The Halloween Tree
1972 novel by Ray Bradbury
First edition
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Author | Ray Bradbury |
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Illustrator | Joseph Mugnaini |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Fantasy |
Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
Publication date
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1972 |
Media type | Print (Hardcover and paperback) |
Pages | 160 pp |
ISBN | 0-375-80301-7 |
OCLC | 42303883 |
The Halloween Tree is a 1972 fantasy novel by American author Ray Bradbury , which traces the history of Samhain and Halloween .
Plot summary
A group of eight boys set out to go trick-or-treating on Halloween , only to discover that a ninth friend, Pipkin, has been whisked away on a journey that could determine whether he lives or dies. Through the help of a mysterious character named Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud, they pursue their friend across time and space through Ancient Egyptian , Ancient Greek , and Ancient Roman cultures , Celtic Druidism , the Notre Dame Cathedral in Medieval Paris , and The Day of the Dead in Mexico . Along the way, they learn the origins of the holiday that they celebrate, and the role that the fear of death, ghosts , and the haunts has played in shaping civilization. The Halloween Tree itself, with its many branches laden with jack-o'-lanterns , serves as a metaphor for the historical confluence of these traditions.
Background
The novel originated in 1967 as the screenplay for an unproduced collaboration with animator Chuck Jones . Bradbury later wrote and narrated Hanna-Barbera 's 1993 feature-length animated version of the novel for television, for which he won an Emmy Award . A longer 2005 limited-edition "author's preferred text" of the novel was compiled and edited by Donn Albright. This edition also included both the 1967 and 1992 screenplays. [1]
Bradbury dedicated The Halloween Tree to Man'ha Garreau-Dombasle (1898–1999), a French writer and translator who was the maternal grandmother of the actress and singer Arielle Dombasle and the wife of Maurice Garreau-Dombasle, a French ambassador to Mexico. [2]
Illustrations
The Halloween Tree is illustrated by Joe Mugnaini , one of Bradbury's many collaborators over the years. Mugnaini illustrated many novels with Bradbury, and Bradbury owned many examples of Mugnaini's artwork.
Adaptations
- Bradbury wrote the script based upon the book. His script for The Halloween Tree won the 1994 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program .
- A film adaptation of the book is in development at Warner Bros. with Will Dunn screenwriting and Charlie Morrison overseeing the project. [3]
Disneyland
On October 31, 2007, Bradbury attended the presentation of a Halloween Tree at Disneyland in California, to be included as part of its annual park-wide Halloween decorations every year.
References
- ↑ Bradbury, Ray (2005). The Halloween Tree . Colorado Springs, Col.: Gauntlet Press. ISBN 1-887368-80-9 .
- ↑ Bradbury, Ray (2015). The Halloween Tree . Random House Children's Books. ISBN 9780553512724 .
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 18, 2020). "Ray Bradbury's 'The Halloween Tree' In The Works As Movie At Warner Bros With Will Dunn Adapting" . Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved June 20, 2020 .
External links
- The Halloween Tree title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
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