Driving Blind [Mass Market Paperback]

Ray Bradbury (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998

The incomparable Ray Bradbury is in the driver's seat, off on twenty-one unforgettable excursions through fantasy, time and memory, and there are surprises waiting around every curve and behind each mile marker. The journey promises to be a memorable one.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Reading Ray Bradbury is like going through a door into a nostalgic, odd America that never existed, a universe of strange possibility that brings to mind the haunting memories of childhood. The short stories in Driving Blind are vintage Bradbury, with a pleasant smattering of ideas: dark fantasy, boyhood sense of wonder, Twilight Zone-esque twist. These 21 stories (4 are reprints) were inspired by a dream Bradbury had in which his muse, blindfolded, drove him to destinations unknown. We're glad he went along for the ride. Spare word portraits will transport you to a world of scratchy phonograph records and cuckoo clocks, evil garbage disposals and Mexican border-town circuses. Bradbury fans will enjoy revisiting the worlds of his imagination, while those new to the master will find themselves in need of another shot of Bradbury... quick. --Therese Littleton

Review

" A preeminent storyteller... An icon in American literature." -- Virginian Pilot

"A must...Bradbury returns in top form... He paints vivid word pictures." -- Library Journal

"Remarkable...intensely told...The easiest book this year to read. -- Miami Herald

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Harper Voyager (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380789604
• ISBN-13: 978-0380789603
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #969,473 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vintage Bradbury, January 25, 2002

By 

Michael Battaglia - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Driving Blind (Mass Market Paperback)

As with most short story collections the quality varies here a little bit but the great thing is that it doesn't vary all that much. Most of the stories here are prime Bradbury, part nostalgia, part fantastic but possessing a charm that nobody else can really quite emulate. Science fiction fans won't find much here to please them if that's all they're looking for but everyone else should be able to find something to satisify them. The stories ran the gamut from funny to senimental to slightly creepy to serious to just downright weird, all of them told in his by now fairly unique style. Most of the stories read very quickly and some come off as slight because of that, like they're sketches for an idea that might have been expanded into a short story later but even the slimmest tales have something to recommend them. For a man who should be years past his peak, this isn't bad at all and borders on excellent, many of these stories are tales you'll remember long after you've closed the book and set it aside. A fine addition to his canon and the best example that the truly great writers never stop producing fine stuff.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's about life, not life on mars, November 27, 2000

By 

"axiom20" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Driving Blind (Mass Market Paperback)

If you are accustomed to Bradbury's Science Fiction writing and are expecting more of the same, you will be apt to be disappointed by Driving Blind. With the exception of the short story "Mr. Pale" this book deals with pure earth-bound fiction with bits of American trivia thrown in the mash. Incidentally, Mr. Pale may be one of the stronger stories of the book, but most stories are thinkers. Some may leave you wondering "what was that all about?" (Only to discover what it was about a few hours later when it registers.) The book when read complete and finished with Bradbury's "Brief Afterward" will make a lot more sense after completion, perhaps. I have a hard time ranking it either a 3 or 4, being generous I give it a four but I'd prefer a 3.5 for this effort. The writing is strong and often critiques, albeit vaguely, modern life. This is no Fahrenheit 451 but it's worth reading and it's light and easy to pick up on the commuter train without stressing your brain cells too much. Somewhat serious, somewhat funny, it covers a broad range of topics.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A delightful retread of old Bradbury territory, May 26, 2000

By 

Randall Ivey "Randall" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Driving Blind (Mass Market Paperback)

Bradbury, eighty this year, continues to produce imaginative, entertaining fiction. The stories in DRIVING BLIND resound earlier themes and concerns - youth encountering experience, the destructiveness of technology, and the mysteries and wonders of a small time circus - but Bradbury renders it all with the same loving detail and love of language that have made him one of the most distinguished American storytellers of the last half century. Recommended for a hot summer evening.