Book Log 2006 #60 and 61: Dandelion Wine and Farewell Summer by Ray Bradbury

The summer between 7th and 8th grade I participated in a reading program started by my 7th grade English teacher. Well, "participated" may be a little strong. I took the books on the last day of school. And as of the day before we were supposed to meet to discuss them, I'd not read a word in any of them. It was the summer, I had other things to do, apparently.

But, feeling like I should at least make an effort, I grabbed the thinnest book from the stack and dove in, figuring that within a day I'd be able to read and skim enough to discuss that book. I never skimmed the book and never went to the meeting, using all of that time to actually read Dandelion Wine. It is still one of my favorite books.

I think that comes from reading it at an age similar to that of Doug Spaulding and in a place that, in a pinch, could pass for Green Town (without the menacing gorge, though). I also had Spaulding's nostalgic bent, though I don't think it was fueled by the discovery of my own mortality.

Anyway, I read it every few years, and find that I do take things away from it now that were different from when I first read it. I assume that'll be the case when I'm closer in age to Spaulding's grandfather.

My latest venture into the book was sparked by coming across Farewell Summer, the decades-in-the-making sequel to Dandelion Wine. Made sense to me to read them back to back. Unfortunately, and perhaps not unexpectedly, the sequel does not stand up to the original at all. It introduces a number of new elderly citizens of Green Town with whom Spaulding and his friends take on in an attempt to never become old.

The sequel is very linear, and is disappointingly lacking in the sort of magic (for lack of a better word) that marked the original. Suffice it to say that when I do read Danelion Wine again, I won't be following it with its sequel.