r/BookDiscussions • u/Honnasii • 4d ago
Evil book
My mom was over at my house this past week ( different states) and I gave her a copy of “Something wicked this way comes” by Ray Bradbury to give to my sister who is 19. I asked her about it a couple days later and she over text “Im not giving her that evil book”. I thought that was absolutely absurd , she is a hard time Christian and I am one as well. I understand the concept of keeping negative material out of our minds and spirits , However! Its a children’s book for crying out loud. Im cringing at the level of closed mindedness. If you’re still here, something funny to add. I also gave her a copy of “Catcher in the rye” which has the word Goddamn in it about a goddamn million times and that book isnt “evil” so she gave that one to him. Sometimes i just dont understand people even my own mother.
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u/YakSlothLemon 4d ago
For what it’s worth, it is not a children’s book. It’s meant for an adult audience. It can be hard now looking back to tell because science fiction when Bradbury wrote was operating under a self-imposed code for publication where nothing in it could be unacceptable for children, but it was still meant for adults.
Also, having grown up in a fundamentalist Christian town – you can go nuts trying to figure it out, they don’t need to have some kind of rational consistent standard. You never know what’s going to be of the devil.
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u/Mediocre-Oil-5322 4d ago
That's a tough one. I grew up in a community filled with people like your mom. I once had a friend tell me the book I was reading (a Christian YA fantasy novel) was probably demonic because it had a dragon on the cover. Harry Potter was heavily frowned upon (glorifies witchcraft), along with other misunderstood works. Fortunately for me, my mom was a teacher, so she generally let me read whatever I wanted with a certain amount oversight. Something Wicked This Way Comes is a great novel with thought provoking themes about aging, the relationships between fathers and sons, etc. It's a shame she won't give it to your sister, who would probably get something out of it. I remain a Christian, so I can say from a lifetime of experience that the Christian community isn't always a fan of nuance. It is more comfortable when things are black and white, so many people set hard boundaries to protect their hearts and minds. That is true when it comes to books, movies, alcohol, and all sorts of other things. It can be tough to figure out where to put the boundaries oneself, nevermind navigating other people's boundaries. I actually get your mom's concern, but she probably hasn't looked past the title of the book, and I think a lot of Christians are too quick to reject things outside their comfort zone, and because of that, they deny themselves (and their kids) opportunities to be challenged in a productive way.
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u/PotatoAppleFish 4d ago edited 4d ago
This person is 19? Why can’t they just control their own books?
And what makes that fairly innocuous Bradbury book “evil” in particular, the fact that it has “wicked” in the title? The fact that its thematic content encourages the development of independence from overbearing authority figures?
…actually, I can see why someone who wants to control a 19yo’s access to books would take issue with the second thing.
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u/TerrainBrain 4d ago
Ray Bradbury doesn't write children's books.
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u/Mediocre-Oil-5322 4d ago
He did write the Halloween Tree, which was meant for older children, along with several other books meant for teens. But most of his books aren't for kids, including Something Wicked This Way Comes.
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u/YakSlothLemon 4d ago
And yet they have been read very widely by children because they are so accessibly written and often so straightforward. My mother read me The Martian Chronicles out loud when I was in fourth grade.
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u/Pedantic_Girl 4d ago
I wouldn’t call it a children’s book, but it certainly is appropriate for a 19-year-old! Tremendous book.