Available at DriveThruFiction.com

The Halloween Tree is the audiobook version of the 1972 publication by Ray Bradbury. The story is a fantastical look at the history of Halloween. Spanning several cultures, the characters experience the customs of people from Ancient Egypt, Rome, Mexico, the British Isles and others.

The story is impeccable and Bradbury does what he does best: social commentary through the guise of a story. Here, he teaches us about our own customs by forcing us to peer into the past without beating us over the head or giving boring explanations. I’m not the only one who thinks The Halloween Tree is spectacular. In fact, the story is so popular the animated version of The Halloween Tree was featured on Cartoon Network and it’s also been incorporated in Disneyland‘s Halloween decorations.

The audio performance of this story is more akin to an audioplay than a reading. A full cast, sound effects, and music bring this story to life. For that, it’s worth the price tag. However, the technical aspects of the files almost made me pass this up because I had no idea how long the files were or if they were compatible with iTunes, which is what I use to listen to my audiobooks.

The files are split up into two parts and don’t have optimal titles. So, it took some work getting them set up into my player. Once I did, I was disappointed that the metadata wasn’t filled out because I would have loved to know who the actors were. Part One of The Halloween Tree is fifty minutes and Part Two is an hour and eleven. Combined, it’s two hours of a really stunning audioplay that I almost overlooked completely. Since this is more than just a simple reading, I feel it’s worth the price tag.

Review by Monica Valentinelli

Tags | drivethrufiction, Ray Bradbury