Each word and phrase chosen and placed with such deliberate precision that it feels effortless to the reader, even the young at whom the novel is directed. What makes it truly outstanding is his inimitable sense of style and unforgettable surrealistic imagery.

The Halloween Tree is a fast-paced, simple fairy tale that would be delightful in the hands of many wonderful writers, but Bradbury was a master of his craft. Because they share most of the same plot points, let us explore both at the same time, reveling in the magic of each. The basics of the plot remain more or less the same in both, but the details and execution in each make both vital. In this case, both are so wonderful for different reasons that neither feels extraneous. So often when it comes to books and the movies based on them, one is clearly superior. In 1993, the Hanna-Barbera company produced an animated special based on the novel for the ABC network written and narrated by Bradbury himself with Leonard Nimoy voicing the mysterious Mr. It is also well worth mentioning that the illustrations by Joseph Mugnaini, a frequent collaborator of Bradbury’s, are astounding. Be that as it may, it is enchanting for readers of all ages.

Though he had written several other pieces dealing with childhood and growing up in a small town, this is his only novel that is aimed directly at children as its primary audience. With the seminal dark fantasy masterpiece Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962) and the latter career work A Graveyard for Lunatics: Another Tale of Two Cities (1990) on either side, The Halloween Tree is the middle installment in a loose Halloween trilogy by the author.

Though he only wrote a few novels and stories that could truly be classified as horror, those few are legendary and most revolve around what he often named his favorite holiday-Halloween. Books like The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451 along with dozens of short stories had already proved him deserving of the title. Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud promises “not Treat…Trick! Trick!” to the children in his presence after they ask their traditional question, but Ray Bradbury’s The Halloween Tree, both in its novel and animated film form, offers plenty of each.īy 1972, Bradbury was already well on his way to becoming the Grand Master of Science Fiction that the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America would officially name him in 1988.

The halloween tree