A review of The Cat’s Pajamas by Ray Bradbury
One down, many to go! This is the first book I finished this year, and because of the format it was a pretty easy read.
The back of the book says there are twenty-two stories, but by my count there were only twenty? Overall, it was a pretty mixed bag. Originally most of these stories hadn’t previously been published, and I can kind of see why – unlike e.g. the Martian Chronicles, the stories don’t fit a cohesive theme, and some of them, while interesting, seem to have been written just to test a small idea.
One thing that I did notice, and I didn’t go back to prove this, but I believe every story has either the word Summer, Autumn, or Winter in it – Bradbury often introduces a story with a description including the time of year, which clearly has a nostalgic element to it. Although sometimes repetitive, this occasionally produces some delightful prose, for example:
He would watch the details of this dying summer, and it would give him much to think of. He would try to understand the summer all the way to the end of it. Autumn rose in a tidal wave, poised over him, ready to drop, suspended.
Another good one:
Or a snowball, thrown by some winter-haunted child, soundless in the night, on his way nowhere….
There wasn’t a lot of Martianchroniclesque Sci-Fi in here, but there was one that I found rather interesting where humans arrive at an alien planet with a very advanced and peaceful alien species. The humans try their best to learn from and fraternize with the species, but despite their best efforts and intentions they are unable to get over the fact that the aliens look like big spiders.
As usual Bradbury also hits on themes of racism and colonization, in unique ways. In one story, a group of drunk senators gamble away the entire United States at a Native American casino. It’s funny, and well written.
Overall, this was not my favorite Bradbury collection, but it was worth the read. In some ways, it makes me want to reread Martian Chronicles, but for now I’m going to move on.