In my opinion, Dandelion Wine is boring as the shit. However, that doesn't mean it's written poorly. A few of the stories that I "liked" (relatively) were the story of the happiness machine, and the story of the Witch ladies. In the story of the happiness he successfully described how true happiness resides in caring for other humans rather than in a computer like machine. He describes a man who seeks to build a machine that can make anyone happy. But, while he is creating it the machine wedges it's way between him and his loving relationship with his family. Also, when people enter the machine they feel happy at first but then they feel sad because they realize that all things displayed in the happiness machine will be unattainable to them in real life. This causes the inventor, Leo Auffman, to realize that true happiness resides in family. This is a brilliant way of describing the human condition in which we seek out love and the need to care for others. He also describes the scene taking place using very descriptive and poetic language.
Another intriguing story written by Ray Bradbury was the story of how Elmira Brown thought that Clara Goodwater was a Witch. In this chapter Elmira Brown believes Clara Goodwater to be a Witch and when she goes to the Honey Suckle Ladies Lodge in order to become the head of the organization after a vote, she is beaten nearly unanimously voted against and Clara Goodwater ends up as the leader, only for Elmira to fall down the stairs and miraculously survive uninjured and she is allowed to become the President of the organization. This story was well written because not only was it described in great detail and poetically, but it showed how humans are so easily deceived by outside appearances and how we sometimes ignorantly fail at being able to empathize for and understand others.
Another intriguing story written by Ray Bradbury was the story of how Elmira Brown thought that Clara Goodwater was a Witch. In this chapter Elmira Brown believes Clara Goodwater to be a Witch and when she goes to the Honey Suckle Ladies Lodge in order to become the head of the organization after a vote, she is beaten nearly unanimously voted against and Clara Goodwater ends up as the leader, only for Elmira to fall down the stairs and miraculously survive uninjured and she is allowed to become the President of the organization. This story was well written because not only was it described in great detail and poetically, but it showed how humans are so easily deceived by outside appearances and how we sometimes ignorantly fail at being able to empathize for and understand others.
