Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
Format: Bargain Price
Label: William Morrow
Manufacturer: William Morrow
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 224
Printing Date: October 01, 2006
Publishing house: William Morrow
Release Date: October 17, 2006
Sale Popularity Level: 831624
Studio: William Morrow
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Product Description:
In a summer that refuses to end, in the deceiving warmth of earliest October, civil war has come to Green Town, Illinois. It is the age-old conflict: the young against the elderly, for control of the clock that ticks their lives ever forward. The very first cap-pistol shot heard 'round the town is dead accurate, felling an old man in his tracks, compelling town elder and school board despot Mr. Calvin C. Quartermain to marshal his graying forces and declare total war on the assassin, thirteen-year-old Douglas Spaulding, and his downy-cheeked cohorts. Doug and his cronies, however, are most worthy adversaries who should not be underestimated, as they plan and execute daring campaigns—matching old Quartermain's experience and cunning with their youthful enthusiasm and devil-may-care determination to hold on forever to childhood's summer. Yet time must ultimately be the victor, with valuable revelations for those on both sides of the conflict. And life waits in ambush to assail Doug Spaulding with its powerful mysteries—the irresistible ascent of manhood, the sweet surrender to a very first kiss . . .
One of the most acclaimed and beloved of American storytellers, Ray Bradbury has come home, revisiting the verdant landscape of one of his most adored works, Dandelion Wine. More than fifty years in the making, the long-awaited sequel, Farewell Summer, is a treasure—beautiful, poignant, wistful, hilarious, sad, evocative, profound, and unforgettable . . . and proof positive that the flame of wonder still burns brightly within the irrepressible imagination of the incomparable Bradbury.
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Rated by buyers 
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While I personally could not call anything that Bradbury has written "bad," this book doesn't meet the expectations of a sequel/continuation of the literary masterpiece that "Dandelion Wine" is. There are glimpses of the beauty of its predeccesor here--some moments where Bradbury touches your inner child, takes you back to your youth and fills you with the stuff of life. However, such moments are the exception and not the rule in this book. The plot is rather simple for Bradbury and the books moves rather slowly. This book is worth reading if you are a Bradbury fan, but you can tell that his writing simply isn't as strong as it was when he was in his prime (some 30-40 years ago now). For those who are ambivalent about Bradbury, you can safely pass on reading this one.
Rated by buyers -
As always, Bradbury takes us into his prolific mind of the past and the future. He let's us see, once again, how it could have been. Sweet, aromatic, and soft. The interrealtionships, and the mysteries of life are all there for you, if you are ready for the visit.
Rated by buyers 
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I'm a big fan of Dandelion Wine, but found Farewell Summer to be disappointing at best. The Douglas of Farewell Summer bears little resemblance to the boy we knew in the book's prequel; he comes off as little more than a hoodlum in this story. Further, I thought the chapter dealing with his sexual awakening was weird. I think Bradbury has lost it, but then maybe all men lay awake at night talking to that thing down there.
Farewell Summer lacks the depth and emotion of Dandelion Wine. Check it out for the library if you are curious, but don't waste your money.
Rated by buyers 
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I read this book in one sitting, just over a month ago, and I'm still finding it hard to put it in words just how powerful it was for me. I had just read Dandelion Wine and moved straight on into Farewell Summer. The cumulative effect was nothing less than awe-inspireing, and I really think it's how you should go about reading the two works, almost as one. Dandelion Wine is without a doubt a masterpiece, and is told as a novel made up of short stories. Farewell Summer is a more concise story, and more of a straight forward novel. While they both deal with the topics of youth and mortality, they each come from a slightly different perspective. Dandelion Wine was written fifty years ago in Bradbury's youth, while Farewell Summer comes to us in his later years. In the end they act as bookends on a topic that is dear, and dreadful to all of us, and perfectly told in Bradbury's magical, poetic style. Read them, back to back, at the end of August, as summer slowly begins to fade. Think about your childhood, and ponder your old age. If you aren't moved, then check your pulse. If it's still there, pay very close attention to it. It's what it's all about.
Rated by buyers -
Farewell Summer is a good story, but pales in comparison to Dandelion Wine. While recognizable as atypical Bradbury, it lacks the wallop I was hoping to get from his other books. I can't say much more than that without spoiling the story for you.
It is a fast read though. I finished it in one sitting between lunch and dinner. It's not a waste of time, just not Ray's best work. Read Dandelion Wine first.
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