The BOOK/MOVIE Club discussion

Discuss your thoughts on Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury with the group here! Feel free to talk about the different film adaptations as well :) What did you think of the recent HBO movie? Let us know!

This book is not so popular here I guess!

I found it to be a fascinating read with great writing, big ideas, and some solid future predictions for the state of society - but as dystopian novels go, I prefer 1984.

Has anyone seen the HBO film adaptation? I haven't gotten around to seeing it yet.

love this book one of my all time favorites also have not seen the film yet but will get round to it soon. I have few favorite lines from the book but my favorite is what his grandfather said to him.

It doesn't matter what you do, he said, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like you after you take your hands away. The difference between the man who just cuts lawns and a real gardener is in the touching.

I started the audiobook and am having trouble getting into it. I'm wondering if it would be better to read instead of listening to it? The narration is excellently done by Tim Robbins and I loved Shawshank Redemtion, so I feel especially obligated to like the audio.. but I think the writing style makes it hard for me to follow. I feel like I need time to really dwell on the writing to appreciate it since it seems very figurative. I think it's harder for me to grasp the events and the implications just by listening. I also tend to listen to audiobooks while I do other generally mindless things (cooking, driving, etc.), which may be why it's more difficult for me.

Diane wrote: "I started the audiobook and am having trouble getting into it. I'm wondering if it would be better to read instead of listening to it? The narration is excellently done by Tim Robbins and I loved S..."

I remember when audiobooks first starting coming out around 1980. I never thought they would succeed. Now my library has 3 or 4 shelves full of them.

I don't have the patience to listen for 10 or more hours. I am more engaged if I am reading.

Max wrote: "This book is not so popular here I guess!

I found it to be a fascinating read with great writing, big ideas, and some solid future predictions for the state of society - but as dystopian novels go..."

Yes, I watched the HBO movie. This may be a time where reading the book afterwards may be beneficial. Without having read the book, I imagine the writer/director took a lot of creative differences with his version of “the future.” I love Michael B. Jordan but this was not one of his best.

Diane wrote: "I started the audiobook and am having trouble getting into it. I'm wondering if it would be better to read instead of listening to it? The narration is excellently done by Tim Robbins and I loved S..."

I like Tim Robbins and thought I’d like the audio, too, but you’re right. The stream-of-consciousness kind of writing doesn’t work well with audiobooks. I had an easier time when I read it, but it was still a bit difficult.

Diane wrote: "I started the audiobook and am having trouble getting into it. I'm wondering if it would be better to read instead of listening to it? The narration is excellently done by Tim Robbins and I loved S..."

Diane and Summer-

I couldn't have said it better myself - glad I wasn't alone in this! I enjoyed the book less than expected, and I suspect it was because of the audiobook format as well. The Tim Robbins narration was alright, but Ray Bradbury's writing doesn't work the same way over audio.

His writing style necessitates that you take in his words slowly and deliberately, with the ability to reread sections as needed. I also found myself glossing over important plot points by accident.

I may have to read this again at some point, with a physical book next time so I can enjoy it properly.

Max wrote: "Diane wrote: "I started the audiobook and am having trouble getting into it. I'm wondering if it would be better to read instead of listening to it? The narration is excellently done by Tim Robbins..."

I was having the same issue.. Now I'm playing catch up and I am actually enjoying the book more than I expected.

I enjoyed this book very much. I listened to it through the audiobook version, but I have long commutes so it worked out well for me.

I found many similarities between the characters in this book and people in our own world.

Guy Montag's character arc is a rollercoaster of emotions as he searches inward to see the world around him for what it is. It is beautifully played out from the moment he finds the initial seed of doubt to his final decision: Does he run into the unknown in a search for self or does he stay in the comfort of the society that has fed and protected him? We all fight these types battles in a smaller scale in our every day lives: Do we pursue the job we want and risk failure or do we stay in the comfort of our 9 to 5 knowing we will never be fulfilled?

Milie, Guy's wife, reminds me of people who must be in the know at all times (i.e. keeping up the Kardashians). In our world, we are provided with tons of entertainment that flood into reality through the form of memes and video shorts. Throughout the book, Millie continues to become more immersed in interactive television and her seashell radio. Instead of looking inward, she looks for stimulants to help her escape reality.

Clarisse, the young girl, is naive, optimistic and bright-eyed. She is the person that the world grinds out of us through years of trial and error. She is the person we must all strive to be, perhaps not in naiveté, but in spirit. These are the people who build their own destiny and are not afraid to live life to the fullest. These are a rarer type of people, but they bring joy to those around them.

Faber, the old man, is at the opposite end of Clarisse's life. He has spent years watching the world burn and has survived by hiding in the cracks. However, he has not forgotten his passions and sees through the flawed world. He is prepared, but unwilling to make the jump to freedom in fear of failure. This is where many of us end, with many passions, but without a "Guy" to provide the initial force many of us are left at a standstill.

I will say, I was not a fan of the ending. It felt very unrealistic to me and left a lot to be desired. Other than that, a fun, easy read that relates to our modern world. I hope many read this book and become enlightened to look away from the screen!

Overall, 4/5 RoboPups