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Fahrenheit 451
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I'm very excited to discuss this novel with everyone! Fahrenheit 451 was a novel that I first read in high school. As I'm working my way through it again, I'm realizing how much I missed the first time through. It has me wondering what other classic novels did I read and not appreciate back then. Some like To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984, and The Great Gatsby really resonated with me. Others like The Scarlet Letter, Beowolf, and The Awakening failed to really grab my attention. What 'required reading' books did you connect with during school? Which ones do you wish you would have paid more attention to, or would you like to revisit?
oh i need to get to this since its part of my classics challenge - i never read it in high school (australia doesn't do a lot of the traditional classics) - so much is new to me
Oh my, high school? I went to high school in the 70's lol! Truthfully, all I remember is Lord of the Flies. I do however remember I was interested in greek mythology and Shakespeare. I'm looking forward to reading Fahrenheit 451, I picked up a used copy in mint condition last month. I will start it next week.
Ethan wrote: "What 'required reading' books did you connect with during school? Which ones do you wish you would have paid more attention to, or would you like to revisit? .."To Kill a Mockingbird, Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Crime and Punishment were the books I most enjoyed in high school ... and probably the only three I actually read in their entirety (vs. skimming and relying on the cliff's notes)
I recently re-read 1984 and while I know we had this in high school it seemed like a totally new book to me. I think my 1964 brain thought 1984 was just too far in the future, but my 2014 brain recognizes how much of that "imagined" society is at issue today. How frightening!
Mod
I read F451 as an adult and LOVED it.
In high school (~25 years ago!) I remember loving Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Not sure how it would go today, I seem to have a shorter attention span! I re-read both To Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby recently and loved them more now than I did in school. I've never read F451 though, I'm looking forward to it.
I must have read this book over 15 years ago. I read it in school. It's on the list of one of my favourite books as I recall devouring it. I think it's due time for a re-read! I've got a copy on my shelf that I'll have it tonight.
We did not read many classics in high school (of course now several of the books we did read are considered classics) but I have been picking up several in the last couple of years after seeing my children read them. That said, I always enjoyed Ray Bradbury's books so was surprised that I hadn't read it before now.
I never had to read this in high school, we did a lot of Shakespeare and Herman Hesse (I don't even know if I could force myself to reread Siddhartha as an adult, hated it so!), but I did just this month's booki two months ago. It is certainly one of the best books I've read this year. I think in an electronic age, when people are ever increasingly memorized by their screens, it has shown to have even more layers of truth than may have been initially perceived. Looking forward to everyone else's thoughts.I recently reread The Scarlet Letter and found it much more enjoyable, partially because the style of writing is easier to read with more experience, but also because the themes resonate with an adult perspective more than a child's.
I can recall connecting to A Separate Peace, but I never finished it. I knew there was going to be some tragic ending and if I didn't read it than it wouldn't be real.
Wow! Looking at the lists that everyone has posted, it seems like I need to add a lot more books to my TBR list! It makes me thankful that we have these group reads so that I'm "forced" into revisiting some of these titles. If you're just joining us, please continue to add books that you liked or disliked reading in school.For those of you who have started reading F451, what are your first impressions of the world that Bradbury is imagining here? I feel like this novel has to be read with an understanding that the future imagined here is seen from the POV of the early 1950's, when the novel was written. As such, the story is intended to be a commentary of society at that time. Bradbury seems to be saying that this is where we are headed. What parts of this imagined future relate to issues of the past, and are there parts that are still relevant to our world today?
I find it funny that with so many e-readers and electronic ways to read there are fewer books in the world today (not at my house, though!) not because they are illegal but just because that's how we have developed as a society.I can't imagine we would ever burn books because of the whole recycle psychology, but I can imagine books on paper being banned someday as a waste of that resource. Something to think about.
Kandice wrote: "I find it funny that with so many e-readers and electronic ways to read there are fewer books in the world today (not at my house, though!) not because they are illegal but just because that's how ..."I think it also brings up an interesting question about what makes a book a book. If I have a hundred titles on my Kindle, does that mean I have a hundred books? I could definitely envision books following a similar trajectory as music has. Most of the music I own now is MP3's where as even ten years ago I had a collection of CD's.
It also delves into the discussion about accessibility. If books are no longer printed in paper form, does that decrease the odds of that book being read? As a composer, I've seen the same thing happen to music scores. I used to have to go to the library or purchase scores of some of the great composers if I wanted to look at them. Now, many of the greats, think Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, etc. have scores available for free in an electronic form. I think that this greatly increases our access to the works of all artist that we deem as valuable.
Lori wrote: "Hi all! It's September and that means it's time to crack open Fahrenheit 451!Our discussion leader is Ethan. So welcome, Ethan, and thank you for being a part of our group read pr..."
I think i'll start "Fahrenheit" tonight. I look forward to digging into it. Sounds good. I last read it in h.s. 25 years ago. What classics did I connect with? Many fortunately but especially "Catcher in the Rye". I was miserable in h.s. but loved the book selection. We were assigned typical classics i think such as Shakes, Mockingbird, Gatsby, Slaughterhouse-Five etc.
i'll throw this out there, i've found over the last year, i do much better attempting to listen to the classics than read them - i don't know, but i seem to have a better success rate - so if you are struggling reading, maybe take a whack at the audiobook
Mod
Having gone to high school in the Netherlands, I missed out on reading most of the classics (reading mostly the dutch literature in high school). Since then I've been catching up, but I have not read this book yet. Looking forward to it! I think I'll start today
Ethan, after my post I was also wondering the same things you mentioned! I have a LOT of bookcases in my house, all very full, but I also have a Nook with a couple thousand books on it. Do I really "own" all those books on my Nook?Yes, they are infinitely more accessible which is why I love them, but I know I am less likely to read them unless I have a particular title in mind. I resisted an e-reader for years,and used to scour my shelves for my next read.Now I'm more likely to buy 5 or 6 e-books in a week, but only likely to read the most recent purchases. Out of sight, out of mind.
Dee wrote: "i'll throw this out there, i've found over the last year, i do much better attempting to listen to the classics than read them - i don't know, but i seem to have a better success rate - so if you a..."Good point! I think the advances in technology have changed the way that we consume art and media. Certainly the ability to self publish has increased the amount of writing that is out there for us to read. I wonder though, has the change in the way we consume books forced the content to change as well? If so, is this a good or bad thing?
Mod
I just always forget to add my purchases to my To Read shelf here!
Ethan wrote: "Kandice wrote: "I find it funny that with so many e-readers and electronic ways to read there are fewer books in the world today (not at my house, though!) not because they are illegal but just bec..."Kandice wrote: "Ethan, after my post I was also wondering the same things you mentioned! I have a LOT of bookcases in my house, all very full, but I also have a Nook with a couple thousand books on it. Do I really..."
I love my e-reader but I have always wondered about the ability to "change" books that are electronic. My e-reader often gives me updates to books. Updates? What is being updated, it's published and purchased. There should be changes made at this point. How will we know in 100 years what has been altered and what is original. Whole stories could be altered and there would be no way to really know. I truly hope that paper books always remain even if they decrease in numbers.
Jennifer, I hope they only update your books by fixing typos etc. It would be pretty strange if the plot of your favorite book suddenly changed! :) However, I think it would be nice if you could buy a non-fiction e-book about economy for instance and they would update it with new chapters about current events or something like that. Sometimes newer editions of books have some extra chapters and it would be nice if you could have those as well without having to buy the book again.Edit: I'm not sure if they do this actually, I like to buy non-fiction as normal books because it is easier to scan through them from time to time.
Rutger wrote: "Jennifer, I hope they only update your books by fixing typo's etc. It would be pretty strange if the plot of your favourite book suddenly changed! :) However, I think it would be nice if you could ..."I too have had a couple boks "update," and in each case it was to fix typos or formatting errors.
Mod
It's called The Book and it discusses the exact thing Jennifer just brought up. All books are digital and the government alters them and updates them time and time again to control what you read, what is acceptable. To the point where, 500 years in the future, a kid is in love with Catcher in the Rye, knows it by heart, and finds an illegal page from the original (because paper books are banned) and realizes his version is different. Altered.
It's amazing! I think it's quite fitting and in line with F451 and the conversation : )
Lori wrote: "Oh my god, what you guys are talking about is bringing to mind this book I read a few years back that takes the topics of both Catcher in the Rye and Fahrenheit 451 and meshes them together.It's ..."
Yes, this is precisely what I was speaking of. I don't think the updates that are occurring now to ebooks are major changes, but in context with F451, it is interesting to think about how easily it would be, overt time, to alter history. In F451, books equal the truth. Would we be able to say the same of ebooks?
What you guys are talking about reminds me of 1984! Certain words and phrases become verboten. This is even scarier because if our books are electronic we don't even need to know the government is changing them if they decide not to alert us to the updates!
Ray Bradbury was commenting on the decreasing interest in reading as entertainment (in favor of television & movies). He wrote that a society that does not read is no better than a society that cannot read. By the way ... when I read To Kill a Mockingbird in high school, it was a NEW book ...
Book Concierge wrote: "Ray Bradbury was commenting on the decreasing interest in reading as entertainment (in favor of television & movies). He wrote that a society that does not read is no better than a society that ca..."I guess that begs the question...Was Bradbury correct in his fears? I'm sure the number of people who read books has decreased in favor of other forms of media. I wonder if this has caused a change in the content of our media as well.
Lori wrote: "Oh my god, what you guys are talking about is bringing to mind this book I read a few years back that takes the topics of both Catcher in the Rye and Fahrenheit 451 and meshes them together.It's ..."
Ohh I totally just added that book to the pile Lori - i'm intrigued!
Ethan wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: "Ray Bradbury was commenting on the decreasing interest in reading as entertainment (in favor of television & movies). He wrote that a society that does not read is no better..."George Orwell made some similar observations in 1984 - with talking about mindless entertainment of the masses
ETA because i'm an idiot, wrong name - duh!
I just finished a really unusual book called "When Books Went to War." It's about the books sent to US servicemen during WWII. There is a book list of Armed Service Editions (ASE) at http://www.armedserviceseditions.com/... if anyone is interested. Curious to know if any of YOU read them?
Regarding less reading???????????? ............... ARE YOU KIDDING ME? ...............
Half of my customers swap pages of reading recommendations to one another on a regular basis! This crowd covers ages 14-70. I get emails throughout the month with a book title ONLY as the message. Very cool.
I feel sorry for the younger readers, as their school education seems to be wholly related to social affairs rather than actual events in time or about the ways to acquire knowledge in order to process more knowledge to then apply it in their lives or careers, for example.
I read F451 back in H.S. and usually loved reading any classics, although Moby Dick was a challenge. Last year I read the "The Word Exchange" by Alena Graedon, which is a cautionary tale -- set not too far in the future -- about the dangers of losing language, communications, and the written word by relying on digital and implanted micro-chips. Very timely to this discussion.
Chris wrote: "I just finished a really unusual book called "When Books Went to War." It's about the books sent to US servicemen during WWII. There is a book list of Armed Service Editions (ASE) at http://www.a..."lol - i just read this book last month! i found it interesting, but would have loved more reflection from the troops, and less of the politics behind it - i was expecting some vignettes from the soldiers who got the books
Dee wrote: "Chris wrote: "I just finished a really unusual book called "When Books Went to War." It's about the books sent to US servicemen during WWII. There is a book list of Armed Service Editions (ASE) a..."I totally agree with you on your point of view!
Book Concierge wrote: "Ray Bradbury was commenting on the decreasing interest in reading as entertainment (in favor of television & movies). Have you ever read the following:
http://www.uhuh.com/nwo/communism/com...
?????
I've been thinking about Montag's motivation for turning to books. He sees books as a way to escape from the confines of his strange society, but loses everything that he's worked for in the process. I think it is safe to assume that having a stable job and relationship is a good thing, but Montag gives this all up. How do you reconcile this trade off?
Ethan wrote: "I've been thinking about Montag's motivation for turning to books. He sees books as a way to escape from the confines of his strange society, but loses everything that he's worked for in the proces..."I don't think it's only books he is trading for, but personal freedom. That's worth almost anything.
Stability is good to have: a reliable job so you can pay your bill, stable relationship so you have someone to rely on; but as with everthing too much of a good thing is bad. You become stagnant and too comfortable that you dont push yourself to be more. Instability is where growth happens.
I happen to agree that ultimately the trade off of his established life for the freedom he achieves is worthy. That being said, I may not 100% agree that instability leads to growth. What would you say to authors who trust in a process of writing a prescribed amount each day? Can growth and freedom still be born from routine and establishment?
Routine and establishment are cogs in the wheel when one sets attainable goals. For authors with deadlines, this approach probably is successful for them (and their readership). Otherwise you will have authors who take as long as it takes (ten years?) to complete their works. Will their readers hang in there that long?
Okay, changing gears a bit as we come to the end of the month, here's a question just for fun! If you had to memorize a single book or risk it being lost forever, which one would you choose and why?
Ethan wrote: "Okay, changing gears a bit as we come to the end of the month, here's a question just for fun! If you had to memorize a single book or risk it being lost forever, which one would you choose and why?"The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran because it's gorgeous and applies to people in general and the way we should treat each other regardless of our beliefs.
Forgot to say my pick! I would choose The Road by Cormac McCarthy. No book has affected me as much as this novel. To me, it is a perfect story of devotion, perseverance, and love.
Ethan wrote: "Okay, changing gears a bit as we come to the end of the month, here's a question just for fun! If you had to memorize a single book or risk it being lost forever, which one would you choose and why?"To Kill a Mockingbird ... my all-time favorite book. A book that speaks about personal integrity, about doing what is right when everyone around you seems to disagree. About modeling the life lessons who want to impart to your children rather than only lecturing them about those moral lessons.
I just wanted to thank all of you for participating in our discussion this month. You've made my first go at moderating a real joy! Our read for next month is The Night Strangers. I look forward to discussing that one too! Remember that this thread will remain open, so feel free to continue posting and discussing as you read the novel.
Here are some quotes in honor of Banned Books Week“Yes, books are dangerous. They should be dangerous – they contain ideas.” ― Pete Hautman
“Censorship of anything, at any time, in any place, on whatever pretense, has always been and always will be the last resort of the boob and the bigot.” ― Eugene O’Neill
“Censorship is telling a man he can’t have a steak just because a baby can’t chew it.” ― Mark Twain
“Any book worth banning is a book worth reading.” ― Isaac Asimov
“Banning books gives us silence when we need speech. It closes our ears when we need to listen. It makes us blind when we need sight.” ― Stephen Chbosky
“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.”
― Joseph Brodsky
Mod
Lori wrote: "Nice job Ethan! Great choice of book and loved the conversation that took place here!"Thanks! It was a blast. I can't wait to lead another discussion in the future!
The Next Best Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Night Strangers (other topics)To Kill a Mockingbird (other topics)
The Road (other topics)
The Prophet (other topics)
To Kill a Mockingbird (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Cormac McCarthy (other topics)Kahlil Gibran (other topics)
Our discussion leader is Ethan. So welcome, Ethan, and thank you for being a part of our group read process!