Ray Bradbury Unbound

Ray Bradbury #2

by Jonathan R. Eller

In Ray Bradbury Unbound , Jonathan R. Eller continues the story begun in his acclaimed Becoming Ray Bradbury , following the beloved author's evolution from a short story master to a multi-media creative force and outspoken visionary. At the height of his powers as a poetic prose stylist, Bradbury shifted his creative attention to film and television, where new successes gave him an enduring platform as a compelling cultural commentator. His passionate advocacy validated the U.S. space program's mission, extending his pivotal role as a chronicler of human values in an age of technological wonders. Informed by many years of interviews with Bradbury as well as an unprecedented access to personal papers and private collections, Ray Bradbury Unbound provides the definitive portrait of how a legendary American author helped shape his times.

Genres: Biography

360 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Jonathan R. Eller is the author of the definitive, three-volume Ray Bradbury biography, which includes Becoming Ray Bradbury, Ray Bradbury Unbound, and Bradbury Beyond Apollo—and served as general editor of the Collected Stories of Ray Bradbury and The New Bradbury Review. He is emeritus Chancellor’s Professor of English at Indiana University and cofounder of the Center for Ray Bradbury Studies, which he directed for a decade until his retirement in 2021.

Reviews

[DivaDiane SM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not good at reading non-fiction. I quite enjoy (auto)biographies and memoirs in audio, especially read by the author, where possible. Unfortunately, I had this book as an ebook ARC, that I never got around to reading back in 2014 when I received it. I hang my head in shame. BUT, now I’ve read it! It took me 3 full months of dedicated reading. I was determined not to give up.

That said, the book was long, dense and dry, for only covering 20 years of Bradbury’s life (1940-1960) with quite a bit of repetitiveness. The author clearly did a mountain of research. Nonetheless, I’m glad I read it, learning about his process, his work in film and stage, which I hadn’t known anything about, and the novels/collections that I know and love which came out in this period. Now I almost wish that I had the wherewithal to read the other 2 volumes of this biography, but I know I won’t. Maybe one day, or a more streamlined/condensed one by a different author.

My thanks to the author and publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. Sorry it took me so long!

[Elaine Aldred · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second of three volumes of a biography written by Jonathan Eller, who is a Professor of English at Indiana University-Purdue University. The book is methodical in its approach to teasing apart details from correspondence and other documents to create a holistic and coherent narrative of, not only Ray Bradbury’s writing career at its peak, but also the complexities of his craft. Eller also takes great care to refer back and forth to particular events that later prove influential in the type of writing Bradbury becomes engaged with, and the way his approaches it. Yet despite the enormous volume of detail, the book is both an effortless and intriguing read, and of particular interest to anyone who takes writing seriously.
Although remembered by the reading population at large as a science fiction author, the book reveals and incredible depth to Bradbury as a writer who did not attend university yet sort out the type of intellectual company that would not only challenge this thinking, but also stimulate his writing.
Despite the events in the book taking place largely in the 1950s and 1960s, in a time with no Internet or social media, the problems Bradbury faced still have great relevance today. His efforts to be taken seriously as a literary author, the seemingly endless attempts to get a script accepted for film and TV, as well as the frustration of trying to prevent his work being taken off him, or plagiarised are worth a book in themselves.
‘Ray Bradbury Unbound’ is not a sensationalist read; instead the intrigue is supplied by the light that is shone on the fine detail of the man’s craft. Because of this, it should be a set textbook on any writing course, to help students better understand the intricacies of producing a finely worked piece of writing and the difficulties of weaving their way through the maze of gatekeepers to achieve a satisfactory, visible result for their efforts.

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

READ IN ENGLISH

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

Ray Bradbury: Unbound is the sequel to Becoming Ray Bradbury.

Apparently there's so much to tell about the famous American writer that it wouldn't fit into one biography. Ray Bradbury: Unbound is the story of his life during the '50s and '60s and it's full with movie adaptation and failed theatrical productions.

It read like a very well-researched and extensive biography (not that I'm that experienced reading biographies), and a lot of information is given about his work and his (professional) relationships with people in the film- or writing community who are probably very well known (just not to me).

But sometimes there were a bit too many details in my humble opinion. The fact that this is only a part in a series of biographies creates the space to add a lot in the books. And sometimes it felt like an overload of information. This combined with the somewhat impersonal writing made that it wasn't always an easy or nice book to read even though I found it very interesting. After reading this biography I want to read more of his books besides Fahrenheit 451 and The Illustrated Man.

[Rafeeq O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

For right now, I will simply comment that Jonathan R. Eller's Ray Bradbury Unbound is a top-notch conclusion to the two-volume biography of perhaps the most famous name on modern speculative fiction, by perhaps the top scholar of Bradbury textual criticism. While the book of course discusses the author's life after Fahrenheit 451, it is not simply a chronology of personal matters but an explanation and analysis of Bradbury's development as an artist. As such, this study will be enjoyed by scholars and non-academic readers alike.

A fuller 1400-word review appears in the academic journal Extrapolation 57 (Fall 2016): 366-69 .

[Elizabeth Grieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough work, which will of course only be of interest to diehard Bradbury fans (of which I am one!). I believe this is the second of three volumes, and I had not read the first one prior to seeing this. It goes into tremendous detail about Bradbury's projects, from books to screenwriting to collaborations with Rod Serling, and much more. I must confess I have not read it from cover to cover, which I fear might render it less enjoyable, but continue to dip in and out and read a chapter or two at a time.

Reviewed in exchange for a preview Kindle copy.

[Jack Skillingstead · Rating 4 out of 5]

This follow up to Becoming Ray Bradbury was a little disappointing. The focus is on Bradbury's script writing frustrations. At the same time, he is putting together the best books he will ever produce. I think the emphasis should have been more on the books. Ah, well.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review pending. Nutshell: Some fascinating details, but overall it felt scattered, repetitive, and sometimes boring. The author did copious research but can't seem to make a compelling narrative out of it.

[Preston Postle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The overall message here is that in the middle years of Ray Bradbury's career, he became distracted by (often unsuccessful) forays into the media of TV, movies, poetry, speech-making, and non-fiction, resulting in a far smaller fiction output than earlier in his career. I found this book somewhat more engaging than the first (Becoming Ray Bradbury). Although the writer still fails to bring Bradbury thoroughly to life, it felt like there were more anecdotes here to give us a feel for Mr. B. Author Eller goes pretty far out of his way not to criticize his subject; nevertheless, reading between the lines seems to suggest that Bradbury was judgmental, overly sensitive, and somewhat vindictive. I also found it interesting that the author challenges Bradbury's recollection of numerous events, making me wonder about the truth of Bradbury's infamous "photographic memory."

[Carolyn Injoy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a free kindle copy (now valued at $24.31) of Ray Bradbury Unbound by Jonathan R. Eller from NetGalley for fair review. A first for me, I would give it zero stars I could. I am relieved not to have spent any money to make this discovery.

Another reviewer rated it as 'excruciatingly detailed'. That is an understatement. It was excruciating to read. I am rarely put to sleep by a book. I simply couldn't finish this one. In spite of my dedicated, numerous returned efforts, I just couldn't do it.

I believe only serious Ray Bradbury fans that want to know every single detail of his life, correspondence, could enjoy this book.

Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/Ray-Bradbury-Un...

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an Advance Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review. To begin, I love Ray Bradbury... his many varieties of inventive writing, his unusual outlook, his warmth. Hence, learning more about his motivations, trials, successes, interactions through Eller's biography was welcomed. It may be too detailed for those uncommitted to or casual acquaintances of Bradbury's writing, but to those who respect him, it was wonderful.

[Steve Gross · Rating 3 out of 5]

An improvement over the previous volume, but the writing is still a little elliptical, constantly coming back to the themes of Bradbury's creativity. Ends kind of abruptly.