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Alison's Reviews > Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451
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Guy Montag, the book-burning fireman from Farenheit 451 is a dystopian Jerry Maguire of sorts. After years of burning books and living with an overly-medicated wife in a society that focuses on distraction, entertainment, and "happiness", he doesn't write a mission statement...he decides to start reading banned books on his search for something *real*.
Bradbury claims that it's not about censorship here. Rather, it's about a society that asks "how" over "why"...that would rather watch mindless, chattering TV characters broadcast over three walls of their living room than read from Shakespeare, Whitman, or The Old Testament. The people in his world use radio broadcasting earplugs to keep them tuned into trivial noise rather than have to think about the big issues at hand...war, the value of a life, quality relationships, art, nature. A cautionary tale.
Bradbury claims that it's not about censorship here. Rather, it's about a society that asks "how" over "why"...that would rather watch mindless, chattering TV characters broadcast over three walls of their living room than read from Shakespeare, Whitman, or The Old Testament. The people in his world use radio broadcasting earplugs to keep them tuned into trivial noise rather than have to think about the big issues at hand...war, the value of a life, quality relationships, art, nature. A cautionary tale.
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Reading Progress
June 16, 2007
– Shelved
April 20, 2008
– Shelved as:
rgbookclub
Started Reading
April 21, 2008
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Finished Reading
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Dottie
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rated it 5 stars
Apr 25, 2008 07:50PM
Hmmm -- look around on the streets and in the malls -- earphones attached to what percentage of ears? Noise? Well, sort of noise anyway one could argue. I am way overdue for a reread of this one.
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Oh, I know...I was envisioning the ipod when I was reading this one. And the big screen TV's...the list goes on. Scary.
So, what book are you going to memorize?
Is this question for real, Amanda? I would have to think about it. I doubt I would get too far in the Bible...it's so vast. Maybe a few key verses. Ummm...it would have to be something short, but dense (filled with meaning).
Really different take on the book because I think it has this reputation for being about censorship. It's not though, not really. A refreshing look at a classic, to not jump to the "all banned books must be good" idea which sweeps the nation now which really in essence turns into the whole "TV and noise all must be good". I saw the film and the TV on the wall has become a reality. The iPod and the constant (CONSTANT) phones stuck to people's heads -- they don't even have to hold them anymore, they just stick in your ear, how convenient. It's so much noise and distraction. I don't even think our society reads or wants to read as much even when books are readily available because of all the music and noise and entertainment going on constantly. They're distracting from the books instead of burning them. People don't want to read or write or have to think. People argue about how they shouldn't have to write properly unless they're in school. (What do you think school is for?) It's madness. We're worse than the F 541 society.
Here is some fun trivia: A man who worked at Sony invented the walkman after having read this book! ITs sort of sad and ironic really. Goes to show you cannot controle how people might use your ideas once you've let them out.
Good point--we don't have to burn the books anymore. They're still here, but people have become bored with them. They're not fast enough and loud enough.Yes, Halei...especially when there is money to be made from those ideas!
