Exquisite Awfulness. I Loved It Until I Loathed It

I have never tasted dandelion wine, but I feel like I can conjure it to my lips. The aroma from the old, cloudy bottle is redolent of nostalgia; a cloying scent of freshly cut grass and your nan's culinary magic undercut by a sweaty, fetid, almost smegmacious, stench that coats the sinuses. The first sip effervescing on the tongue; an explosion of ecstacy, as if standing in Wonka's factory as the bombs fall. Every sweet and sour taste is there, so perfectly overwhelming in their apotheosis. Now the nose is running, mouth watering, tastebuds fizzing. The palette, now roused by this wondrous sensation, yawns and stretches, before rolling over and awaiting the flavours to bathe it. Boiling treacle reaches out with tentacles of nostalgia, strangling the palette, coating it in choking oil, even as the bittersweet bit in its mouth keeps it distracted. Your mouth is held open, a foie gras funnel forced down your gullet as the sickly, gritty substance is pushed inside. You choke and splutter, while faceless family members and your imaginary friends comfort you, whispering the exact exquisite words you always needed to hear to be complete. You feel calm for a moment, enjoying the embrace and savouring the sugary alcoholic bite, and what it's doing to you. The spigot is turns all the way, filling you with gloop, until you explode and lay among the tatters of everything else that wasn't in the recipe.

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heartbreaking and labyrinthine

the end of summer is the end of time, and the end of life, as humans with child-like innocence understand the inevitability of death. heartbreaking and labyrinthine novel, full of interesting metaphors.

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Poetic descriptions

Such a charming story of one summer through a young boy's eyes. Every sense is evoked. The writing is so beautifully lyrical that I was reminded of Dylan Thomas in many passages.

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a lovely story

I really enjoyed this story, it was innocent, it was warm, it is life. Read.

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Beautiful words

Only two stars for the story as there is no plot as such. Just beautiful words read so well. Not what I expected from Ray Bradbury but definitely worth a listen.

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great listen

not one I recognised from.Ray Bradbury. but really enjoyed it.If you like a gentle read and a bit.of.nostalgia

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Beautifully written, nostalgic, feel good.

A very simple yet captivating and beautifully written story. The style of writing is quite poetic. Ray really helps you to remember what it was like to be 12, on holidays from school, with the world at your feet. Every day being a new adventure and some of the ups and downs that come with it. Wonderful.

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Beautifuly told.

Wonderfully imersive. I can't recommend enough. Ray Bradburys beautiful writings told in memorising detail. I promise you won't stop listening until the very end leaving you ready for another chapter, another book.

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Time in a jar

I returned to this 35 years after I read it. It’s been there in the background for me all this time yet I barely remembered a word of it. So quite a strange nostalgic experience this time. It seems to represent the passing of time, from day to day, one year to the next, or century to century. This is one single summer, yet it is every summer. So I’ll continue remembering or misremembering this, a memory of summer in the warm sunshine. Forever.

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1 person found this helpful

Brings back childhood wonder

Made me remember things from childhood I had forgotten. Also gave me a new found anticipation for summer.

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