Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 7/27/2017 + 1197 more book reviews

This is Bradbury's followup to Dandelion Wine which I read several years ago and enjoyed a lot. This was a really quick read that I was able to finish in one sitting and it too was an enjoyable romp into Bradbury's insights into age, time, life, and death. The title "Farewell Summer", seems to be a metaphor for the approaching end of life and moving into middle and old age. The story revolves around 13-year old, Douglas Spaulding who with his friends are seeking ways youth can be preserved. To do this, they wage a "war" against the elder people in the town, primarily against Mr. Quartermain, who is on the school board and who Doug and his friends blame for shorter vacations and longer school hours. The boys come up with several ways they think can stop the elders from controlling them including fasting, stealing their chess pieces that they think are used to control each boy's actions, stopping the clock in the town hall, etc. But in the end, they find that it is better to learn from the elders and appreciate all they have been through. This is especially true for Doug's grandfather who lives across the road and gives him good advice to cope with life. Overall, the story is very nostalgic and in many ways reminded me of my youth growing up in the 1950's.

In the Afterword to the novel, Bradbury says that this was begun about 55 years earlier and was originally intended to be part of Dandelion Wine but the publishers felt it would make Wine too long. He also tells of how he always liked to talk to older people and how much he learned from them including his grandparents. As always, Bradbury's masterful writing makes this another in his long list of stories and novels that will be considered classics for years to come.

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