Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1265500 in Books
• Published on: 2000-07-17
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 239 pages

Synopsis
The summer of 1928 was a vintage season for a growing boy. It was a time of green apple trees, mowed lawns and new sneakers. It was a magical and timeless summer in the life of a twelve-year-old boy.

Customer Reviews

An enchanting novel.
I first read "Dandelion Wine" when I was a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl. I was heavily into Science Fiction, and had read some of Bradbury's short stories. My favourite English teacher loaned me his copy of the novel.

I was surprised to find that it wasn't Science Fiction. However, I was soon enchanted by Bradbury's depiction of one golden summer in the life of an American boy.

I remember laughing and crying while I read the book. It was wonderful - sheer poetry.

I'm now a middle-aged woman, and Bradbury's words still move me. Read "Dandelion Wine". You won't regret it.

Magical
Like the previous reviewer I bought this book expecting something else. It is quite an extraordinary work that reminded me of "To Kill A Mockingbird" in its depiction of children trying to relate to events and people around them over the course of a summer. Bradbury interweaves some elements of fantasy but in a way that is neither obtrusive nor irrelevant to the very human stories within. If Bradbury were not so strongly associated with Sci-fi I think this book would be lauded more and would indeed be considered a modern classic alongside Harper Lee's tome.

What a Summer is Made Of
They say childhood ends when you start to remember it. Twelve year old Douglas is on the verge of this moment. He is realizing that summer is made of certain sounds, sights, smells, experiences. But somehow he also realizes that -- once past childhood -- we notice these glories much less often. Afraid of losing these things, he begins to keep a diary off all that he learns, all that he notices, all that happens.

This book is nothing short of magical. Bradbury captures the essence of summer seen through the eyes of a child who is gently leaving childhood behind. You will remember the small American town and its inhabitants for years after you've turned the last page. Simply said, you must read this book. Steal from your children's piggy bank to buy it if you must, but you have to read this book. You will not be disappointed.