9 best books by Ray Bradbury
Everybody knows Ray Bradbury, even those who have not read the works of the author. The name of this man has long gone beyond the fiction genre. Today he is a recognized legend of foreign literature. Once, due to poor eyesight, Ray could not get into military service, he endured the cold war that was taking place, but he still managed to overcome difficulties and build a brilliant career that lasted more than seventy years. A large number of stories, plays, as well as novels, some of which were included in the list of books to be read, came out from the writing pen.
Bradbury saw how modern society is increasingly fascinated by various gadgets and technologies, so he genuinely feared that at some point it would lead to disastrous consequences. The author devoted his dystopias to this topic and was against the electronic format of publications of his works.
Our experts have prepared a rating that includes 9 books by Ray Bradbury, which everyone should familiarize themselves with.
Rating the best books of Ray Bradbury
| Nomination | a place | title of the work | rating |
| Rating the best books of Ray Bradbury | 1 | "451 degrees Fahrenheit" | 5.0 |
| 2 | "Dandelion Wine" | 4.9 | |
| 3 | "Martian Chronicles" | 4.8 | |
| 4 | "Summer morning, summer night" | 4.7 | |
| 5 | "A Sound of Thunder" | 4.6 | |
| 6 | "Man in Pictures" | 4.5 | |
| 7 | "All summer in one day" | 4.4 | |
| 8 | “Trouble is coming” | 4.3 | |
| 9 | “Death is a lonely affair” | 4.2 |
"451 degrees Fahrenheit"
Author of the book: Ray Bradbury
Rating: 5.0
Lead a futuristic novel, one and the most famous writer. The product is part of the middle school curriculum. The book was written in just nine days, in the early fifties, but relevance is not lost over time, but increases. Ray was an advocate for libraries and paper books. He was afraid that people would completely stop reading literature. Bradbury set out his fears and vision for the future in the pages of the work.
The reader is presented with a world filled with thoughtless entertainment, where everyone’s eyes are fixed on the TV. People do not communicate with each other, do not reflect and do not need literature. Now the firemen need not to put out the flames, but to burn books that have become an anachronism. In an interview with The Associated Press at the beginning of the two thousandth, the writer will say that the novel is based on real facts and on the hatred that is felt towards those who burn books. The name has a special meaning, since 451 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature at which the paper burns.
Dystopia talks about the government, which prohibits people not only to read, but also to store any works, and this is done ostensibly for good. The main character, Guy Montag, once meets a young woman who has rediscovered the world and made her look at familiar things from a different angle. Working for a totalitarian state as a firefighter brings Montag to one of the houses where the books were found, but instead of burning everything, the hero takes part of the works home, as he experiences inexplicable cravings and interest. Guy hides literature behind a ventilation grate.When he sees a woman burning herself in one of the shifts, he decides to quit his job, but first he takes only one hospital who wants to spend on understanding what is happening and studying the books stored in the house. For help, the hero turns to old Faber, who has met in the park. After discussion, they conclude an agreement on saving books. So Guy goes to the camp of the resistance. Having got involved in this dangerous game, he becomes a renegade, and now his house, after the report of the neighbors, must be set on fire. How will the hero get out of this situation? Will surrender under pressure from the authorities or continue to fight?
"Dandelion Wine"
Author of the book: Ray Bradbury
Rating: 4.9
The second line gets partly autobiographical story, whose actions take place in the late twenties, in an imaginary place called Green Town. The place has a prototype - the author's hometown, Waukegan in Illinois. The reader will be able to live one summer with a twelve-year-old boy, Douglas, and his ten-year-old friend. From the pages of one finds out what events can occur in three sunny months.
The story begins with descriptions of the routine of the American province. Of the simple pleasures, it’s only possible to make wine from dandelion petals. This process becomes the central action of the story. Wine becomes not just a vessel for liquids, but also a metaphorical bottle for storing the joys of summer. Even despite the absence of the usual science fiction topic for many readers of the Bradbury books, the magic of ordinary life situations that revolve around the boy and his friend is fascinating. It is impossible to re-experience such feelings and emotions at another age, so the guys hope that now positive emotions along with dandelion wine are hidden in ninety bottles.
The story consists of several small mini-stories, interconnected by heroes. Numerous reviews and reviews indicate that readers are amazed how accurately the author conveyed the summer atmosphere. For example, a scene with a hanging swing, near which the whole family gathers at sunset time, watching the setting sun and listening to crickets with cicadas. No need to try to read the product excitedly, because, trying page after page like a sip by sip, everyone will remember their own childhood, filled with inexplicable magic. Suitable for a wide readership.
"Martian Chronicles"
Author of the book: Ray Bradbury
Rating: 4.8
The third position gets a novel, which became its debut in the fiftieth year. This book brings Bradbury universal fame. The story is about people militantly colonizing the utopian Martian nation. The work consists of a chain of interconnected stories, and everyone makes fun of the social problems that were relevant at that time and remain so to this day - a super-struggle for power over the planet, capitalism, racism, etc.
From the first pages it is clear that this is not about Mars, but about the Earth, the destruction of which the people themselves are engaged in. The action begins in the late nineties, when a huge rocket is built, capable of overcoming sixty million light years to fly to the red planet. In winter, they organize an expedition consisting of brave souls who ventured first to embark on a dangerous journey. At the same time, the author introduces the reader to a Martian resident - Mrs. K. She has been dreaming about aliens for several nights. Sharing her fears with her husband, the woman mentions the name of a stranger, Nathaniel Yorke, who is among the invaders. Mr. K laughs at the whims of the second half, because people with pale skin and light blue eyes cannot exist and there is no life on Earth because of the inconsistency of the atmosphere. On Earth, meanwhile, wars do not stop and destroy more and more cities. America is bombed every now and then, and Australia almost went under water from constant explosions.People run to Mars for salvation, but find doom. Expedition after expedition suffer defeat, getting into strange circumstances. The reader will find out whether people will be able to colonize the red planet and what difficulties they will encounter.
The book is written in an interesting, accessible language and therefore read easily. It will interest all lovers of space travel, as well as people who want to look at the modern world through Ray Bradbury’s metaphors.
"Summer morning, summer night"
Author of the book: Ray Bradbury
Rating: 4.7
In the fourth place in the ranking, an amazing piece, about which one critic said that he was drunk no worse than “Dandelion Wines”, refreshing like an apple and apricot, like water, which you start to swallow with thirst, waking up in the middle of the night, from a cool tin bucket. Readers will plunge into the unique atmosphere of the city of Greentown, where summer does not end. The book is a collection of stories, altogether twenty-seven of them, carrying a deep meaning and mood of warm days.
Each story is filled with simplicity and ease, however, there is a downside, otherwise it would not be so interesting. Stories combines the author's style of writing. Plunging into a book, you learn the fate of heroes, intertwined with the green of nature, love and death. In the reviews, they note that the most weighty were the stories “A cry out of the ground”, “All Summer in One Night”, “Fireflies”, “Anything Happens”, “Miss Bidwell”, “Seven People”, “Autumn Day”, “In June, at the dark hour of the night "," There and back "," Summer walk "and" At the end of summer ". All stories in the collection look like a single whole, although they tell about different people and events. In one - the wonderful allegories of the fire and the love of a young girl; in the other - the heartfelt love story, for which the difference in age is not a barrier, and even quite the opposite; still in one - emotional non-indifference; in the next - the thrill of feelings and experiences. Everywhere there are different endings, destinies, important life segments. Some of the heroes are spinning in a furious dance, while others are quietly and measuredly listening to echoes of the past.
Here are genuine feelings and emotions that the reader will live through, experiencing that sympathy and solidarity, then fear and excitement. On the pages of the collection will meet familiar characters "Wine from dandelions." The book is perfect for those who love this novel. We advise you to read in cloudy cool weather in order to lighten the mood and feel the summer breeze filled with aromas of herbs and flowers.
"A Sound of Thunder"
Author of the book: Ray Bradbury
Rating: 4.6
The fifth is a story telling about a passionate hunter who has become an ordinary safari, so he goes back in time with the desire to hunt for a dinosaur. The rules are strict, they allow to kill only one animal. The story is based on a theory called the “butterfly effect”, which says that even minor changes in the past can have disastrous consequences for the future. At the time of writing the story of this term did not exist, therefore, the product was previously attributed to the theory of chaos. At the beginning of the two thousandth took place the film under the same name.
Amateur hunter Eckels was informed by the head Travis about the rules - you can not go with a special anti-gravity track, because even stepping on a blade of grass, you can run a chain of irreparable changes in the future; they allow to kill that tyrannosaur, who will soon die for natural reasons; in the end, it is necessary to remove the traces of their stay in the past, including bullets. At first everything went according to plan, until the dinosaur met. Eckels did not expect to see such a huge beast. Being greatly frightened, the protagonist leaves the path and runs wherever they look. While the rest of the group is fighting a dinosaur, he gets into the time machine. Returning from a journey, hunters discover global change. Not the president, the language, even the man and the atmosphere of the Earth.Eckels notices that on one of the shoes a crushed butterfly that he accidentally crushed when he got off the path. Realizing all the horror, Eckels decides to go back and fix everything, but Travis takes a gun.
“And the thunder struck” - inexorable, as a temporary flow, a harsh work, showing that some actions and mistakes cannot be made, because afterwards it will not be possible to turn back to once again live a moment. The story is instructive and thought-provoking human thirst for empty, and sometimes stupid and dangerous entertainment.
"Man in Pictures"
Author of the book: Ray Bradbury
Rating: 4.5
The sixth position gets a collection consisting of eighteen stories of popular science topics, written in the early fifties. The author tries to look into the human essence in order to understand and describe the causes of certain actions. The struggle between psychology and technology is only increasing, and at the same time the reader is introduced to the life of a tattooed tramp, in other words, a man in pictures. Bradbury took this character from a previous compilation called The Dark Carnival.
Critics unanimously declare that “The Man in Pictures” is a compilation of the creative forces of the writer. Raised on the pages of the topic in the future will form the basis of Ray's fantastic philosophy. The stories are united by one storyline about an ornamented person, the pictures on the body of which come to life at night, revealing to the reader some amazing, sometimes creepy and fearful predictions of the future. All stories are sketches from the tramp's body. Before eyes will appear: frightening Veld; a city infiltrating people; chilling puppet, dreaming to take the place of the originals; the coming of Jesus to Mars will happen; the eternal rain of Venus will pour; writers will move to the red planet along with the heroes of their works. There will be a lot of fantastic, beautiful and terrible at the same time.
The collection is filled with the magic of the cosmos and human vices. In the reviews, readers especially note six stories: “Other times”, “Veld”, “Urgent hour”, “Concrete mixer”, “Cats and mice”, “Cosmonaut”. The book will appeal even to those who are not interested in fiction or are quite calm about this genre.
"All summer in one day"
Author of the book: Ray Bradbury
Rating: 4.4
The seventh line goes to the story of child cruelty. The story goes about a situation that occurs not only among children, because the feeling of black envy and the desire to make another meanness is present in people of all ages.
A simple plot is twisted around a girl who has become an outcast in the classroom. The described school is located on Venus, where there are endless rains and the sky is covered with dark blue and heavy clouds, hanging low over passing. The sun appears here every seven years and then for several hours. Of all the students, only Margo saw the sun. The little girl lived poorly on a rainy planet, especially with memories of the heat radiated by a large yellow disk; about the snow-white weightless clouds floating on the soft blue sky; about the warming rays of the skin; about the games in the shop in the open air, not in the damp underground corridors. Envy and hatred settle in the hearts of children, who were hurt that they did not see the cherished star in the sky. Such feelings are pushing for a cruel act towards Margo. In the reader, this may cause condemnation, but Bradbury shows that things are not so simple and, perhaps, in other circumstances, the students did not do this. But the truth remains unshakable - the situation has occurred. Repentance overtakes only when dark, wet streets illuminate the first Sun in the life of children, but nothing can be fixed.
Despite the fact that the story is short, after a long time will not be able to let go of the experience. In the reviews and reviews say that every line here is filled with meaning, which you can think about for hours. Suitable for a wide readership.
“Trouble is coming”
Author of the book: Ray Bradbury
Rating: 4.3
The eighth is another short story-parable. Unlike the previous one, it will be about ominous events that terrify. The eerie carousel will turn around when the first visitors enter the Mirror Maze. The festive carnival will turn into tragedy, and the small city, the venue, will be at the mercy of evil forces. Only residents with a pure heart and soul can save themselves and help others escape from becoming terrible zombies.
The reader will meet on the pages of a man in pictures and an old witch with wired centuries, as well as many other monsters living in a mobile amusement park. A seemingly ordinary tarp - the black wings of an ancient bird; in the cages there is the smell of wild bloodthirsty animals, the carousel rotates in the opposite direction, and the mirror maze lures and does not let go. Promises of free tickets and fun dope the citizens living in anticipation of the upcoming event. If not two boys, friends, everywhere and always following one after another, everything could have ended very badly. Comrades, one with white hair like fluff, and the other with black like a thistle, reveal the terrible secret of carnival and the evil that he carries with him. The author from the first pages gradually builds fear, preparing the reader for something that should happen.
This story is about the eternal battle of good in the face of light against evil in the face of darkness. Bradbury filled the story with symbolism, for example, the boys Willie Halway and Jim Knightshel - light and shade, which means it is a difficult choice in the life of every person. The main negative character, Mr. Dark, is the concentration of misfortunes and misfortunes, which can be defeated only with knowledge, kindness, mercy and smiles, because: “do not try to let your grief seize your tears, it will sew you up with smiles” We recommend reading to all, especially adolescents.
“Death is a lonely affair”
Author of the book: Ray Bradbury
Rating: 4.2
Closes the rating of a detective novel, whose actions take place in California in the late forties, in a city called Venice. A series of brutal murders, unequivocally related to each other, was committed. They attract the attention of a young novice writer (prototype Bradbury). Together with detective Elmo Crumley, the writer is trying to clarify the circumstances of the incident. The book is based on real murders committed in Los Angeles from the forty-second to the fiftieth year. Bradbury then lived there and with undisguised interest followed the story.
Events begin to unwind with a rainy evening, when the writer rides a tram and hears a cry: “Death is young!”. After that, in the channel, he discovers a male corpse. Upon arrival at the police station, trying to prove that death was not accidental. But the investigator is skeptical at first, and only when the corpses appear one after the other, does the investigation of the series begin. The protagonist, as a creative person, is a little different from this world, his perception of the environment is completely different, occurs on some other level. Crumley is also an unusual detective, so the two of them worked together from the first minutes. The characters have a strong resemblance, they need each other to bring the matter to a successful end. True, this does not exclude disputes and disagreements. Dialogues of heroes are filled with sparkling jokes and caustic remarks, so they are especially interesting to read.
The book is full of subtle humor, and even against the backdrop of the tragedy of what is happening there is something to smile or laugh. As many readers say, the author wrote a work in the noir style. And the highlight of the text was the atmosphere and interesting comparisons. The detective story line, though unwinding slowly, sharpens the intrigue with every turn, keeping attention. Recommended to all lovers of detective genre.
Attention! This rating is subjective, is not advertising and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you should consult with a specialist.
