Bradbury himself frequently comments on the autobiographical qualities of the novel. Dandelion Wine, on the other hand, grows out of Bradbury’s own childhood in Waukegan, Illinois, in the golden years before the Great Depression. Although he rejects the label of science fiction writer, it is true that most of his work could be classified as fantasy or science fiction. This confrontation erupts in a mysterious summer illness that almost costs Douglas his life his awakening from the fever coma signifies Douglas’s mature acceptance and valuing of human life.ĭandelion Wine is different from most of the canon of Bradbury’s work. Moreover, as Douglas becomes increasingly aware that all life ends in death, he also must confront his own mortality and that fact that he, too, will someday die. As Douglas moves from a childlike state of ignorance toward the full knowledge of his own existence, he learns to value family, friends, and time. Dandelion Wine, first published in the United States in 1957, is the story of twelve-year-old Douglas Spaulding as he approaches manhood in the mythical city of Green Town, Illinois.

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