives that you want to wrap yourself up in it, and never put it down. Not because the story is so good, it is actially a very simple, static tale, but the laguage is so rich, it almost seems like poetry.
If you are an author, or are wanting to be an author, or have ever even considered the idea for more than a minute, pick up this book, and find out what it means to wield a pen with such skill and dexterity that you make it seem effortless.

Although Bradbury is known mostly as a science fiction writer, this book is not really SF at all. It's pure poetry. The essence of summer poured between two covers - the way that dandelion wine is the essence of summer bottled up for the cold dark times of year when you need it most. Bradbury's prose is so beautiful that I had to stop and read most paragraphs twice so that I could savor every detail. This is a book that oozes warmth and happiness and yes, a little bit of sorrow, but that's what makes it real.

1928. It was a good summer. Too bad it wasn't a good read. I'm surprised I even made it through this book at all. This book follows 12-year-old Douglas Spaulding during the summer of 1928. Yes, Ray wrote it, but there's no book burning or aliens in this book. It basically focuses on Doug's self-discovery.
I love Ray Bradbury's stories, but this just killed me. I'm originally from a small town, so I know how Doug felt when the summer rolled around. Running through the grass barefoot, picking grapes, tasting the first ripened blackberries of the season, I experienced it all as a child, and while that brought back many fond memories, the story itself did not have the ability to capture my attention fully.
Ray Bradbury has a beautiful poetic way with his writing, but most of the time, it seemed like he was using his vast knowledge of dictionary words to fill pages rather than relate a story to the readers. There doesn't seem to be much of a plot. It's just a series of events put together with some pretty words. I found that huge chunks of this book was largely uninteresting and tedious to get through.
I know many people will disagree with this. Many people enjoyed this book, and that's cool. But for me, this book was just a killjoy. This was more like a chore than an enjoyable reading experience. This book made me remember a lot of good times back home. I even called an old childhood friend after reading this book, but I honestly don't see myself picking this up again.
It was a nice book to make me relive my own summer memories, but that's about it. Perhaps, this is one of those books that I have to read more than once to fully appreciate. At least I found some great new adjectives to use.

Delightful story of a boy and the magical summer of 1928.I read this book during our polar winter storms & it transported to the joys of summer! Summers and how children used to spend their days,the simple joys of life.Brothers Tom and Doug & their adventures with family,friends and the townspeople! Absolutely delightful!

I'm sure that all of our parents or grandparents have told us how their life was when they were youg. Most likely they have told us about how they had to walk to school, or what they did over summer vacation, or who their friends were. Aside from the grandparent commentary, Dandelion Wine is somewhat like this also. Ray Bradbury,(the author), gives the first person account of an ordianary summer through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy. Bradbury paints a picture of the two protagonists named Douglas and Tom Spaulding who are the type of people at their age who are never afraid of anything. In the little town of Green Town, Illinois their is a murderer called the "Lonely One." Doug, Tom, and as well as Johnny Huff, (one of Doug's friends), go to a place called the "ice house" and that is supposedly the "Lonely Ones'" hideout. This is one of the many examples of the boys fearlessness. Besides the murderer subplot, there are many more that include a "Green Machine" which is actually a green car for three little old ladies. There is also a "Happiness Machine" in which the town "fix it" named Leo Auffman invents to make the town a better place. He discovers, however, that true happiness comes from family. Bradbury, however, tries to focus the main plot on Douglas and his first summer in where he experiences his own "aliveness." I enjoyed this book beacuse of the irony of suspense and joy that Bradbury interchanges. This is a great book for all ages because of how Bradbury appeals to the senses of every type of reader.

Perhaps its because time has made me more jaded and my imagination has been overshadowed and possibly even sullied by Media "trash" of today, or maybe I was looking for that fictional town of "Willoughby" like in that Twilight Zone episode, or just maybe I was going backward in my Ray Bradbury mindset, but I did not get this story. OR, maybe it is because I listened to the book and it was done as a play.

In any case it left me wanting something a little ethereal and I didn't get it. Other than that you all know what I know, Ray Bradbury was a Fantastic writer and brilliant mind.

I had to read this book as a reading assignment in eigth grade. For the first 100 pages I hated it. After that I started to likeit. After I fifnished it I looked back on it and saw that I really liked it. Ray Bradbury is a really good author. This story is filled with so much life and so much about what it is to be alive, no matter when or who, that anyone who reads would have to like it. Any one can relate to Douglas, the main charachter. I loved this book.

This book is really good to remember childhood and read it when you feel like analyzing things once again from a 12-year-old perspective. Bradbury does a great job in capturing the images and memories of the summer. Yet, it won't be as enjoyable for readers of all ages because it concentrates on his perspective of life and other things that are important at that age. This book can be really helpful for kids who are going through the same things Douglas is going through because it might help them understand what is going on. Conversely, its wordiness makes the reading tedious at times; it would have being more enjoyable if it had a sequence. If I had the choice of reading it when I was 12, I know I would have enjoyed it a lot more than what I did now.

I would prefer to give this a 1/2 star, but that's not possible with these stars. The delivery time was good, the copy was bad. It was a copy from the 50s and was brown, a bit smelly and brittle. I was not pleased.

This book is delightful for all ages taking the reader through a summer that everyone will go through once in their life. Each chapter is actually its own little story so that one can sample them how one pleases much like the wine in the novel. Bradbury's use of description and his senses make the book one that the reader can really sink into. Symbolism in this book also allows ones mind to wander and create its own realizations. A definite must read.

I am 25. (Just to let you know I wasn't forced to read this in English class!) I have studied English Literature to degree level. All I have learnt tells me this book is technically poor...sloppy and poorly structured. The author gives the impression of being over-excitable and unwilling to censor his rambling descriptions. For this reason this book will never be listed among the great masterpieces of literature...it is ridiculously "childish", far too naive.
BUT...this is precisely why it is one of the most affecting and overwhelming books I have ever read. It is filled with an innocence and love which moves me to tears ever time I read it. Do you remember how life felt before your head got cluttered up with crap? Politics, duties, worries about money, job security, pensions, investments, budgeting...all the junk which turns a child into a grown-up? Do you remember how it felt to be filled with awe and gratitude, simply because you were alive? How it felt to look at a clear night sky, spiked with distant stars, and be filled with wonder? This book can give you that back. Read with an open mind and you will fall in love with life again.

Do you think Ray Bradbury only wrote science fiction? Think again. The lucent story shines through the clutter of mediocre books. The summer of 1928 still exists. If you don't believe that the past is forever, read this.Do you think Ray Bradbury only wrote science fiction? Think again. The lucent story shines through the clutter of mediocre books. The summer of 1928 still exists. If you don't believe that the past is forever, read these words of light.

Another Review of Ray Bradbury's, "Dandelion Wine"
Posted By the Fearless Man_Muffin
"Dandelion Wine" is a book describing the summer of two young boys, and what goes on in their hometown. This book was written by Ray Bradbury and is a great example of a well-written fantasy novel.
This novel takes you through a tour of the mind of a child, and makes you see the way Bradbury thinks. Though written in the fifties, this book can relate to many different issues we speak of today, such as religion and the incurable illness of wanton happiness.
The description and characterization of this novel is well though and has very few limits as to what you want to make of the words. One great thing about Bradbury is that he does not spell out the problem or solution to a novel, he lets you take in what you want and to use your mind in deciding why each of the things in the novel took place, and the relevance on it to the novel.
The way Bradbury writes is very unique and extraordinary. His writing is like this because he makes the most of his words, and doesn't have time to mess around with the reader's head. He gets his point across in his brief strange way, and leaves it to you to make out what you thought he meant. This book was written during the time of Bradbury's peak, if you will, during the time of, "The Martian Chronicles", and "Fahrenheit 451". This time period of Bradbury's creative writing was a great one, and I would personally recommend any one of those novels.
The story line in this novel is very unique and down to earth. It is very well developed and has a few plot twists that are very interesting. Almost anyone who has ever been a kid once can relate to most of the things that occur in this book. It is about the search for happiness, and the answer to how to live a small town life. It is not you original Tom Sawyer novel but it has more complex issues in it and is much more interesting in my opinion.
Ray Bradbury is one of the most brilliant fantasy authors of our time and is continuing to write strong into his eighties. "Dandelion Wine", without a doubt, is one of his best novels and a great book to read if you are into fantasy. I give it nine out of ten stars.

This is a lovely little book...childhood summertime capture in so many pages in your hands just like the dandelion wine in the jars on the cellar shelves. Left me with memories of catching fireflies, playing kickball til after dusk, laying in the grass watching the clouds, camping out in the backyard and jumping at every shadow and noise in the dark. I can't imagine not reading this with a smile on your face :-)

This book magically captures the excitement and wonder of
being young. It takes us into everyday life and gives us a
fresh look at what makes it magic. You can smell the grass
and the dust, and feel the heat. Every time I read these
stories I want to be there with Bradbury in the Illinois of
his childhood and see it with his eyes. Luckily, all I have
to do is read them again.

I am a college student at St. John Fisher college in Rochester New York. Recently my english teacher assigned the book Dandelion wine by Ray Bradury to us. Im not the type of kid that enjoys to read books. i made it through my whole high school career without opening one. So when he assigned this book i thought i could just bs my way through it. Then one night i was really bored so i decided to start reading this book. Amazingly my younger years started returning to me. The way that ray describes the things he went through and did in such an exact way is amazing. I could remember the things i did as a kid. I could remember all the places i was, what i was doing and even the smells of whta was going on. The book is about Ray's younger years. He goes by the pen name of Douglas Spaulding. He is a young kid and he reflects upon is childhood during the whole book. I would reccomend this book to any older person who wants to look back on all his younger years. its a great book.

Believe it or not, there really was a time as described in Bradbury's masterpiece. I don't know how old or how young one has to be to enjoy the characters and their adventures, but everyone should give it a try. I guess the younger the reader, the more like science fiction the book appears.

I have to admit, I have never read anything by Ray Bradbury as I am not a huge sci-fi fan. I found this book at my local used bookstore for a quarter and my voice said "well, great chance to check him out". Afterall, he is somewhat well-known. I am genuinely happy I found the time to read this profound tale. Mr. Bradbury's prologue was just as an enjoyable read as the rest of the book. He shares a little of his writing process and how the characters, locations and events are a somewhat biographical reflection of the memories of his boyhood.

The story is set in the summer of 1928 in Green Town, Illinois and begins with 12 year old Douglas Spaulding on a grape hunting venture with his younger brother Tom and their father. Doug discovers more than grapes during this excursion - he discovers he is alive. This realization changes the way he perceives everything around him.

I'm really alive! he thought. I never knew it before, or if I did I don't remember. He yelled it loud but silent, a dozen times. Think of it, think of it! Twelve years old and only now! Now discovering this rare timepiece, this clock goldbright and guaranteed to run threescore and ten, left under a tree and found while wrestling.

The summer is broken down into individual events with each chapter essentially it's own short story. Douglas and his brother helping in the collecting of dandelions with Grandfather to make the next year's supply of dandelion wine, the discovery of a time machine right under their noses, Leo Aufmann's futile attemps to build a happiness machine, the murders of the Lonely One, the heartache of a best friend leaving and trying to make time stand still for those few last hours, Miss Fern's and Miss Roberta's antics on the Green Machine, discovering how a new pair of tennis shoes can make you fly - and so much more!

In an attempt to keep the summer alive, Douglas and his brother keep a notebook and using the trusty Ticonderoga Number 2, note all new discoveries (such as Grandpa and Dad not knowing everything in the world) and keep track of how many times the they do the same things as every other summer (like getting slivers in your feet). The notebook and the dandelion wine are reflections of the summer. This is a quiet book written in such a way that the ordinary becomes magical.

It is difficult to summarize this book. It is so simple yet, it is impossible to sum it up neatly without doing a great disservice to the other parts of the book that would be neglected. I will say that I had a few bouts of watery eyes. Not from an actual sad element in the story. I became so nostalgic while reading this (and still am) that I missed my childhood. Then I missed my daughter's childhood. Yet, the memories are grand and make my heart happy.Dandelion Wine

I thought the book was good for younger people because it has many stories that younger people can relate with because everyone goes through them in life. i like the stories about Doug's and Tom summer childhood stories, this made me think about when i was yonger and how i also love summer. there was no school in summer and you could always play outside and as a kid you were never bored you were always having fun and finding new adventures. in the story i think i can relate to or remember something similiar in my life, to just about everyone of the stories that Doug and Tom had. it seems that all younger kids do the same stuff during the summer and have the same memories about the summer. i definetly think this book is worth reading because while reading it, it make you bring back your childhood memories and you think of all the fun you had while you were younger, it makes you feel all warm and happy inside.

Lyrical and fascinating magic - that what this marvellous book is! Tender wise philosophyof life and its real values and treasures is given through the eyes of twelve years old Douglas Spaulding and the people, whom he met in summer of 1928 in small Green Town somewhere in Illinois. A necklace of wonderful (and somewhat aoutobiographical) stories about simple truthes of our lives, unfolding by Bradbury's master prose, is real vintage classic.

I think that reading the novel Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury it made me think more about my childhood and how you believe that you are invisible from and harm or evil. Douglas did not have a care in the world, it was summer time, and he was going to enjoy it as best as he could. It brought me back to thinking about times when I was a child and had no care in the world. I thought I was invisible and nothing could ever harm me. What wonderful times they were. Now if you put me being 12 right now I think my mindset would be a little different. What wonderful times they were. The one bad part to the book is that it really had no structure to the chapter and it did not seem to blend very well together. That made it kind of hard for me to follow what was going on in the book. It was interesting though to go back in the mind of a 12 year old and see how we all used to think about the world.

Childhood. It only happens once and lasts a few short years, or does it? People find ways to capture and relive those fond memories of years past. For most people it is in pictures, but authors, like Bradbury, make it so much easier. Reading about Bradbury's childhood in Dandelion Wine helped me remember those days of worriless bliss. It also reminded me of the time that innocent stage of childhood ended and manhood began.
Bradbury's character Douglas Spalding lived the summer of a 12-year-old boy that is easy to relate too. The joy of summer vacation and the fearful gloom of school hovering above ready to strike is something that everyone can remember. This is the endless cycle that happens every year, until you grow up and start worrying. This change can occur at any time and for any reason. Bradbury started the chain of life questions and fear with death, and a very popular fear at that. For reasons like this I enjoyed the meaning behind Dandelion Wine. However, his sporadic stories and even stranger compilation made this book boring, confusing, and to be blunt, bad. Wine gets better with age, maybe when I grow beyond my freshman at college mentality I will better appreciate this window of joy Bradbury created.

Dandelion Wine allows you to go back to the summer of 1928, a summer of dandelion wine, apple trees, new sneakers, mowed lawns and half-forgotten memories. The book both delights me, as Bradbury is a artist when it comes to words, and also depresses me, because there is also the sorrows of things lost, including one chapter that deals with love that could never be. I will never order lime-vanilla ice, ever!

I just read this book for school and at first it seems very confusing but once you analize it you can come to a complete understanding of it. After Doug finds out that he is alive he finds out that one day he must die just like some of the other characters in this book. Overall memories is probably the most important thing that he is going to treasure over his whole summer.

Dandelion Wine is perhaps the best book I've ever read; and read and read and read! I first read it as a young teenager, 30 years ago; I've never stopped reading it!
Early in the book, 12-year-old Douglas Spaulding comes to the shocking realization that he is alive; truly alive! Throughout the rest of the book, Douglas examines the people in his family and his town, trying to learn if and how they deal with this huge thing called Life.
Mark Twain's "Tom Sawyer" and "Huck Finn" stories have accurately preserved aspects of the American 19th century. In centuries to come, Ray Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine" will be recognised as a wonderful glimpse into the culture of the mid-20th century, as representative of the "good things in life" as a gallery full of Norman Rockwell paintings.
Read this book, then marvel at the world through your newly-found senses!

I have read Dandelion Wine many times since I first picked up a copy over thirty years ago. Even now, I inhale the words of the book, like the air from S. J. Jonas' green bottles and I know that Ray Bradbury lived these stories. He was nurtured by the natural beauty of Green Town (Waukegan, Illinois), lulled to sleep by the sound of the trains heading in and out of Chicago, mesmerized by the Lighthouse in Lake Michigan, and entrapped in the the storeian jungle of the steamy and mysterious ravine where he penned most of "The Illustrated Man" and many of his earlier works. Ray Bradbury paints with words that sing and teach. His unique and gifted way of owning the moment is illusive and marvelous. He is very much like the songbird that gives away a melody to the wind. One needs only an open eye and loving heart to appreciate the Master Storyteller as he delivers his craft. A "must read" for all ages. Poetry, Magic, and Love -- This is Ray Bradbury (a dear friend and penpal for over 20 years)

I have been a fan of Bradbury's for a long time, and Dandelion Wine does not disappoint. I love his writing, as usual. Sometimes the chapters in this book can go on forever though, and some are quite filler. It's not quite a 5 star novel, but it's damn close.

4.5 stars, a magical book by the best writer in science fiction/fantasy today.

Dandelion wine sent me back to my childhood. I only wished that at the tender age of 12 I was able to discover that I was alive in the same way that Douglas Spaulding did. I am glad that I had the chance to read this book in my 30's as opposed to when I was a teenager. I certainly feel that I have reaped more benefits now and appreciation of how Douglas saw the world. In one short summer he left the fragile childhood world and opened the door into early adulthood. This book has changed how I remember my childhood and now when I look at my children I realise that they are young for only a short time and only too soon does the real world hit them square in the face. This in itself is not a bad thing but it happens to all of us without us realising it. I am sure we all have a Douglas Spaulding in us but it may take to adulthood for us to see that.

I am 15 years old and i loved this book, it has captured theimportance of life and how you must live everyday to your fullest. Ittaught me that everything will die soon or later and you must not die without finding the true essence of life. Ray bradbury might have confusing ways in portraying certain scenes, but the plot is very understandable and a good one.

This book has inspired me to move to the countryside with my family and enjoy life. Why have we as a people gone to the cities away from family and friends? Was it money? Was it the false dream of fame and success? Dandelion Wine helped me see that success is having the love of your family and the warmth of a good home. Without those, the rest means nothing.

The summer of 1928 was a memorable and devasting for tweleve year old Douglas Spaulding. Doug's best friend John Huff, moves away, and is not able to tell him how much his friendship means to him. The time comes for John to leave and Doug dosen't want to face reality. He let his eyes fall in a brief flicker. The watch said three o'clock. Doug moved his hand stealthily to the ticking, pulled out the watch stem. He set the hands back. Now they had all the time they would ever need to look long and close at the world, feel the sun move like a fiery wind over the sky. Dandelion Wine was written remarkably and every time I would put the book down I would find myself picking it back up and reading another chapter. The book makes you think of your own childhood; I would reccommend it to everyone of all ages.

This book written by bradbury was one of his better books. I read fahrenheit 451 and i thought that book in inself was just plain terrible. This book is differnt, this is a book all people young and old can relate too. It brings you back to part of your life that you just might of forgot about as you grew so fast. All the talks about those summer days when you were a child growing up. Playing in the fields and all that jazz its just a smooth read from start to finish. I only put it down a couple of times. Overall it got a three in my book Smooth read it was just not a book that kept you on the edge of your seat like I personally like, but if want a book that is easy to read and will jar some memories of the past and bring up the pains and questions of growing up as a 12 year old this is the book for you.

Dandelion wine by Ray Bradbury, was different from the usual books that i read. At times it was hard to read because of the way it jumped around from topic to topic. Overall i liked the book it reminded me of the things that i look forward to when it is summer time. some parts of the book seemed to drag on but it kept me interested for the most part. otherwise i liked the overall plot of the book but the only thing that i did not like was the organization. after getting past the organizational issue i enjoyed the book, it made me think of my childhood, with all the machines that the kids tried to make, because thats what i did when i was younger. It was an indirect way of making me think about the things that i did when i was younger because i was reading the book through the eyes of a 12 year old boy.

I usually don't like to read books that I am assigned to read for class, but Dandelion Wine was a delightful trip down memory lane. The book made me think of the days when the only worry I had was what friend I was going to play with that day and what we were going to do and how I wish I could go back to those "easy" days. I didn't really take advantage of being a child. I think that I grew up a bit too fast and now a I realize that after reading Dandelion Wine. It's true what some people say, "You're only young once." You can never go back to the past and this, for sure, I realize now more than ever. I think that if I would have read this a few years ago I would have found it dull and boring, it's more for the young adult to adult group (ages 18+). Most definetly I would recommend this to any adult, in fact I would even read this again in the future.

Although this book did bring back many of my childhood memories I didn't feel that it was a very interesting novel. I read this book for college and felt that some parts were interesting, like the part about John Huff. Im not a very consistent reader, but I do like to read, just not books like this one. To me it seemed like there was no real point to the book, it was very detialed, but there was never really a butoom line to the points. Also there were many parts in the book where it was hard to read and follow. In a way this book was spacy and unrealistic to the point where it was pethetic. I hve read other peices by him, and I would not read this one before reading any others of his. One thing that I actually did like about this book was the emotion. You could actually feel the fear of the mother and the sadness in others. There were many similarities and metaphors in this novel. It kind of felt like a maze as I was reading it at some points. I don't regret reading this book, but overall I would not really recomend it.

If there is a more beautiful, awesome, totally cool book ever written, someone please let me know! I consider this the most excellent piece of literature in the entire English language. I have over 3,000 books in my personal library and if I could only keep one, this would be the book. I have read it countless times over the past twenty years and only enjoy it more with each reading. I love this book!

Dandelion Wine was a unique and somewhat interesting book but it doesn't grab you. The book lacks a certain something and is not the kind of book that most people can relate to. It is set during 1928 and the characters have fictional problems that are hard to identify with. Ray Bradbury has a certain style that is apparent throughout the book, which to me seems chaotic and very fast. He uses sounds randomly in some sentences and gathers a lot of actions into a confined little space. You may have to read over a passage more than once because there is too much happening at the same time.
There is a lot of symbolism in the book, which is a very nice thing in the book but it bores you after a few chapters. The book seems repetitive even though it doesn't repeat itself. The chapters are random and the only thing that continues throughout the book is the Happiness Machine, which you don't even end up caring about.
The book has some nice points and lessons in it, but if you want to be entertained I do not recommend this book for you. If you enjoy those books that explore the way people think about life and do not care about how long it takes for you to notice it, then I recommend it for you.

I had never read any books by Ray Bradbury and knew of him only as a science fiction writer. I went into the book thinking of it as a science fiction book and was not excited at all about reading the book. The book started off slow and didn't have much activity until the end of the book. The more I read of the book, the more I wanted to read the book. By the last 30 pages or so, I could hardly tear myself away from the book. It was very well written, packed with discription. This book brought back many childhood memories of endless summers, non stop excitement, childhood innocence, and curiosity and exploration of life in general. Being 18 and reading this book will have a different meaning than someone who reads it at 40 or 50, but it is an enjoyable book for all to read.

I found the novel Dandelion Wine to act a link between adulthood and childhood. Bradbury easily allows the reader to travel back in time through his memories. Some of the memories are universal for young children, this is one of the reasons that most people who read this novel find it easy to relate. The content of the book was somewhat thrown everywhere, and this made it difficult to put together. Overall this is a faily good read. I feel that an older person would gain the most from a novel like this. As a college student I have yet to part with many of my childhood memories, I don't feel that I need a novel to bring me back to them. The final observation that came from this book is that after a point in childhood people begin to see that life is real, and that it will never be the same as it was when we were kids.

So far I have enjoyed reading Dandelion Wine. It is an excellent book that keeps you wondering and wanting to find out what happens next, full of magic and mystery. Young Douglas Spalding in the summer of 1928 has discovered that he is alive; he is learning to truly treasure life and to love his childhood as well as anticipate the years to come. Bradbury has a very poetic writing style which makes the book a nice read. Read this book to go on a wonderful summer journey, Bradbury's use of descriptive words will help you to feel like your actually seeing all the excitement going on in little Green Town. You'll learn to think about the small things in life and appreciate nature, You'll notice all kinds of things that you never really took the time to see before.

Wondering into a world of imagination is always an exciting adventure, however when that world is not that far from your reach it loses some of its luster. This book is absolutely a brilliant piece of work, right down to the last detail about a new pair of tennis shoes, and how they feel. I think that the older reader will get a lot more out of reading the book. I own the book and will keep it for a long time. When I am older and have not bought a new pair of tennis shoes in some time because other more important things need to be purchased, I will open this book and I will be taken to a wonderful world that I have not been to in a while. But for right now all reading the book does is prevent me from discovering and enjoying my life as Doug did.

Granted Bradbury wrote a story people can relate to. A Decriptive journal/ log of a childhood summer. The taste, smell, and the sights of a normal summer are contained in this book. Brabury took Summer and jarred it up like preserves. He pulls the Summer out of the jar (his memory) at any time he likes. Bradbury even gave us a taste of the Dandelion Wine on a hot steamy, sunny day. From the minted taste of deviled ham sandwiches in the woods, on the trail to the smell of Ms. Brown's iodined finger it is very detalied, yet some what confusing because a lack of orgainization, but what do you expcet from a little boys journal in the summer he writing and his mind is on so many events occuring in front of him. (smile)

To me I think "Dandelion Wine" is a great book to read. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat in anticipation for the events to come. The adventures with Doug and Tom keep me very attentive to what happensfollowing the different types of conflicts that they encounter throughout the novel. Although boring at some times, the exciting events which take place make up for all the "lost time." With exciting plots such as the unraveling of the murderer called 'the lonely one," and the discovering of the "happiness machine." I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend this novel to young adolescents who are either experiencing, or will expereince "rite of passage" either sooner or later.

Bradbury's prose is captivating. His descriptions of life through the eyes of a child fill the adult heart with a yearning to turn back the clock to the days of innocence and discovery, when even the most mundane aspects of life could come mystically alive. This story should serve to remind us that maybe the simpler outlooks on life are the most important. After all, one day we discover we're alive, and on another we realize that we will inevitably die. Since noone can tell with certainty when the latter will overtake us, we must fill the days between as meaningfully as possible.
Do yourself a favor - sit down to read this novel over a few balmy summer evenings and let yourself be taken back...

I thought this book by Ray Bradbury was very well written. I especially like how Bradbury used description in his writing. It made the book come alive and kept me interested. There were some very confusing points that kept me from giving this book a better rating, but that is the only reason. The way he wrote some of the parts makes you wonder if he was often speaking of his own childhood and relaying it to you through this novel. It seems that he had a childhood much like any other kid. I found numerous situations that I was able to relate with and really get a sense of what the character was feeling. Overall, this book is a great read. If you want to try and bring back memories of your past summers, or get away from the horrible weather of Western New York this book is great for that.

Ray Bradbury once wrote a book about a 12 year old boy and his summer experiences during 1928. Over the course of these three months, Douglas, and his younger brother Tom, do everything they possibly can from making dandelion wine, to buying new sneakers.
Unfortunately, I found this book to be nothing more than a series of events that took place over the coarse of one summer season. There is no storyline, no plot, and no climax. To be honest, there is nothing that keeps me reading this novel, aside from the fact that it is a school assignment
Still, it is true that in his book, Bradbury's themes with important philosophies such as life vs. death, as well as happiness. So I suppose there is a plot regarding the joys in life. Still, it was not enough to keep me interested.
In conclusion, I felt that while the themes in the book were interesting, the plot fell short. I give this Ray Bradbury novel two stars.

Dandelion Wine is a really great book to read. It gives you insights into the past, and at the same time helps you appreciate the world around you. One of my favorite parts in the book was when Doug (the main character) desperatly wanted a new pair of shoes and plotted to get them. He convinced the store owner to give him a pair of shoes by talking so fast that he confused the store owner. There are many incidents like this in the book, and many twists as well. One twist in the book I really liked was the lonely one. The lonely one is a man who lives by a ravine, and murders young women who are careless enough to go by the ravine at midnight. All in all, Dandelion Wine is an excellent book and I definately will read it again.

I have always had a respect and appreciation for Mr. Bradbury and since this book was about young kids growing up I thought it would be a refreshing read. I only had the endurance to read a few chapters. It was totally incoherent to me. It made no sense and was certainly not coming from the mind and intellect of a young kid. I read other reviewers comments on it that heaped it with high praise and accolades but I honestly don't see what anyone saw in this book that supposedly made it a great read.

I chose Dandelion Wine off of a list for my summer reading this past summer. Some of my friends had told me that it was an interesting book and that I should read it. I picked it up and right off the bat, I was extremely bored. I just didn't understand what the plot off the story was leading up to. Ray Bradbury wrote about a 12 year old boy named Douglas Spaulding and his adventures througout the entire summer of 1928. At some points in the book, I just plain felt lost and I had to re-read the section of the book again to half understanding it. I remember reading about Douglas convincing a shoesalesman to give him credit for his shoes by explaining the feeling of the first time that you put on a new pair of tennis shoes. I couldn't really relate to that at all, because he used so many metaphores that I lost track of what he was talking about. I did enjoy the subplot about a murderer that the locals called the "Lonely One". Woman after woman just kept ending up murdered, and the climax of this subplot is a neat twist on the whole situation. That was about the only part of the book that I actually enjoyed. Bradbury is a great sentence structure writer, but I found this book to be completely dull. I wouldn't recommend wasting your time on it.

I had to read this for an english class. I didn't want to but my parents made me. This book was deep and way out there but I've moved away from friends and my grandpa is very old. He wants to write this book and make lots of money so I kinda relate to some of this. I'd recommend it because it wasn't boring.

Ray Bradbury is an artist with words. Each sentence is filled with descriptive poetry. Open this book and you will become a 12 year old boy who has just discovered he is alive.
Spend the summer with Douglas and watch him find out that no matter how much you wish, life does not stand still. Douglas learns from the best source available: people. He finds a time machine in an old man and life in a new pair of sneakers.
If you're looking for a book filled with superficial, simple delights, this is not for you. If you're looking for a taste of childhood summer that has the occasional bitter tinge that comes with life, drink up!

This book was a mixture of high and low points. I found myself giggling as I read on and explored the world of this little 12-year-old boy but at the same time often bored with his never ending accounts of self exploration that to me seem so unrealistic for a boy the age of 12. Hearing his rambling thoughts on the world and it's workings and how tennis shoes somehow made it into the greater scheme of things brought a smile to my face, and just imagining two old ladies crouched up in their attic hiding from the police and their "motor scooter" hits me as one of the highest points of the book. However, for every undeniably humoristic moment, there was a nagging, boring moment to meet it waiting on some other page to make you wonder, is it really worth reading the rest of the book?

There is no science fiction in here- rather, it is so full of life. I've never read any book that captured boyhood innocence better than this one book. I almost cried in the sadder sections, and I was just as scared as the characters were in the Ravine. I've seen other stories based very much on the ravine- I think even Steven King stories have been based on that. Of course, the most popular writer of today could not come close to the writing of Ray Bradbury, who never got due credit.

I liked this book. It was about a 12 year old boy who realized that he was changing and his body was changing with him. This was not my favorite book, but it had a good lesson to it. I am glad that I got to read it. That is all I am going to say about it though, because I don't want to spoil it for you.

I can relate to Bradbury's sence of nostalgia very well even though I'm only 19. As I attend college and plan for the future I miss the innocence of childhood more and more. I'd recommend this book to anyone of any age who remembers a summer they'll always want to go back too.

Fiction. Dandelion Wine had its ups and downs. An up that got me excited was when Douglas was talking about a hidden creature in the forrest that was watching Douglas and Tom. This got me interested in the book. Then the book took a turn for the worse by describing about how Douglas, Tom and the rest of the family make their wine. The whole wine sceen was really boring for me. Then BAM! The story takes you in with informing you about the rituals preformed during their summer. I could really relate to this part of the book, because I had some of the same summer rituals. So if you like fiction books and you can relate to them easily, read this book!

Reading should not be a chore or a task, it should be for your own personal enjoyment and exploration! This book for me is just the opposite, just another class book.
Just another book I am required to read.
This book seems to ramble. You cant go one sentence without having a metaphor in it. It has some good themes with interesting points, but besides that it is not exciting. The language isn't realistic, but metaphoric.
I love good fiction, but this book just isn't. It's a dictionary, in fact half the time reading i was so confused that I actually had to look words up in the dictionary. {I never ever do that.}
This book doesn't seem too long, but while reading it feels like an eternity! In my mind, I see it as a book loaded with filler language, page after page after page. The character development is uninteresting. The book, when opened, looks menacing.
Personally, I think Ray Bradbury FAILED on this novel. I read "The Martian Chronicles" which is my absolute favorite novel of all time. This novel lacks the integrity of "The Martian Chronicles".
Ray Bradbury's language is very good at describing images, perhaps making him a good poet. But for books, I think he should stick with science fiction.
But with all that aside I enjoy how he can take a desolate place and bring life to it. His imagination and his happiness is hard to find these days. He is a priceless gem of knowledge and power. His novel was boring though.

Ray Bradbury is a masterful storyteller. His language is poetic and moving. Dandelion Wine is a metaphor for all of the feelings and emotions one can experience in summer. This book will make you laugh, cry, love, and remember your favorite childhood memories of summer.

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury is like a fine wine, it just keeps getting better with age. Living in New York State the change of seasons brings with it a change in the air, people emerge from their winter hibernation and birds, bicycles and the sun all say hello again. Almost without fail I find myself reaching for my worn 1973 paperpack edition of Dandelion Wine (the same edition that I bought back in high school), and uncork its pages to revel in the summer breeze of Ray Bradbury's masterful novel of youth, summer freedom, and the celebration of life. This is a masterful work, certainly in my personal top ten list as one of the best books ever written. Enjoy!

The book reads quickly and it is written very well. It must be difficult for a grown man to write from the perspective of a 12-year-old boy. Overall i thought that it was a good story and I would recommend this book to others. Also this book shows how you can grow up very fast in a short period of time. The main character in this story grew up rapidly in only one summer. Also it triggers memories from your own child hood which got me thinkin about my childhood and how much fun I had, and how much I miss it. Even though I'm only 19 years old after reading this book and thinking about my past I feel much older than I am.

There's no question that Ray Bradbury is a fantastic writer. Along with Clive Barker, Bradbury is at the very top of my list of the best imaginations ever. Fahrenheit 451 is a classic. The Illustrated Man is perhaps my favorite story collection ever. Sadly, Dandelion Wine was nowhere near as good as these books.

I went with three stars (and if I could I would probably go 2 and a half) because I equally liked and loathed this book. I think that many of the things I didn't like about this book are the exact reasons some people might love it. But to me the story was too disjointed, too all over the place, to actually be considered a novel. Maybe it's because I expected something way different than what actually happened. I expected a focused coming-of-age tale, and while there's some of that, I didn't expect that this book would really be an overview of an entire town, stories from different characters that had nothing to do with the plot on the back of the book. To me, the book felt like a whole lot of filler with a story thrown in on the side.

Also, there's Bradbury's writing. It's probably because I wasn't enjoying this book like I did Something Wicked This Way Comes that I found the prose aggravating. On the one hand, I'd be in awe of Bradbury's writing, his incredibly vivid story-telling, but most of the time I felt frustrated, silently telling him to get on with it already. I think the story wasn't good enough to mask the fact that the writing is too flowery, the adjectives and metaphors were soooo repetitive, as if even Bradbury can try too hard at times. Again, other people probably love these things as much as I disliked them.

I liked the book's nostalgia, and I enjoyed some of this book, but overall it was average.

Dandelion Wine is a book for the readers who love. I was not one. i think that for some it fits like a glove. I'll warn you, if you're worried if you like it, it's more of a slow, take-your-time book. I'll admit, I found some great words of wisdom in it. It's basically about a town during one summer, the stories mainly from the point of view of two pre teen brothers. it did not fullfil my reading tastebuds, when I was hoping for another Farenheit 451, yet Ray Bradbury shows his skill in writing and has made me stop and think. excellent for those of you who love 239 pages of adjectives.

The most important thing about this book is you can be anywhere,anyone,anytime to relate to mr Bradbury's vision of being young (not only in age but in spirit .Do yourself&your soul some justice and read this book even if you don't like it try it.....

My first introduction to this book was my 10th grade English teacher reading it to me. As corny as that seems I loved it. Even at that age I related to it. 15 years later I still love it. It is one of the few books I make a point to re-read every year.

Bradbury does an excellent job of capturing the feeling of summer. People of all ages can relate to the smell of cut grass, the taste of ice-cream on a hot day, catching fireflies, picking berries, and all the other typical events of summer. The vivid images in the book brought me back to the carefree, enjoyable summer days of my childhood. Reading this book helped me to recall my experiences as a tweleve-year-old. Dandelion Wine touches on some important aspects of life such as growth and the reality of death. It was a good book, but at some parts it was difficult to remain interested. It would have been better if there was more organization and flow to the book. It was all over the place and that is what caused me to loose interest. Despite this weakness, overall it was worth reading.

I first read this around 30 years ago after gulping down a dozen or so of the Bradbury sci fi books. I was tiring of him and ready to move on when I discovered this little gem. What a treat; I was transformed into seeing the world thru the eyes of a 12 year old boy, where new tennis shoes can make you fly, and the Civil War veteran is a living time travel machine, and the fortune-telling machine gypsy needs to be rescued from the evil arcade owner.

I reread this recently in preparation to read the recently released "Forever Summer." The magic is just as strong this time around.

Its protagonist may be a child, but this novel is not really suitable for a thrill-seeking, modern juvenile audience.

Dandelion Wine is an exquisitely realised contemplation of life and mortality, but its themes are both too subtle and too layered for a young reader. That's fine, really. This is a novel to be anticipated and appreciated as the reader matures.

As I grow older, and with each subsequent reading, I discover a deeper melancholy and richer ironies inthe text - so that rereading this book has become a special summer ritual for me.

I thought Dandelion wine, by Ray Bradbury,was a pretty good book. It brough me back to my own childhood and it made me realize how innocent and carefree being a kid really was. I'm in colloege now and its nice to look back and remember the good times. Since I'm away from home little things like relating to books keeps me in touch with home. Thats what this book has done for me. Seeing how Douglas changed so much in just one summer makes me think of my own experiences growing up. Some people say that reading this book when you're older will affect you more but I think it's great for any age.

Over the summer I was assigned to read Dandelione Wine, by Ray Bradbury. When I was reading this book I don't think I was in the right frame of mind to fully understand the book. I am not familiar with the complexities of science fiction writing. I thought the green machine was a real hovering craft, little did I know, it was apart of Doug's imagination. I could not identify with Doug because we live in two different time periods. Our lifestyles are the complete opposite. His life was so simple and ours is so diverse and complex. He lived on a farm and that is impossible for me to imagine. I really did not enjoy this book, but I intend to re-read this book in the future and try to see what I missed.

Being only 14, I can't quite go back as far just to dig out the memories of summer since I am only still writing them. This book you cannot only just read the surface, but read deeply and between the lines. No there is nothing literally between the lines but just to see how Mr. Bradbury deeply portraits his childhood. Carefree, living, and thought are words I use to describe this book. Just reading this book makes you feel even more alive and have a new thought on life. Read it and you won't be dissapointed.

This was my second reading. First, about 30 years ago - or more? It got an A+ the first reading, but this time the book had magically changed. The second reading had become more of a philosophy book, and less a story. This time, it was more about these super human boys (Douglas and Tom), full of awareness and maturity, yet innocent, way beyond their years. There is some neat philosophy, but by the time I finished, I had grown tired of the premise.

I have to admit that in school I was forced to read some of Ray Bradbury's science fiction stories and, not being a science fiction fan, decided I did not like him. Then one day a co-worker told me her favorite book was Bradbury's Dandelion Wine. I read it and found she was right. This is a book I have read again and again. Although it is set in 1928, long before I was born, it instantly takes me back to my childhood; the porch at my aunt and uncle's house, the feel of running barefoot and the sadness as Labor Day announced the end of summer. This is a book to treasure.

In this book Bradbury gives us the chance to go back to our childhood. He lets us relive the events that made us who we are and he also shows how maybe we grow up faster than we know. Even though you can get lost in this book it shows in the end that it was all about a child growing up rapidly in just one summer. Even though I am only 18 it gave me a sense of being older because it made me look back at "the good old days" when I though I was still living those days. Over all this book is good to read if you want to look back and relive your experiences.

I really enjoyed reading Dandelion Wine. It was easy to read because it was so interesting and intrigueing at the same time. I recommend it to anyone who wants to let their imagination take a trip back to the summer of 1928.

Had a difficult time time trying to get into this book, in fact I finally decided to end it at Chapter Three. Definitely would not recommend this book. This is only the second book I purchased and am hoping I do not find this to be typical. I love to read, but this one failed to hold my interest.

Dandelion Wine was the best book I had ever read. Ray Bradbury kept me at the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading. He wrote about a young boy named Douglas and his eventful summer. Events that occured were titled "The Green Machine", "The Lonely One", and more interesting and intriguing events. I am glad I was assigned to reading this book because it had a message to it. The message was to be more thankful and appreciative of life. This book should be read by more students and adults beacause it has a positive message to it.

I have been reading this book for the past week and am finding it quite confusing. I mean is this kid (Douglas) like traviling in and out of the bodies of family and friends? Whats the deal with the happieness machine? I am obtaining headachhes trying to comprehend this. Like an other said maybe it's b/c we're the younger generation that we don't underdtand it...

I don't know about this book I haven't really read that far into it but as of now (chapter 5) it is so confusing to me. As a sophomore in high school I really am not sure if this book is for all ages. Personally this book has not appealed to me. I was assigned this book to read for a book report and I haven't found it too interesting yet. I suppose I should give it a little bit longer before I give it up. But as of now it has been very confusing. I think that the first few chapters are very hard to follow because Bradbury skips from one thing to the other in every different chapter.

This is just one of many of Ray Bradbury's books that should be put in a time capsule. It captures better than any other the pure joy and wonder of youth. If you have read Bradbury only for the rockets and scares, you may not like this book. If, however, you have read Bradbury because of his unequalled writings, then you will love Dandelion Wine.

Ray Bradbury's book Dandelion Wine is a beautiful memory of a childhood. I am 15 years old, and I can really relate to Douglas Spaudling and his fear of change and death. Even though there are a few dark spots in the book, the overall point is about living, really living, about everyone's desperate will to be alive. I love the chapter about the new tennis shoes. Bradbury works his magic once again there, and I promise you that you'll never think of shoes the same way again. I will go back and read this book many times over, crying and laughing through this unforgetable summer of 1928.

I had to read Dandelion Wine by Ray Bardbury for my college class and write a review, so here it is. I know some people thought this was a good book but at times it was slow. I often felt bored reading this book and only skimmed over the pages I had to read for class. I do give the author credit for making me think back to my childhood. After reading this book, I remembered the good times when I was little, and how I miss living life carefree. I did, however, like some parts of the book. I loved it when Ray used suspense in his book. Ray Bradbury brilliantly wrote about the lonely one and he kept me at the edge of my chair hoping that Lavinia gets back to her home safely. All in all the book wasn't that bad.

found this book to be very insightful and full of revelations. The only problem with the book is that the author tends to wander. He almost seems to be trying to fill page at times. The descriptions that he provides are very profound, but he takes them too far, often going to deep. This method is not a very popular one with younger readers, such as myself. Bradbury would sometimes take as much as a page just to explain how a cow pie smells to the main character, (an eight year old boy in the 1920's) who is far too young to have the ability to think as insightfully as Bradbury depicts him. Overall, not a very good book, and not one that I would recommend.

As I read Dandelion Wine I couldnt help but remember my childhood. It brough back very vivid memories of my upbringing in my neighborhood. It brought back memories of summers past. I think that if I read it later in life it would have been more valuable to me especially wih the stress of a job and my childhood just a distant memory. It would help me go back to the neighborhood where I grew up. With the help of Bradbury I was able to take examples of his childhood and apply them to my own fond memories of growing up.

The book Dandelion Wine was not only an interesting and readable book, it also had lessons for life in it. At first the book might be hard to get into if you are not used to Ray Bardburies style of writing. However, once you get past that, it is an excellent book that I would recomend to mature groups. It does take a degree of comprehention and anilitical skills. I personally enjoyed this book emencily and went on to read many others of Bradburies books which I equally enjoyed.

I grew up in a small Midwestern town, hearing screen doors bang, smelling the summer air, playing in the ravine and sensing the presence of something just beyond what my eyes could see and my mouth could taste. I made a vow to grow up and try to describe this to other people. I could not because it was so elusive. Then I read Dandelion Wine. As an adult can't detect the presence of whatever that was anymore but I know it was real because Bradbury, and some of you, felt it too.

The prose is so perfect, it is poetry. The imagery so vivid, I can run with Douglas and his new sneakers, help him wake up the town from his grandmother's magical cupola, and taste the just right lime- vanilla ice on August 1st. With every chapter, there is a little bit of Bradbury, and a little bit of me. 1927 for Bradbury, 1969 for me. The magic in this book sustains me during cold Massachusetts Winters, and beckons me to reread it every Spring, in anticipation of the First Day of Summer.

For my advanced language class in seventh grade, we read the book Dandelion Wine. I think that it was a wonderful book,but it was difficult to understand at my age with all of the metaphors. I thought that it was very detailed and was a wonderful book that I would have never read if my language teacher hadn't asked us to read it. I highly recommend the book for people of all ages, but if you are younger then you won't appreciate it as much. I would read it again

I felt that this book had its ups and downs, mostly downs. At times I'd have to admit that it was catchy and interesting but then it had its times when a chapter would just go on about absolutely nothing. For example, in chapter ten it is all about the mom worrying and trying to find her son, boring. I think that if they changed the book and took out the boring parts by adding interesting or adventurous themes, people would enjoy it a lot better. Maybe I see this book differently than others, but that's just my own opinion. I would rather recommend this book to adults because it skips around, making it hard to follow when at the same time being boring.

I found this book to be interesting at times, but then it would go on for a chapter about absolutely nothing. I think that with a few minor changes I'd like it a lot more. I liked the theme of life but sometimes the theme would make you think a little too much and start to get confusing. Some things that the auther would say, I'm sure made good sence to him, but when i read it, it would make me insane. This book is for someone who likes fiction, someone who likes books that make you think. But me I like non-fiction books better, to me they are more interesting. So if you are like me and dont like fiction i highley don't reccomend this book.

This book is about the joy of life, and a young boys discovery that he is alive. A beautiful, emotional ride. I have read this book over and over. A good book for children to read, but the themes are really for adults.

Dendelion Wine is a fond, semi- biographical reminiscence of Ray Bradbury's youth in small town Illinois in the sumer of 1928. I can see why it's highly regarded- it is very well written, and evokes a definite sense of nostalgia and childhood wonder. But this type of book is not really my cup of tea, and I found it vey slow going.

Hi, I'm a student at Bais Chana, a Jewish all girl school, and we read "Dandeline Wine" it was a book abot a boy with an active imagination. Throughout the couse of the book, Dougles Saulding, the main character, finds out the meaning of life and death, and basically that life is full of surprises and dissapiontments. I enoyed this book of revelations, and discoveries, and hope you do to!

I think that it is sad that younger readers do not like this book. I am 18 now and I read this book for the first time when I was 12. I have read it many times since. I think that the book is enjoyable by people of all ages. Young readers can relate to Douglas' experiences, as can older readers. It is an all-around classic that, I believe, should be reccommended and read by all.

I purchased this book for my 13 yr. old son to read. I remembered reading it when I was in 9th grade and it quickly became a favorite of mine. I wanted my son to be exposed to good writing. I wanted him to have something in his repertoire besides required reading at school and the Harry Potter series. This book is absolutely magical, and Ray Bradbury at his best! I highly recommend it.

This wasn't the best book I have ever read, but it was ok. I didn't think they did a good job of introducing the characters because I couldn't get a visual picture of Doug and Tom in my head, which I felt would have made the begining of the book especially easier to read. By the time I got to the end though, the theme I realized was very important and I thought it was a great lesson! If the begining of this book was a little more exciting then I probably wuld have liked it a lot better.

Encompasses the feel of a bygone era with yearning, dread, awe, joy and mystery. Really captures the spirit of being young. I have had a few things published and I would have to say reading this book as a youth inspired me to TRY writing. Thanks, Ray!

I suppose it is because I am young that I don't partiularly find this book all that interesting. Bradbury seems to be reaching to find his childhood. I didn't find anything that struck a nerve to me. I'll read it 30 from now and see how I feel then. For now, I'll stick with "Farenheit 451."

I think that this book is very boring and it has no plot. Because I am a teenager I really don't appreciate this okk. I was forced to read it in English and I think that is why I didn't like this book.

I adore this book, and I have given several copies of it away to friends. I rank this as one of the best books I have ever read. It is very romantic and fills a person with joy and hope that life on earth is still sweet and still magical, despite all of the crust and nonsense we fill our heads and lives with.

Enjoy!

As a huge Ray Bradbury fan, I was honestly disappointed in this book. Maybe I was too excited about reading it and had unrealistic expectations. While it was a very sweet and nostalgic story and one that took me back to my idyllic summers in Lynchburg, Virginia in the 1960's, it ultimately seemed like a book that would be more appropriate for a middle schooler.

In Dandelion Wine, by Ray Bradbury, many stories take place but all revolve around the same group of people and the same town. The main character, Douglas, goes through some tough times which Bradbury portrays well. However, there seem to be too many different storylines which makes this book a little too complicated. At times also I got extremely bored with it, hoping something new would happen soon.

Dandelion Wine is about the author's memories as a child. Ray Bradbury put together this book of summer memories. It is a book full of different stories. The numerous metaphors and twists and turns make it a little confusing and tedious to read. Slow at times, Dandelion Wine is not a bad pick.

Dandelion Wine is a fairly good book. It is a very interesting book. Called "Sci-Fi" it just seems like fiction. The reason that this book didn't get 5 stars is that each new chapter is the starting of a new short-story. The short-stories are all linked together, meaning it's not a collection of short-stories.

First read this book as a boy. I read it ever summer. It is a time machine that takes me back to those magic days, as well as makes me appreciate the here and now. A celebration of life! It'll make you want to put on some tennis shoes and go running through the wilderness...

I know people who begin every summer with the ritual of reading this book. It has the relaxed, exciting, drowsy feel of a Midwest summer. It's the perfect book to sit with on your front porch, late in the evening, reading.

Dandelion WIne is certainly a rarity. It gave me such an imaginative feeling. It reminded me so much of my childhood. This book is so filled with imagination and paints such a perfect picture of childhood. Buy it. Read it. You'll thank me later. -Jared

I thought this book had alot of deeper meanings to it, yet hard to understand. The book was more like a lot of little stories - each with their own meaning, and lesson. You could really learn alot about life from all the little things it taught you. In general i thought this book to be deep and powerful, but hard to grasp.

This book was very boring at the first part because they had to introduce many characters. But, from the middle to the end was the best like the "lonely one" and the drama between Bill Forester and Helen. If you are planning to read this book, I suggest that you start from the middle because you would like the book beter that way.

Dandelion Wine is greatly exhibited through its pages. Each vignette has a moral to life. I enjoyed the characters immensly although Dandelion Wine is not one of my favorites. From within each story I saw similarities in my own life. Dandelion wine is an interesting yet choppy adventure.

Dandelion Wine is a book. It's not a bad book, it's not a good book. It's just a book. I personally think that the book lacked excitement and a plot that was less than sufficient. This book did not appeal to me in any way shape or form. Someone may find interest in this book though. If you care about feeling alive and how it affects you and summer rituals, I highly suggest this book to you. If those do not apply, I would try to avoid this book.

In this book the main character, Doug, is trying to explain to the extent of his knowledge the incredible summer of 1928. The book has various sub-plots and different people with even more personalities. It tell about how Doug's grandfather makes wine out of the dandelion's that they pick at the beginning of each summer. Bradbury enhances the plot further by adding a mysterious killer known as "The Lonely One". Although the killer may seem to make the plot more adventurous but actually it just drags it down. The book was not one of Bradbury's best, I am sorry to say, but it was a substatial book that keeps the reader interested for the most part.

My teacher read us this book in class and it is sTUPENDOUS! I love the tarot card witch, old mrs. bentley, the green machine and summer in a day! Our teacher is teaching us Bradbury's writing tecneiques. I <3 THIS BOOK!

I read this book for school, and i really didnt think it was that great. Im not a big reader in the first place, but this book didnt catch my eye. I thought it was to detailed and had to many similies and metaphors. It seemed like he never got to the point of the story. Im not writing this to tell you not to read it but to me it wasnt a very good book.

This book seems like a lot of tiresome whining, a halfwit paean to times simpler and less convenient. What is Bradbury saying -- that life was better when he was young and ignorant? If Bradbury couldn't write so well, nobody would have heard of him -- his thoughts, his ideas, they're poorly reasoned. Nostalgia, to me, is a primitive urge best avoided, as one should avoid this book.

"Dandelion Wine" and RB's "Something Wicked This Way Comes" are proof that some writers have the ability to take the reader from this moment today to this moment tommorow and back to this moment yesterday and ending up "whenever" and the reader knows that he/she has been there. Highly recommended...

Dandelion Wine was too . . . real for my tastes. Most of Bradbury's works have a fairly unreal (not quite the word I'm looking for, but it'll do) taste, which is what attracts me. This is more of a real-life story.

it was ok but it was much less than I expected from Ray Bradbury. I would not recommend it. go read the Percy Jackson series or something like that. Bradbury lost his touch as he got older if you ask me what I think.

I wanted to read the advanced book on the list of choices for summer reading 2 years ago. So, I chose Dandelion wine.

I was 12 then and I struggled through every page not understanding the plot or signifigance at all. To me it was a bunch of stories about different people in one town haphazardly thrown together with no discernable connection.

Maybe if I were to read it again today I could appreciate it better or at least understand it. But I was tormented by such extreme and utter boredom page by tedious page 2 years ago that I still loathe it with a vigorous passion.

The best experience I had with Dandelion Wine was using it to swat a particularily pesky mosquito.

I think this book makes people who read it want to keep their own nickel tablet. It gives you a warm feeling and make you want to look for all the magic in life. It's a great book for teens, or adults.

When i first saw the cover of the book, i thought to myself, this book looks like it's going to be boring, but i remebered not to judge a book by its cover, so read the first 4 chapters, and it actuaully was boreing, i wanted to stop reading the book because i didnt find it interesting, and their were parts in the book that tried to get the readers attention, like when the mom and her son look for Doug in the woods, and the thought the were getting chased by the "lonely one", when i first read that chapter i thought hey, this might get interesting, but i was wrong, it was boreing. I would of stoped reading this book if i could, but my teacher made me. I wouldent recomend this book to the younger readers, because me as a young reader found it really boreing, but praubably the older readers will enjoy for whatever reson.

This was way too poetic for my tastes. Never thought I would yearn for the clipped writing of Hemingway, but this is so ponderous and overwritten I had to put it down. I get the drift, he is coming of age and seeing the world with new eyes but Good Lord, could he tighten it up a bit?

My daughter has to read it for freshman Honors English this summer. What a bad start to high school. This is a book only an English Lit major could love. Trying to find the Cliff's Notes, but alas, there are none.

I'm a new fan of Bradbury. I love the incomparable Something Wicked This Way Comes and a whole heap of his short stories, The Illustrated Man and Golden Apples of the Sun to name my favourites so far.

I came to Dandelion Wine expecting to be mesmerised, but sadly, I just found the book was too easy to put down and rather hard to pick up again. There are some great ideas and interesting imagery, but the whole lacks a narrative thread to entice more thrill-seeking readers, and in the end, after four of five chapters, I just found the whole thing a little...well, dated.

In no way should this put people off Ray Bradbury. Those seeking a semi-romance about the state of childhood could do worse than to read Dandelion Wine. For me though, I much prefer his fantastical and dark works, and in the end, Dandelion Wine became too sweet and cloying for my tastes.

From the very start this book was confusing. The author had not been very clear on the setting. The book was skipping around to much. It never stayed or talked about one or a few main events throughout the book. It was a good book to read in the summer. It had the right words and summer type theme. But that was not enough to convice me that the book was good. If your into action pack type books then this book isn't the right book for you.

Most people will think of science fiction as futursitic Star Wars books, but as many experienced readers will know, science fiction covers a broad range of styles. "Dandelion Wine" is one of these, it is not science fiction. I personally thought this book was a waste of my time due to the confusing nature of it and has discouraged me from reading any of Bradbury's other works. Overall this book is too boring and uninteresting to read.

After reading The Illustrated Man and Fahrenheit 451, I decided to read Dandelion Wine. This book was, um, bad(should i go that far?) because there was not enough to make me want to read more. The book is, as we say, boring. No action, no drama, no nothing. There is an interesting topic about a Happiness Machine, but that was all that was able to catch my attention. Having a child read this book is like giving the death penalty to a man that jay-walks; it's not right. I am 15 yrs. old, and have the attention span of a monkey at a zoo. And this book requires patience, something most every teen does not have, along with grammatical skills. I was forced to read this in summer school. Maybe this book would be better if I didn't have to read it in class. In conclusion, if you're elderly, read this book, it'll bring back good memories. If you're young, go outside and shoot some hoops or something, because there is no way in heck you'll be able to enjoy this book in the summer.

Well when the book first started off; to me it was the kind of book that I wouldn't like I could see that. I would recommend this book to someone who is more into mystery. My opinion is that this book is one that I would never have chose to read if I would have known how it was. On the other hand if you are into mystery you would have no problem understanding the plot of this book. You would love this, but only if your into mystery.

Dandelion Wine is boring as heck. Its really good in imagery, metaphors, and all that other literary devices but its boring because its just about a summer of a boy named Douglas and his discoveries of life and death...

I had a hard time focusing on this audiobook. It was pretty dull and I found myself thinking of other things and not paying attention to the words. It wasn't nearly as captivating as Bradbury's sci fi stories. I was so bored I could barely finish it.

I read this book and was real real surprised to find that it wasn't about wine at all. I was hoping to learn how to make some wine out of all those dandelions out there in the yard, but no, this book is about little boys and stuff. Now, I really enjoyed it. I did. I even gave it a buncha knishes and possibly even a latke when I rated it on The Gilda Sue Rosenstern Computer Internet Show's "Used Book Club." I just wasn't planning on staying sober this long.

Dandelion Wine written by Ray Bradbury is a terrible novel. It skips around and the pieces just don't fit together. The book tries to include magic toward the ending of the novel, while the rest of the novel is reality. Douglas Spaulding is a 12 year old boy who is half crazy. This book will bore you greatly. I suggest not to read it.

I had to read this book for Honor English Eight, and all I really have to say is it's ok. I didn't like the witchcraft in it and the first chapters were confusing. Once I got to the middle of the book it got more interesting and easier to understand, and one part and the end didn't make much sense...
So not bad, not great. I don't think I would read it again.
On a positive note, the imagery was good and the one chapter with the ladies being scared of the Lonely One was interesting.

This is the only book I've ever thrown across the room and stomped on when I finished it. It was incredibly frustrating to read as a high school student. Absolutely nothing happened. I did not care at all about the main character, 12-year-old Douglas. In fact, I honestly wished he would die when he got sick towards the end, just so something would HAPPEN. Maybe I'll enjoy this book when I'm seventy and have nothing better to do than reminisce about being a kid, but having to read it at fifteen was so excruciating that I never want to touch it again.

This is without a doubt, the absolute worst book i have ever read in my life. Let me tell you i have read some horrible books that are pointless and have no relation whatsoever to life. However this one takes the cake. This isn't just a boring book. I have read books that were well made but are just boring to me such as Rebecca, Kidnap, and Great Expectations, but this book has no plot. Dandelion Wine is 239 pages of description. Some of the chapters include the character Douglass buying a pair of shoes, picking grapes, and brushing his teeth. This, as you can see, is quite "thrilling". I would rather take medicine than read this.

Hurrah! I have escaped Dandelion Wine's clutches for ever more! I have finished the book! Huzzah! Hurrah! Now let's burn it!

Seriously though, the book was a waste of time. Boring as hell, the main idea to the book was a boy realized he was alive. Yes, my friends, he realized he was alive. Filled to the brim with pointless stories of the town folk this book, badly needed an editor to smack Ray Bradbury upside the head and ask what the hell he was thinking or what he was smoking when he wrote certain parts. Peppered with improper grammar and a few spelling errors, it frustrates the common Grammar Nazi even more.

Obviously, this book is the cure for insomnia. At the mere mention of this book you may yawn and feel drowsy. I know I did. I'm getting sleepy now just thinking about the book. You have to fight to stay awake so much while reading it you can hardly concentrate on the mediocre text. This book would serve well as a pillow than reading material.

Why my teacher had us read this book I don't think I'll ever know. Possibly she wanted to expose us to bad literature and how to avoid it. Maybe she's a nut and actually enjoyed it. Who knows? All I know is don't read Dandelion Wine.

Douglas Spalding's "magical" adventures in the summer of 1928 are, in one word, boring. This book has been far too laden with metaphors, similes, and "beautiful" wording. Personally, Bradbury would have been better as a garbage collecter rather than a writer. Oh wait, that's right, he is a garbage collector, one of words.

This book is filled with nothing but a collection of tedious scenes, strung together by nothing. There is no plot, no "growth". Trying to read this book was as close to getting a colonoscopy as anything else I have ever experienced. Should be used by the FBI for torture.

I would rate this dook low becuase although it had one or two exciting parts the majority of the book was confusing or the auther would stay with one topic too long which would cause the flow of the book to be disrupted. In this book Douglas Spaulding , a 12 year old boy , that has to deal with many hardships. Which are , his grandmother dieing , his best friend moving away and to him the end of summer. He does has is highpoints too , for example he discovers many ideas that he thinks he has thought up of on his own. Some of those ideas were , that older people were never young or when the authour decribes how Doug feels that he is alive. To me that whole statement about becomming alive was a confusing section to me. Finally , I would not recomed this book because the downsides out weighed the interesting parts , but overall if you like Ray Bradbury's work then by all means read the book.