The Halloween Tree
What's the Story?
A fast-moving, eerie...tale set on Halloween night. Eight costumed boys running to meet their friend Pipkin at the haunted house outside town encounter instead the huge and cadaverous Mr. Moundshroud. As Pipkin scrambles to join them, he is swept away by a dark Something, and Moundshroud leads the boys on the tail of a kite through time and space to search the past for their friend and the meaning of Halloween.
What's the Buzz?
"Eight boys in costume, turned loose on their small town on Halloween night. A haunted house. A giant tree full of Jack-o lanterns that light up and grin out at the night. A mysterious man named Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud to tell them the "wild long history of Halloween." - Tip of the Iceburg
"Death may be our greatest mystery, but ... The Halloween Tree illuminates the subject with a ghostly pumpkin candle whose light remained with me long after the tale was over, which is one sure mark of a good book." - SFF Audio
"In this book, Ray Bradbury offers a very insightful analysis of the meaning of this holiday, and through it an analysis of human nature in itself. All of this is written in Bradbury’s customary beautiful style, and wrapped in a very atmospheric and gripping story. - Things Mean A Lot
"The Halloween Tree gives a great insight into why we celebrate Halloween the way we do, but I just didn’t enjoy the narration. The rhythm felt very “sing-songy” to me and I just thought it was over all just plain weird." - MAW Books
"If there’s one thing that stands out in The Halloween Tree, it’s Bradbury prose. .. It’s like the prose itself were a twelve-year-old boy dressed up on Halloween and running through the town. It picks you up and sweeps you back to a time and place you may never have known but, somehow, know. It’s a part of the human DNA." - Scott D. Parker
"I loved The Halloween Tree when I was a kid; the descriptions sucked me in until all I could see where pictures inside my head instead of just black ink on paper." - More Vikings
"Get The Halloween Tree. Save it for a dark and stormy night. Then turn off all the lights and read it by flashlight. Listen to the wind howl and let the memories of all the pumpkins you’ve ever carved keep you company as Bradbury unfolds his ghostly tale of innocence lost but never forgotten." - Jenn's Bookshelves
Where can I learn More?
Ray Bradbury's official site has a bio and a huge bibliography plus a few other extras.
Is That All?
In 1993 The Halloween Tree was turned into an animated Halloween special narrated by the author. The film hasn't been released to DVD, but it still shows up late at night (or early morning depending on your point of view) on cable in October. This short clip is a piece of the soundtrack and a few still pictures from the film.
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