Fahrenheit 451 in Classics for Beginners

May 22, 2012 ☯Emily Ginder rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, ilr-bcc-classes, fantasy, fiction, read-in-2012, 20th-century-classics, anti-war, banned-challenged-books, read-in-2020, read-in-2021

This is not a typical book I read. However, two groups on Goodreads selected this book to read, so I decided to give it a try. It is really a novella about a vapid society who no longer reads anything. Instead, everyone is surrounded by televisions, sound, noise, color and sports from morning to night. (Does this sound familiar?) Books are banned, but few care. Anyone who reads has deviant behavior. When the government finds out that someone has books in their possession, their house is burned a This is not a typical book I read. However, two groups on Goodreads selected this book to read, so I decided to give it a try. It is really a novella about a vapid society who no longer reads anything. Instead, everyone is surrounded by televisions, sound, noise, color and sports from morning to night. (Does this sound familiar?) Books are banned, but few care. Anyone who reads has deviant behavior. When the government finds out that someone has books in their possession, their house is burned along with their books. The main character is a fireman, whose only job is to burn books and homes. A fireman does not put out fires, but actually creates the blazes which destroy the books.

Montag, the fireman, gradually becomes intrigued with books and his problems begin. Will his interest in literature be discovered? What will happen to him? These questions keep the story going.

The plot got bogged down with the overly descriptive paragraphs that were too wordy and redundant. This is an example from the beginning of the book: "As he stood there the sky over the house screamed. There was a tremendous ripping sound as if two giant hands had torn ten thousand miles of black lines down the seam. Montag was cut in half. He felt his chest chopped down and split apart. The jet bombers going over, going over, going over, one two, one two, one two, six of them, nine of them, twelve of them, one and one and one and another and another and another, did all the screaming for him..." I trust you get the point.

However, there were serious issues raised including conformity, the tyranny of the majority, and the horrors of war and it was for these reasons that I enjoyed the book.

2/9/20 Firemen burn books not because most people want to read, but to create some excitement. Most people are content to watch TV and believe the fanciful stories they see and hear broadcast in all the rooms of their homes. Sports are important in order to keep everyone busy and the idle worship of shallow people (think actors and musicians) is the norm. Trivia games are promoted so that the people think they are smart and full of knowledge (think Jeopardy.) Yet no one seems to be happy and fulfilled. Montag, a fireman, begins to wonder why his life is empty and then sees a woman willing to die with her books as they are destroyed. Why would a person do such a thing?

This leads Montag on an adventure that will change the course of his life.

So why are books banned and/or challenged today? That is the question I will be asking over the next few weeks as I begin teaching a course on banned/challenged books. Why do governments ban some books? Why do high schools? What about parents - do they have a right to monitor what their children read?

Bradbury adds some commentary at the back of my edition where he feels he is being censored. His stories are "edited" in order to be included in high school readers. He is given suggestions about adding more female characters to his stories and books. One of his plays is rejected because it had no female characters. He will not make the requested changes. So, is this censorship and why are editors and readers so willing to change someone's writing?

1/9/21 Reread book for third time. I read this a year ago as I was about to begin teaching a course about banned books. What better book to read than this? However, my course was cancelled due to, you guessed it, COVID19. I am now preparing to teach the course again using Zoom.

Each time I read this book, I discover something new. Books have been a savior to me this year and probably many of you on Goodreads can say the same thing. It is hard to imagine books being banned and burned. Yet...

Banning books is a form of censorship. Censorship is defined as "the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security." Can censorship be a good thing? Is closing Donald Trump's Twitter account a type of censorship? Aren't most of us relieved about that? When do we decide to censor writings? Is it sometimes justified? If not, why not? See, I told you that the book is relevant and raises questions that are not easily answered. ...more

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May 04, 2012 Ali rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, classics

A world where books are burned... Quite possibly one of the scariest dystopias I could ever imagine. A place where society has become so advanced and so quick thinking, that they don't have time for books. Books are replaced with television and movies, which are generally superficial and not at all thought provoking. People insipidly watch television all day, and report their neighbors at the slightest suspicion of a book. I'd like to think, hey there's no way this could happen today. But Bradbu ...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Stephanie rated it it was amazing

I really, really want to say thought-provoking but lately it seems that all of the books that I read is thought-provoking.
I dont know whether I suddenly have a great taste in books, or all books in general do have an ability to provoke thoughts.
Anyway, this book was great.
It was interesting. And it taught me something important about dystopian society.
Yes, dystopian society aren't real.
And I guess that is why their problems seems so interesting.
But then, I also realize that these dystopian soc ...more

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May 25, 2012 Joshua rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, science-fiction, fantasy

This book is written in a lyrical style. It is an American style dystopia where life has become so dumbed down that people aren't even allowed to read books any more. Entertainment and distraction in the form of 3D television in the parlour take the place of culture and thought. This book reminds me of the present times: echoing TV shows like Cops, Fox news, and the televised wars that have become common place in American cultural life.

I'd give it 5 stars, but there is something a little bit si ...more

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