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LiseWorks

Fahrenheit 451: A Novel | Ray Bradbury

May 6th #Bibliophile Cult Classic Read this as a teen many moons ago. @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Great choice 📚 🔥 📚 (edited) 1mo

25 likes1 comment

Henry8807

Farenheit 451 | Ray Bradbury, Cid Knipel

pick

A future where books are banned and firemen burn them. Firefighter Guy Montag questions if what he‘s doing is right. It really dives into the psychological mindest of the lead character and what he‘s thinking. Great moments of dialogue and suspense.

10 likes

Catsandbooks

Fahrenheit 451 | Ray Bradbury

so-so

2.5/5 ⭐️ This was much stranger than I remembered it being when I last read it in middle school. Still a worthy read. Thanks for hosting Sarah! #randomclassics

TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Thanks for reading with me!! I ended up with a lot of mixed feelings about this one. 9mo

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Blueberry

Fahrenheit 451 | Ray Bradbury

#ShortButPowerful. #AboutaBook

@Eggs
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Absolutely 💯 9mo

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TheAromaofBooks

Fahrenheit 451 | Ray Bradbury

so-so

Hey friends!! Things got a lil busy last week and then I just honestly didn't feel like like being online much this weekend haha But I'm back for the final section of our #RandomClassic

In the end, this book was just okay for me. It felt like a weird fever dream a lot of the time. Not a lot of explanations, not a lot of character development or background, just people drifting from place to place. I was confused by some things (why did no one ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) call the authorities when Guy had a book on the train??). Part of my ambivalent attitude is probably because I actually love info-dumping world-building 😂

To me, this book felt like a warning about what happens when we, as a society, stop valuing learning and books, more than it did a warning about government overreach, like 1984 and others. While the gov't did sanction the destruction of books in this story, it was the people who ⬇ 10mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) originally lost interest in them. I feel like this story reflected the leaps and bounds of new tech that was becoming much more widespread at the time, TV and telephones, vacuum cleaners and washing machines, faster cars and more spare time. Things can be good until they're bad.

However, as a story I just never really connected. I didn't particularly care about Guy or any of the other characters. Although I weirdly did like the odd ⬇ 10mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) ending.

So tell me your thoughts!! Did you enjoy this one? Did it go places you expected? Did you have any take-away thoughts? Did you feel like the ending was optimistic or pessimistic?

@BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Catsandbooks @ChelseaM6010 @Clare-Dragonfly @Daisey @julieclair @Librarybelle @nanuska_153 @StayCurious 10mo

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Librarybelle I agree that it felt like it was the people who lost interest initially and then the government sanctioned the destruction of them. I gave it a soft pick—there are parts I‘m still not sure I fully understand—but it just hits too close to the modern debate of banning books. It‘s eerie to see the parallels between a group‘s fear of books‘ contents and the eventual signing into law of book bans and punishment for providing said books to others. 10mo

Clare-Dragonfly I agree, the worldbuilding is surprisingly thin! I don‘t think Bradbury took any time to consider the economics of his world, which makes sense when you think of it more as a warning than immersive storytelling. I think it‘s a pretty effective one. Obviously it‘s enduring. My thoughts on the ending below a spoiler tag… 10mo

Clare-Dragonfly I was surprised by the ending—even though I‘ve read this before! I remembered the group of Book People, but not the city-flattening bombs. It felt both too optimistic (the bad civilization is ended, now the good guys can restart it with the books in their head) and too pessimistic (not reading leads directly to WWIII), as well as too pat—like, Montag is the only important person, so now that he understands the world, it can be destroyed. 10mo

Clare-Dragonfly The declaration of war probably served as foreshadowing for Bradbury‘s 1950s readers, but it didn‘t for me. Montag makes a comment to Faber about the war seeming far away, like something that is going to happen to someone else. Well, as a USAmerican born in the 1980s, that *is* my experience of war. I honestly didn‘t expect it to mean anything to the characters, especially after all the bombers flying past meant nothing to them. 10mo

Susanita I wonder if I would have gotten more out of it if I‘d read it for a class, but then again maybe not. I‘m glad I read it though and can check it off my list. 10mo

julieclair Didn‘t get to it, and since it‘s a re-read, based on the comments, I probably won‘t. 😎 10mo

TheAromaofBooks @julieclair - I still think it's a worthwhile read (and it's less than 200pgs so not a huge commitment). I'm wondering if it's a book I would get more from reading it a second time, because it just wasn't at all what I was expecting. 10mo

julieclair @TheAromaofBooks Oh… interesting! I‘ll keep it on my list, then. And of course I can follow the discussion at any time, due to the magic of Litsy! 10mo

Catsandbooks I wonder why I liked this when I was younger because I find it kind of strange now. I do wish there was more world building. And also the ending seemed too simple. Like oh a bomb hits the city now things are all better to go back??? I am glad I read it though. I might check out the HBO movie version of it they made a few years ago. 10mo

BarbaraJean Popping in late—it‘s been a necessary introverting week for me! Fever dream is such a good description. I read this in the early 2000s, and re-reading it, I couldn‘t believe how little I remembered. Maybe that's because so much of the story feels like just vibes. 😆 The ideas are intriguing, but it‘s sketched out rather than fleshed out. I did enjoy it—the ideas & concerns it raises are still so relevant, both the lack of value for books or ⬇ 9mo

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) ...real ideas and the book-banning side of it. The only part I really remember is the ending and the idea of “being” a book—I loved that so much!! Like you @Clare-Dragonfly I remembered the group of people but not the rest of it. I did feel like it was an optimistic ending, in a weird, apocalyptic, wipe-it-out-and-start-again-but-also-carry-the-torch kind of way. 9mo

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Clare-Dragonfly

Fahrenheit 451 | Ray Bradbury

pick

I had to include my water bottle in the photo because it matches the book 😂

I do love this book. I didn‘t remember the ending and I‘m not sure I appreciate it—but I won‘t spoil that here! Bradbury‘s characters and world are thinly but sharply drawn. The vision of a world in which books are illegal because everyone is afraid to think is dark and all too real. When I compare the TV-wall parlor with social media, I want to throw away my phone.

31 likes

Clare-Dragonfly

Fahrenheit 451 | Ray Bradbury

Oh, that‘s why this edition seems to be so much bigger than the tiny book I remember 😂

dabbe That part 😱 me! 😂😂😂 10mo

30 likes1 comment

Librarybelle

Fahrenheit 451 | Ray Bradbury

pick

This is a light pick for me—I got the overall gist of the story, but sometimes struggled with what exactly was going on. Dystopian is not my typical genre, but given its ties to current day issues, I knew I had to read this with the #RandomClassics group. I am glad I read it. #192025 #1953

TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks I'm getting ready to finish this one today, but on the whole it's a little too much like a weird dream for me to really like it 😂 10mo

Librarybelle @TheAromaofBooks I like that analogy! 😂 10mo

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dabbe

Fahrenheit 451 | Ray Bradbury

#AboutABook
#SetInFuture
@Eggs
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Unfortunately, this one is now hitting too close to home.

TheBookHippie 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 10mo

JenniferEgnor There‘s a movie for this. 10mo

dabbe @JenniferEgnor Newer than the 1966 version? 10mo

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dabbe @TheBookHippie 😵‍💫 indeed. 10mo

JenniferEgnor @dabbe yes. Came out in 2018, available to stream. 10mo

mcctrish I read this in high school, grade 13 so 82/83 and I‘d probably be correct in saying it‘s haunted me all these years. I have actively thought about it ever since. That‘s a wild power for a book to hold 10mo

Eggs Excellent 👌🏼 🔥 👏🏻 10mo

Eggs This did actually happen under the reign of Hitler. seized books were burned for all to see in Berlin plaza. Books (and Jews) were claimed to be “intellectual garbage”. That is the end of liberties - to erase history, to deny thought and analysis. There is a powerful memorial now at the site. @dabbe (edited) 10mo

dabbe @JenniferEgnor Ooh, cool ... I'll have to look into it. Thanks! 🤗 10mo

dabbe @mcctrish The first year I taught it, I actually lit a book on fire (a very old well-read Harlequin paperback 😱) in front of the class, after asking them what happened at the temperature 451? I set off the fire fire alarm system in the whole school. But it was quite effective. That book “burns in me brain“ (EA Poe)--just like you. 🔥 10mo

dabbe @Eggs 🩵💙🩵 10mo

dabbe @Eggs I'll have to research it more. Thanks! 🩵💙🩵 10mo

Bookwomble Some of the more famous (infamous!) photos of nazi book burnings are of the destruction of books relating to transgender and queer issues, which were amongst the first they targeted. Transphobia and homophobia are literally nazi ideologies. https://www.themarysue.com/what-books-did-the-nazis-burn-first-its-telling/ 10mo

JenniferEgnor Recommended reading—Bookwomble is right. https://forward.com/culture/549587/trans-book-burning-library-gay-pride/ 10mo

JenniferEgnor Watch this documentary on Netflix: Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hated 10mo

dabbe @JenniferEgnor @Bookwomble ... lots of interesting things to look into ... thanks to both of you! 🤩 10mo

67 likes16 comments

TheAromaofBooks

Fahrenheit 451 | Ray Bradbury

I feel like I need to start this post by confessing that I really struggle with spelling the world Fahrenheit. Why is the H before the R!?

This is a very strange book. The world-building is so odd. I don't really have any idea of how people actually spend their days or what they do. There was a little bit of discussion at the end of the last post, that while most dystopian novels are speaking against a type of government overreach, in some ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) ways this 1951 novel seems to be speaking more to what could happen to society if they allow technological advancements to replace books and a genuine interest in learning/science/debate/discussion. While the firemen are presumably government sanctioned, it definitely doesn't have that same level of Big Brother as a book like 1984. What do you think?

We seem to be picking up this story at a breaking point in Guy's life. The hoard of ⬇ 10mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) books indicates that he's been uncertain about the “rightness“ of his job for a while. Do you think his behavior is reasonable/realistic?

This section ended on a cliffhanger for sure, and I am genuinely so curious to see how this story comes out! I can't say I'm enjoying it exactly, but I have found it very readable. Let me know your thoughts, and we'll be back next week for the conclusion!! 10mo

TheAromaofBooks #RandomClassics

@BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Catsandbooks @ChelseaM6010 @Clare-Dragonfly @Daisey @julieclair @Librarybelle @nanuska_153 @StayCurious 10mo

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Librarybelle I also cannot say that I am enjoying it but it eerily parallels what we‘re seeing today with book banning. Because I‘m not a dystopian reader, I am puzzled by a lot and am also wondering what exactly goes on during the day. I think you‘re right in that this is a cautionary tale against technology, and I would say too it‘s a tale of masking knowledge and truth. Why destroy books unless you want to prevent people from reading them? Onto the last bit 10mo

Susanita Yes, this is an odd little book. Montag is all over the place, and there isn‘t really a lot of world building. I‘m very interested to see what happens next! 10mo

BarbaraJean I had the same thoughts about how people spend their days. It seems like the wives all stay home & watch the walls! Clarisse gave us a glimpse of what school is like, but everything is so focused on Montag that the broader world is a mystery. In a lot of ways that makes it more ominous to me. It seems that‘s how people within this world experience it—they don‘t have a broad understanding of what their world is even like.⤵️ @Librarybelle @Susanita (edited) 10mo

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) I also don‘t think people care to find out what the broader world is like! The conversations when the women came over to the Montags seemed to show that. There is the suppression of knowledge and truth (much like present-day book banning), but they‘re so far past that that very few people are even interested in what knowledge they‘re missing, so it‘s easier to control the outliers like Clarisse. 10mo

Clare-Dragonfly It sounds like what people do during the day is be bored and try to distract themselves… and when they can‘t, they court death. The whole “women stay home and watch the walls” thing definitely seems of its time, the 1950s, when so many women were medicated because they were expected to just stay home and keep the house nice. Also, someone must be teaching the kids—probably a miserable job! 10mo

Clare-Dragonfly I was really struck by the image of newspapers dying like moths. A lot of Montag‘s world seems alien to me but some things, like that, seems eerily prescient on Bradbury‘s part. 10mo

Daisey This is a reread for me, but I don‘t remember much at all from the first time, except that I felt I read it too quickly and didn‘t rate it highly. In rereading, I think part of this is the lack of clear world building which seems intentional for the reasons mentioned about people not really caring about the wider world. I am appreciating the purpose of this more now, but I still feel it‘s missing. 10mo

Daisey I was the most surprised I think when he carried the book in public and people basically ignored it. After all the build up with his experience I expected him to be much more cautious when he did start to do something. 10mo

ChelseaM6010 I‘m going to be echoing a few people here and agree—there doesn‘t seem to be much world building, which is a little odd to me, but I‘m along for the ride so far! 10mo

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