The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Halloween Tree
Book Review: A New Halloween Tradition!
Summary: 5 Stars
There's a certain honesty to Bradbury's writing. The Halloween Tree exudes memories of Halloween as a child. I fell back into my childhood when reading this one and that chill in the air on Halloween night came alive. He did the same thing with Something Wicked This Way Comes. He truly has a gift for capturing the spirit of the fantastic.
The Halloween Tree is the tale of 9 boys and their adventure through the history of Halloween throughout the world. A group of friends gather on Halloween night, dressed in their costumes, to meet their friend Pipkin for trick-or-treating. Pipkin isn't looking right but sends his friends on their way and tells them to meet him at a house at the end of town...he'll be there soon dressed in his costume. They arrive at a house that's shroud in mystery and after knocking on the door things get strange. They discover a tree...a Halloween Tree that is lit up with hundreds of jackolanterns. A man rises from the leaves surrounding the tree...he's the owner of the house, named Mr. Moundshroud.
Pipkin finally comes running to catch up with his friends when he's swept up by a dark cloud and disappears. Mr. Moundshroud leads the remaining 8 friends on a chase through Halloween traditions celebrated the world over. There journey starts in Ancient Egypt where they witness the traditions associated with Osiris and continues all the way through Mexico's Day of the Dead. In between they visit the gargoyles of Notre Dame and the Druid god, Samhain to name a couple. They travel through all these places to find their friend, Pip, while learning about the traditions associated with their costumes along the way.
There's also a wonderful theme of friendship throughout this book and that's a theme that is seen in everything I've read of Bradbury's. He writes such heartwarming stories in the midst of such creepy stories. The ending to this book is quite endearing and well worth the read just for that.
A favorite line: "When you reach the stars, boy, yes, and live there forever, all the fears will go, and Death himself will die." I thought that was just beautiful. A bit morbid that it should be my favorite line, but the words are just perfect.
Book Review: A Wonderful Little Story..
Summary: 5 Stars
True this is is a kid's book but I was highly pleased by it. It was an honest and indepth look at life and death; using how people celebrated and look at death from all different centuries and customs. But also too, it celebrated friendship. The group of boys were willing to do what they could for their dying friend. So this book maybe a children's book but it deals with topics that all people of any age can relate to.
Also, I really want to commend the language used. It is poetic with a big wallop of nostalgia, which this being the second Bradbury book I've read, I think is hallmark. It really captured the innocence of Halloween night to a group of boys and also captured other things as well.
It's a wonderful little story, like the subject line said.
Book Review: A haunting search and rescue mission on and about Halloween
Summary: 4 Stars
The story begins (p 3) "In a small northern part of a midwestern state," on a Halloween night as eight boys, including thirteen-year-old Tom Skelton, meet for trick-or-treating and (p 4), "The wind outside nested in each tree, prowled the sidewalks in invisible treads like unseen cats." Their friend Pipkin, who (p 6) "never missed Halloween in a zillion years" doesn't show. Pipkin (p 9), "the greatest boy who ever lived" his hands (p 11) "mittened with dust and the good smell of airedales and peppermint and stolen peaches from the far country orchards" is ill but promises to catch up with them later. They proceed to a sinister looking house (p 17) "special and fine and tall and dark" and from there see the Halloween Tree with its (p 25) "thousand smiles," "thousand grimaces," "twice-times-a-thousand glares and winks and blinks and leerings of fresh-cut eyes." From a pile of leaves within the yard rises Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud who offers to take them on a journey to (p 39) "Search and seek for lost Pipkin, and solve Halloween, all in one fell dark blow," after they their friend in the distance crying for help. They travel back in time 2000 years B.C. to Egypt, the location of their first lesson (and another of several sightings of Pipkin), then to see (p 72) "Samhain! October God. God of the Dead!" and the Romans (p 79) "Gods following gods. The Romans cut the Druids, their oaks, their God of the dead, bang! down! And put in their own Gods, eh? Now the Christians run and cut the Romans down!" After a stop at Notre Dame they reach their final destination in solving Halloween: Mexico. They learn about The Day of the Dead and are offered a (p 130) "grave bargain" a monumental sacrifice from each boy to their guide to assure the safe return of their friend. He tells the boys his view of Halloween (p 138), "Night and day. Summer and winter, boys. Seedtime and harvest. Life and death." The Halloween Tree is an original, slightly creepy, entertaining story, which incorporates facts of the history behind the holiday. Probably best previewed by parents due to mature themes and topics and appropriate for ages ten and up.Book Review: A spiced cider tradition
Summary: 5 Stars
Make no mistake- this is not a children's book. Nor is it an adult book. Rather, THE HALLOWEEN TREE is a book for everyone. The writing is simple and swift enough for a child, but complex and engaging for the adult. It's a Halloween tradition that everyone should instill on with their families... as nostalgic as spiced cider, apple bobbing or trick-or-treating on an October afternoon in the smoky pumpkin air.Book Review: Absolutely Gorgeous!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I first tried to read this book when I was around the suggested reading age (about 12 years old). Now that I'm 18 I finally tuly appreciated this masterpiece. Never before have I seen the true essence of Halloween captured on paper so perfectly. Life and death, night and day, Autumn and Summer, courage and friendship, Halloween and all it's components are presented to the reader in fantastic imagery that will transport you back to those Halloween nights that we miss so much. The nights when you could taste the magic in the air. Bradbury is an artist and these 145 pages are his canvas. If you are a true fan of Halloween or want to become one this book is for you.