Fahrenheit 451

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It's a hit!

A simple plot weaved through philosophical topics of censorship, alienation through home entertainment, crime fighting, and war -- abound with rich... (show more)

A simple plot weaved through philosophical topics of censorship, alienation through home entertainment, crime fighting, and war -- abound with rich, colourful descriptions that are missing from many other science fiction novels. While younger readers may need help with the richness of the prose, this book delivers a refreshing pause to think about the potential consequences of our "consumption"-based society. The main topic of the book -- the rejection by society of books in favour of snippets and audio-visual candy -- is probably even more relevant and concerning now, in the information age of news feeds rather than newspapers, status updates rather than "catching up" with friends and family, instant messaging rather than email (rather than speaking!), songs rather than albums, video clips rather than films, etc. It makes the reader reconsider experiencing works of art the way they were originally intended, by yearning for quality rather than quantity. Unfortunately, based on the choices of the masses in our age, Ray Bradbury has been bang-on so far. (show less)

 

 

by Brad Kynoch

No, it's a flop!

Montag was a fireman, who burns books, but the story wasn't really developed, you never saw Montag during the time that he loved burning books. He ... (show more)

Montag was a fireman, who burns books, but the story wasn't really developed, you never saw Montag during the time that he loved burning books. He met the neighbor, Clarisse, right away and his outlook on life changed or was awakened more than it was. He already had stolen some books though, so I didn't really like the beginning. And the family being TV shows, that is so sad, people watch way too much TV anyways, but it was just odd that the family became the TV. I liked the professor and thought that it was cleaver how he washed away Montag's scent so the mechanical dog wouldn't go into his house and find out that he was an accomplice. I didn't see how the men in the woods would know that Montag was going to come. They took themselves out of society so why would they be watching the TV that night, it didn't make any sense. I didn't really like the book much. (show less)

 

 

by Lauren Redmond

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  451°F refers to the trigger temperature for paper to burn (though 450°C is more popularly thought to be the right temperature – no matter, since ‘Celsius 451’ just doesn’t have the same ring).

  Set in a postmodern era, a lawless America has turned itself into an anti-intellectual state which persecutes anyone who is caught in possession of books and worse, reading their contents.

  Into this setting steps a new breed of firemen, who abandon their traditional roles by actually setting fire ... (show more)

  451°F refers to the trigger temperature for paper to burn (though 450°C is more popularly thought to be the right temperature – no matter, since ‘Celsius 451’ just doesn’t have the same ring).

  Set in a postmodern era, a lawless America has turned itself into an anti-intellectual state which persecutes anyone who is caught in possession of books and worse, reading their contents.

  Into this setting steps a new breed of firemen, who abandon their traditional roles by actually setting fire to these books whenever a ‘concerned’ member of the public reports on their neighbour. Intellectuals and professors go underground as universities and higher institutes of learning are eradicated. People ‘interact’ with their newfound virtual families, which are akin to real-time projections of our modern day talkshows (replete with canned applause and laughter) on their walls.

  Fireman Guy Montag is forced to question his existence and life as he knows it, when confronted with seventeen-year old neighbour Clarisse, who tells him of a past where people were not afraid to think and question.

  This book is so clearly ahead of its time with chillingly accurate predictions of the numbing (dumbing?) effects of technology, which breeds complacence and unquestioning acceptance of status quo.

  One especially disturbing scene was the way the manhunt for the fugitive Montag turns into a televised spectator sport, not unlike reality TV programmes in the Noughties.

  Published in 1953, this dystopian novel still remains relevant and current in the 21st century, though one wonders at the impact of e-books and the future of the books as we know them.

  Highly recommended - to be read as a companion to Don Delillo's 'White Noise'. (show less)

   

   

  by Josh Ang on Sep 20, 2009 at 03:14AM

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  Got this out from the library because I took a quiz and it said my personality is like this Montag guy. It was pretty good. I liked Bradbury's writing style. I especially miss the luminous mysterious girl who started Montag's questioning. Although I cannot comment on whether I am similar in personality to the protagonist, I have to say that the ideas written in this book are those that I have struggled with a lot of my life. I remember I even wanted to design an experiment to make people ques... (show more)

  Got this out from the library because I took a quiz and it said my personality is like this Montag guy. It was pretty good. I liked Bradbury's writing style. I especially miss the luminous mysterious girl who started Montag's questioning. Although I cannot comment on whether I am similar in personality to the protagonist, I have to say that the ideas written in this book are those that I have struggled with a lot of my life. I remember I even wanted to design an experiment to make people question life as they know it. Would numerous billboards in highways do the trick? Or a 10 second commercial on TV? I don't know. I find that the issues grappled with by Montag and his era (except the burning of books) are suffered by the population today. So many of us just do things because we are told or because it is customary or simply because we did not bother to think about what we are actually doing. It is very sad that we, as the 'grand civilization' has come to this pitiable state of being. And as Bradbury had no solution so have I not. Really wonder what we can do to make humans think for themselves again. Perhaps we have never really 'thought' for ourselves. Perhaps the world had always been divided into people that think and people who are content with life. And so throughout the centuries, people read books like these, marvel at the accuracy of people centuries ago and then go back to life as they know it. (show less)

   

  by Facebook-gebruiker on Aug 09, 2009 at 08:02AM

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