Halloween Tree Review By William Brian Johnson

The Halloween Tree By Ray Bradbury

 

Review and Guest Post By William Brian Johnson

 

They thought of All Hallows' Night and the billion ghosts-a-wandering the lonely lanes in cold winds and strange smokes.

Looking for a good creepystory for Halloween?

 
It was a small town by a small river and a small lake in a small northern part of a Midwest state. There wasn’t so much wilderness around you couldn’t see the town. But on the other hand there wasn’t as much town you couldn’t see and feel and touch and smell the wilderness. The town was full of trees. And dry grass and dead flowers now that autumn was here. And full of fences to walk on and sidewalks to skate on and a large ravine to tumble in and yell across. And the town was full of…Boys.
And it was the afternoon of Halloween.
And all the houses shut against a cool wind.
And the town full of cold sunlight.
But suddenly, the day was gone.
                                                                       

Eight boys are on the search to find their sick friend, Pipkin. 

A strange, tall man, Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud is their tour guide for the night.  This creepy ferryman takes the boys through time to distant civilizations that marked the changing of the seasons and the cycle of life.  In this journey, the boys find the true meaning of Halloween and the spirit of the season. 

This book shows the history of Halloween and provides it in the packing of a children’s book. Originally Bradbury wrote this for Chuck Jones to produce as a cartoon, but it was not animated until 1993.  Ray Bradbury won an Emmy for the script, but was unsatisfied with the movie. 

Ray Bradbury’s ‘The Halloween Tree’ is a book I will reread as the maple leaves begin to dye blood red, as the wind grows cold, and as night realizes its victory against the ailing sunlight.  This is a book to be read aloud to not only bring the season, but sooth the ghosts that haunt us and surround us.

William Brian Johnson is a writer, storm chaser, and an evil version of Robert Fulghum.  You can follow his misadventures at http://fatherthunder.blogspot.com/  and his storm chasing at www.ruminationofthunder.com.  Mr. Johnson’s novel ‘Hell to Pay’ is available through Amazon in e-book or paperback:  http://tinyurl.com/4yzb32k.
 

The unreleased Chapter 0 is available for free: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/118371