Review: The Illustrated Man

The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What an incredible read this was! It's full of futuristic settings yet relevant, modern themes. I'm not normally into the sci-fi stuff but every single one of these stories was utterly captivating. These are the kind of stories that draw you in instantly, hold you tight and keep you thinking about them long after you finish reading.

I had a couple of favourites: I loved the way The Rocket explored the power of the imagination, along with how the family dynamic was portrayed. I enjoyed the cleverness of Usher II, and its rebellion against censored creativity. I appreciated the simplicity of life in The Highway, and the chilling consequence of naive expectations of childhood innocence in Zero Hour. I loved the twists and the cliffhangers, and the more still chapters that invoked quiet contemplation. The compilation was assembled well, with a great balance of fast and slow to keep the brain working and the heart racing. I felt a full range of emotions reading this!

The language is simple enough, and even the futuristic elements are easy to grasp and accept. The themes run deeper than the superficial stories, so if you're not a deep-thinker you may be underwhelmed or even confused by some of the tales. If, however, you're someone who likes to read between the lines and consider the human condition, you'll receive immense value from reading this. Different personalities will relate to different stories - as a writer and lover of the imagination, the stories with similar themes drew me in, however parents may prefer tales like The Veld or The Playground, with their parent-child relationships, and soul-searchers might enjoy mulling over Kaleidoscope, The Man, or The Last Night of the World. There is something in here for everyone; all tied together by the the man inked with these stories. It's a striking concept, and tattoo/visual art aficionados will appreciate the added image of illustrations coming to life as well as - hopefully - its symbolism.

Highly recommend for all lovers of literature. The stories are short and sweet so easy to read, and the themes are varied enough to cater to all tastes. An absolute masterpiece of the written word.

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