One of America's iconic books, along with the works of Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Dreiser and Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Bradbury reached the peak of his writing skills several years before 1957, when the novel “Dandelion Wine” was written.
A summary of almost all the works of the author makes the reader understand that the focus of his attention is on the emotions and dreams inherent in every person. Thus, exploring the struggle between the impulses of destruction and creation that is being waged in the soul of anyone living on Earth, the writer created the novel “451 degrees Fahrenheit”, surrounding the arena in which the drama of the characters is being played, with fantastic scenery.
Wanting to shock his reader, evoke memories of his childhood and the time when his most naive dreams seemed a reality, Ray Bradbury wrote “Dandelion Wine”. The summary of the story will prepare for the perception of its philosophical subtext and the deep symbolism with which it is permeated.
Old and young
Almost all the characters in the Bradbury novel are children or the elderly. It is the filigree selection of characters that allows you to make the work understandable and accessible to the reader of any age: from a teenager to a deep old man. Indeed, in the mouth of the heroes words are embedded reflecting the human feelings inherent in all of us on any segment of our life's journey. The master of the word was able to convey their actions so believably that no thought of pretense arises.
The plot tells about a short period of time that the four main characters spend together - one summer from their childhood. Two brothers (Tom and Douglas) fall into alterations, learn to understand what life and death are, and slowly discover the unknown world of adults. The grandfather of the boys every summer, according to tradition, makes wine from dandelions. The summary of the story will be incomplete, if you do not mention that the name of this drink was made in the title for a reason. Summer itself, full of discoveries and unique events, is embodied in this wine, which is lovingly prepared by an elderly person from flowers, which are the forerunners of this warm pore. It seems to become a magical artifact, allowing you to touch memories that have passed joyful moments and loved ones that are no longer alive.
Wine made from dandelions. Summary
Bradbury's work is multifaceted. The protagonist Douglas keeps a diary of the summer of 1928, which he spends surrounded by his friends, relatives and residents of the town of Greentown - a small, green and quiet place. The narration is conducted on behalf of an adult who is trying, through childhood memories, to organize his views on age, life, death, affection, and even such unusual things as witchcraft.
Fantastic motifs are constantly found in the story. For example, Tom constantly makes imaginary trips to a mysterious country covered in fogs and full of mysteries. A friend of the boys - Leo - makes a "machine of happiness", which should turn the future of mankind. But in parallel, he is trying to be an exemplary husband and not to anger his wife Lina, who has an extremely realistic outlook on the world.
One day, the children as a whole company go to the fortune-teller’s house, which is monitored by the mysterious Mr. Gloom. They discover that the sorceress is now replaced by a machine that offers predictive tickets in exchange for a penny.
The guys have to check the health of the magic unit and even give it a second life. The fortunetelling machine is replaced by a time machine, which materializes in the minds of the boys from the stories of the old colonel. Such simple children's joys make up the outline of the story “Dandelion Wine”.
Ray Bradbury created a truly magical world. And it doesn’t matter that in the background of the story, the inevitable deaths of elderly family members invade the lives of children. After all, it is magic and purity of soul that will help them overcome the first grief. The lack of a linear plot and the whimsical storytelling gave the charm of the fantastic novel “Dandelion Wine”. The summary can not fully convey the atmosphere of the work, but it will prepare for reading and help highlight the main thing.